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First-Time Visitor Guide to the Smoky Mountains

Plan your lodging location, download offline park maps, reserve must-do experiences and leave room for mountain weather.

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How to use this guide

Start with your travel dates and the experience that matters most to your group. Then choose lodging that reduces unnecessary driving and reserve the few activities you would be disappointed to miss.

What to prioritize

For fall and holiday trips, lodging location and high-demand experiences should be decided first. Keep some flexibility for scenic drives and national-park time because mountain weather and traffic can change the best plan for the day.

Trip-planning tip: Great Smoky Mountains National Park has extremely limited cell coverage in many areas. Download offline maps before entering the park.

Build the rest of your trip

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Editorial note: Event dates and attraction details can change. Verify time-sensitive details with the attraction or official destination source before traveling.