The Nice Smoky Mountains Nationwide Park has the most effective issues: it’s too fashionable. In recent times, the park has change into overcrowded with throngs of tourists parking for miles alongside the street’s shoulders, cramming onto slim mountain climbing paths, and clogging main intersections.
So, when is the very best time to go to and keep away from the crowds?
From late Could till the top of October, the nationwide park is visited by greater than half 1,000,000 folks each month. As increasingly more folks search the most well-liked elements of the park, it turns into increasingly more tough to get there.
Fortuitously, two shoulder seasons are the very best occasions to go to the Nice Smoky Mountains Nationwide Park. And there are at all times much less fashionable locations to go to that also supply mountain climbing trails and scenic views.
Learn this month-by-month breakdown of the very best occasions to go to Nice Smoky Mountains Nationwide Park to study concerning the peak occasions to keep away from, shoulder seasons which can be the very best, and particular occasions you might need to attend.
Do you’ve got a selected time of yr you go to yearly? Or do you base your plans on off-seasons and round holidays? Go away me a remark beneath and let me know the way you decide a date to go to this park.
Climate
I discovered a lesson about climate predictions within the mountains the exhausting method. One morning, I checked the native excessive for the day – it was presupposed to prime 70 levels. I grabbed shorts and a t-shirt, left my jacket behind, and headed to a close-by mountain summit for a day hike on the Appalachian Path.
After I reached the car parking zone, which was practically 4,000 toes greater in elevation, the temperature was a frigid 50 levels. And the wind made it really feel even colder. I hiked to a spherical bald on the AT, captured exactly one picture, and instantly returned to my automotive.
Let this be a lesson.
The chart above exhibits the typical month-to-month temperatures for the decrease elevations of the Nice Smoky Mountains Nationwide Park. Locations like Cades Cove, Roaring Fork Motor Nature Path, Oconaluftee, and Cataloochee Valley.
However if you wish to know the temperature at Newfound Hole, Mount LeConte, or Clingmans Dome, you’ll must subtract about 15 levels from the present temperature in Gatlinburg.
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April, Could, and September are essentially the most snug months for visiting the nationwide park. June and July are the most popular and most humid months. Though it’s about 5 levels cooler within the shade of bushes, the humidity will cancel it out.
Rain falls within the park a number of days each month. March is the wettest month, with 4” of rainfall and fewer than an inch of snow. October is the driest month.
Crowds
2023 was the second-busiest yr ever within the Nice Smoky Mountains Nationwide Park. 13.2 million folks visited the park for recreation, virtually 1 million shy of the report in 2021.
The Nice Smoky Mountains was the most-visited nationwide park within the nation. But it surely wasn’t the most-visited unit managed by the Nationwide Park Service. That report went to the Blue Ridge Parkway in 2023, with an astounding 3.5 million extra guests.
There are a number of the explanation why the Nice Smoky Mountains Nationwide Park is essentially the most visited. It’s inside a one-day drive of practically 70% of the nation’s inhabitants. The favored Blue Ridge Parkway feeds into the nationwide park at Oconaluftee. And there’s no admission charge, though there’s a new parking tag charge.
June and July are two of the busiest months of the yr within the nationwide park, however October is the busiest – practically 1.7 million folks visited the park in October 2023. April and Could are an important shoulder season earlier than the hustle and bustle begins in the summertime. August and September are an important buffer season between the favored summer time and autumn.
Finest Time to Go to
It’s unimaginable to definitively declare a selected greatest time to go to the Nice Smoky Mountains Nationwide Park. That reply is dependent upon what you need to do within the park – hike a path, spend an evening in a campground, or see the autumn colours.
However total, two occasions a yr are greatest to go to: the shoulder seasons in April by Could and August by September.
The shoulder seasons have essentially the most snug climate with little rain, snug excessive and low temperatures, and low humidity. These are additionally the occasions of yr with solely half the variety of month-to-month guests in comparison with July and October – the park’s busiest months of the yr.
You’ll be able to get pleasure from scenic drives, fashionable mountain climbing trails, and flowering vegetation all through the park from April by Could. It’s a good time of the yr to hike to Chimney Tops or Rainbow Falls. It’s additionally my favourite time of the yr to spend a day in Cades Cove. It’s the very best time of the yr to hike to a waterfall to see essentially the most water spilling excessive.
