3 day itinerary in Great Smoky Mountains

North Carolina, Tennessee

1 - 5 days

3 day

itinerary in

Great Smoky Mountains

Big Creek Picnic Area

Big Creek Picnic Area: 10 sites in secluded park location.

Big Creek Picnic Area is one of ten designated picnic areas in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Located in the northeast section of the park, it offers ten sites in a secluded area.

Cabins and Daily Life

Cable Mill Historic Area

Next to visitor center, Cable Mill exhibits remote Appalachian buildings.

Located next to the Cades Cove Visitor Center, the Cable Mill area contains many of the buildings typical of remote Appalachian communities.

Cades Cove Picnic Area

Picnic area with 81 sites near Cades Cove Loop Road.

Cades Cove Picnic Area is one of ten designated picnic spots in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It includes 81 sites near the entrance to the historic Cades Cove Loop Road.

Carter Shields Cabin

Last historic structure on 11-mile Cades Cove driving loop.

The Carter Shields cabin is the last historic structure visitors come across on the 11-mile Cades Cove driving loop.

CCC Stone Bridge

Chimneys Picnic Area

Picnic area in Smoky Mountains, near water, forested.

Chimneys Picnic Area is one of ten designated picnic areas in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Located in the northern part of the park along Newfound Gap Road, this picnic area is heavily forested and near water.

Clingmans Dome Observation Tower

Tower offers stunning view of Smoky Mountains, with historical significance.

Clingmans Domer Tower provides a breathtaking view of the surrounding Smoky Mountains National Park. The Tower also has a story to tell - it was architecturally significant within the history of the National Park Service and a model for other towers that were built across the NPS.

Collins Creek Picnic Area

Collins Creek Picnic: 182 shaded sites, pavilion available by reservation.

Collins Creek Picnic Area is one of ten picnic areas in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Located along Newfound Gap Road, it offers 182 shaded sites and a pavilion available by reservaiton.

Cosby Picnic Area

Cosby Picnic Area, NE park, 35 sites, reservable pavilion.

Cosby Picnic Area is one of ten designated picnic areas in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Located in the northeast part of the park, it offers 35 sites and a pavilion available by reservation.

Daisy Town: The Birth of Tourism in the Smokies

Dan Lawson Place

Historic structures on Cades Cove loop, 7 miles from entrance.

Dan Lawson Place is a group of historic structures about 7 miles into the 11-mile Cades Cove driving loop just past the intersection with Hyatt Lane.

Deep Creek Picnic Area

Picnic area near Bryson City, NC with 58 sites available.

Deep Creek Picnic Area is one of ten designated picnic spots in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Located near the southern entrance of the park near Bryson City, NC, it includes 58 sites and a pavilion available by reservation.

Elijah Oliver Place

Elijah Oliver place is a farmstead 0.5 mile from parking.

The Elijah Oliver place is a farmstead made up of multiple nineteenth century buildings in the west end of the loop. It is a 0.5 mile walk from Cades Cove Loop Road. Parking for the Elijah Oliver Place can be found just past Cooper Road Trailhead.

Foothills Parkway

Congress authorized scenic parkway in 1944. Delayed by challenges, beautiful driving experience.

Congress authorized the Foothills Parkway as a scenic parkway on February 22, 1944. Though funding and engineering challenges have delayed the completion of the project, the open sections of the Foothills Parkway provide a beautiful driving experience for visitors.

Greenbrier Picnic Area

Greenbrier Picnic Area: 10 designated spots in forest, near pavilion.

Greenbrier Picnic Area is one of ten designated picnic spots in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Located in the northern part of the park, it offers 12 sites in a forested, secluded area and a nearby pavilion available by reservation.

Heintooga Picnic Area

Heintooga Picnic Area: 41 sites, highest elevation in park.

Heintooga Picnic Area is one of ten designated picnic areas in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It offers 41 sites at the highest elevation of all park picnic areas.

John Oliver Place

John Oliver cabin: first historic stop on 11-mile Cades Cove loop.

The John Oliver cabin is the first historic structure visitors come across on the 11-mile Cades Cove driving loop.

Laura Spelman Rockefeller Memorial

LeConte Lodge

LeConte Lodge accessible by hiking, 5-8 miles in length.

LeConte Lodge sits atop Mount Le Conte, the park's third highest peak, at an elevation of 6,593 feet. The lodge is only accessible by hiking and offers various comforts. Hiking routes to the lodge vary in length from 5 to 8 miles.

Look Rock Picnic Area

Designated picnic area with 51 sites along scenic Foothills Parkway.

Look Rock Picnic Area is one of ten designated picnic areas in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It includes 51 sites along the Foothills Parkway, a scenic roadway with beautiful mountain views.

Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area

Picnic area, 122 sites, pavilion reservation, Metcalf Bottoms.

Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area is one of ten designated picnic areas in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It offers 122 sites, some of which are open year-round, and a pavilion available for reservation.

Methodist Church

5th stop on loop drive, church on right side.

Cades Cove Methodist Church is the 5th stop on the scenic loop drive. The church is on the right side of the road and is past the turn off for the Primitive Baptist Church.

Missionary Baptist Church

Missionary Baptist Church near loop, across from Rich Mountain Road.

The Missionary Baptist Church is on the entrance side of the loop past Hyatt Lane and across from Rich Mountain Road.

Old Town of Elkmont

Overlook

Primitive Baptist Church

Primitive Baptist Church, 1887, second stop, Cades Cove Loop, John Oliver.

Primitive Baptist Church built in 1887 is the second stop along the Cades Cove Loop after the John Oliver cabin.

The Train "Wye"

Tipton Place

Tipton Place on loop exit near Dan Lawson, Carter Shields.

Tipton Place is located on the exit side of the loop between Dan Lawson Place and Carter Shields Cabin.

Twin Creeks Picnic Pavilion

Largest park pavilion near Gatlinburg in scenic forest setting.

Twin Creeks Picnic Pavilion is the largest in the park, surrounded by scenic forest. Located in a secluded section of the Smokies near Gatlinburg, this pavilion is a popular place for group trips.

Whitehead Place

Henry Whitehead place: 0.75 miles down Forge Creek Road.

The Henry Whitehead place is located 0.75 miles down Forge Creek Road. The entrance for Forge Creek Road is just past the exit of the Cades Cove Visitor Center/Cable Mill Historic Area parking lot.