Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Attractions and activities

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a major tourist attraction in the region. It has been the most visited national park for many years, with over 14.1 million recreational visitors (tourists) in 2021. The recreational figure represents nearly twice as many tourists as the Grand Canyon, which received nearly 6 million visitors the same year. Surrounding towns—notably Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Sevierville, and Townsend in Tennessee, and Cherokee, Sylva, Maggie Valley, and Bryson City in North Carolina—receive a significant portion of their income from tourism associated with the park.

The park features three main entrances, located in Gatlinburg, Cherokee, and Townsend. Entrance into the park is free, while there is a fee for parking. U.S. Route 441 (US 441, Newfound Gap Road) is the main road through the park, and runs between Cherokee and Gatlinburg. The Gatlinburg entrance to the park is the busiest, and is also the southern terminus of the Great Smoky Mountains Parkway, a highway which connects the park to Pigeon Forge, Sevierville, and Interstate 40 to the north. The two main visitor centers inside the park are the Sugarlands Visitors' Center near the Gatlinburg entrance and the Oconaluftee Visitor Center near the Cherokee entrance. These visitor centers also contain ranger stations, and provide exhibits on wildlife, geology, and the history of the park. They also sell books, maps, and souvenirs. Little River Gorge road, which runs along the Little River and connects to US 441 at the Sugarlands Visitor Center.
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