From August by September, you possibly can get pleasure from lots of the identical actions besides no flowering vegetation or thunderous waterfalls.
January
Annually begins quietly within the Nice Smoky Mountains Nationwide Park. January sees the best month-to-month snowfall within the park, with 3.8” on common. U.S. Freeway 441 (Newfound Hole Highway) closes steadily in January because of the snowfall and sometimes stays closed for a day or two.
January is the coldest month of the yr within the nationwide park. Common temps in Gatlinburg attain a excessive of 47 levels and dip as little as 29 levels in a single day. The upper elevations might be 10-20 levels colder, particularly on windy days.
It’s the least-visited month of the yr within the park. The customer facilities, mountain climbing trails, and scenic roads have an eerie “ghost city” vibe. 500,000 folks nonetheless go to the park, however that’s solely 25% of the variety of guests that peak in October.
Finest Issues to Do in January:
February
Following on the heels of January, February is the second least visited month of the yr within the Nice Smoky Mountains Nationwide Park. Temperatures enhance barely, which implies much less snow and extra rainfall.
There are not any actions or festivals in February. Clingmans Highway and the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Path are nonetheless closed. February isn’t the very best time of yr to do something within the park.
Finest Issues to Do in February:
- Go to historic constructions
March
Nice Smoky Mountains Nationwide Park is residence to over 1,500 species of flowering vegetation. Starting about mid-March, the flowers begin blooming within the decrease elevations.
It’s the wettest month of the yr, with a mean of 4” of rainfall and fewer than an inch of snow. Daytime highs attain about 60 levels within the decrease elevations however barely break into the 50s at Newfound Hole. It’s the primary month of the yr that in a single day lows are above freezing.
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March sees a soar in daytime guests, practically doubling the variety of guests in February. Weekends change into crowded, however it’s nonetheless higher than through the summer time months.
Finest Issues to Do in March:
- Discover the blooming wildflowers
- Hike to a waterfall
- Go to Cades Cove or Cataloochee Valley
April
April is my favourite month within the Nice Smoky Mountains Nationwide Park. And it’s one of many busiest occasions of yr for ranger-led occasions and pure splendor.
Daytime highs attain the higher 60s within the decrease elevation and the higher 50s round Clingmans Dome. In a single day lows nonetheless dip into the 40s, so carry an additional layer for after darkish.
April is the second-wettest month of the yr, with a mean of three.9” of rain. However the April showers are nice for the spring flowers and waterfalls – two of the very best issues to do throughout this spring month.
Clingmans Dome Highway, Roaring Fork Motor Nature Path, Forge Creek Highway, and Wealthy Mountain Highway open across the finish of March and the primary week of April. This brings the primary alternatives of the yr to go to a few of these areas of the nationwide park which can be sometimes overcrowded in the summertime.
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Mountain climbing to waterfalls is the very best factor to do in April. The plentiful rain leaves the waterfalls churning, creating spectacular sights. Though the paths might be moist and muddy, particularly the path to Abrams Falls, seeing the waterfalls at their peak is price the additional effort.
The Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage and Music of the Mountains are annual festivals that appeal to 1000’s of tourists. It’s a good time for these outside occasions with snug daytime temperatures. Nationwide Park Week brings a surge of weekend guests, however not that many through the weekdays.
April is the primary month of the yr to see multiple million guests sometimes.
Finest Issues to Do in April:
- Discover the blooming wildflowers
- Hike to a waterfall
- Go for a drive on the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Path
- Day mountain climbing on fashionable trails
Could
Could is the top of the shoulder season earlier than the busy summer time months start in Nice Smoky Mountains Nationwide Park. It’s the very best month of the yr to go to the nationwide park due to the right alignment of climate, crowds, and issues to do.
Daytime highs rise above 70 levels for the primary time all yr. In a single day lows stay within the 50s within the decrease elevations, although you’ll nonetheless see higher 30s and 40s at Clingmans Dome and Newfound Hole. A median of three.6” of rain falls all through the month, which stays regular all through the summer time.
The variety of guests grows barely from April, reaching about 1.2 million in Could. It’s the midpoint of month-to-month guests for the yr – 5 months are busier, and 6 are much less crowded.
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Professional Journey Tip | The perfect time to go to Nice Smoky Mountains Nationwide Park in Could is through the week. Weekends, particularly later within the month, will change into more and more crowded. Nonetheless, till colleges are closed for the summer time, there can be far fewer weekday guests than on the weekends.
Finest Issues to Do in Could:
- Discover the blooming wildflowers
- Search for blooming rhododendrons
- Hike to a waterfall
- Go for a scenic drive
- Go to Clingman’s Dome and Cades Cove
- Go for a day hike
- Spend the weekend backpacking by the park
June
June and July are two of the busiest months within the Nice Smoky Mountains Nationwide Park. 1.5 million folks go to the park in June, pushing Gatlinburg, Cherokee, and Townsend to its capability for lodging and eating. Parking within the nationwide park turns into a nightmare as too many automobiles attempt to park in too few areas.
Daytime temperatures attain the 80s within the decrease elevations and 70s within the greater elevations. It’s essentially the most snug time of the yr to go to Clingmans Dome or hike to one of many Southern Sixers.
The synchronous fireflies occasion attracts 1000’s of tourists to the nationwide park. The annual occasion on the Elkmont Historic District turned so fashionable that the nationwide park workers created a lottery system for selecting guests like in a single day friends at LeConte Lodge.
Finest Issues to Do in June:
- Search for blooming rhododendrons
- Hike one of many fashionable trails
- Go for a scenic drive
- Go to Cataloochee Valley, Fontana Dam, Greenbrier, or Cosby
- Go horseback using
July
July is the height month for nearly all the things you don’t need to see within the Nice Smoky Mountains Nationwide Park. It’s the most popular month of the yr, with a mean daytime excessive within the mid-80s. It’s essentially the most humid month of the yr, with a mean humidity of 75%. It’s the second-busiest month of the yr for guests, with 1.6 million guests – only one hundred thousand shy of the busiest month.
Between the Fourth of July weekend, overcrowding, parking points, and scorching and humid climate, it’s the definitive worst time of the yr to go to the nationwide park.
But when it’s the one time of the yr you possibly can go to, there’s nonetheless a sliver of hope. Cataloochee Valley, Greenbrier, and Cosby are much less fashionable park areas with mountain climbing trails, waterfalls, wildlife, and scenic views. July is a good time to go to these areas.
And the Foothills Parkway remains to be a comparatively peaceable place to go to within the nationwide park. Go for a brief drive to Wears Valley and get on the scenic freeway. Drive so far as Look Rock Remark Tower.
Finest Issues to Do in July:
- Go to Cataloochee Valley, Fontana Dam, Greenbrier, or Cosby
- Go for a drive on the Foothills Parkway
- Hike one of many much less fashionable trails
August
After the mayhem of July, the typical variety of guests to Nice Smoky Mountains Nationwide Park drops 20%. You’ll discover the 400,000 fewer guests while you attempt to discover parking, e-book a campsite, or hike one of many trails.
August and September are a brief shoulder season. It’s a lull between the summer time vacationers and the autumn leaf peepers. Temperatures start to chill, though daytime highs nonetheless linger within the 80s. Apparently, it’s the second-driest month of the yr with simply 3” of rainfall.
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It’s a good time to plan a trip to the nationwide park. The climate is ideal for outside actions, like mountain climbing, horseback using, and in a single day backpacking. The crowds are sufficiently small to get pleasure from visiting Cades Cove and Clingmans Dome. August is the final nice hurrah for inexperienced leaves and shorts.
Apart from August being my delivery month, it’s additionally my favourite month of the yr for sunsets. Late night humidity can flip an unusual sundown right into a spectacular show of reds, oranges, and pinks throughout the partly cloudy sky. Head to the Foothills Parkway, Morton Overlook, or Clingmans Dome for the very best sundown views within the park.
Finest Issues to Do in August:
- Go to Cades Cove, Clingmans Dome, or Roaring Fork Motor Nature Path
- Go for a drive on the Foothills Parkway
- Hike one of many fashionable trails
- Go horseback using in Cades Cove or Smokemont
- Watch the sundown from an overlook
- Spend an evening in a campground
September
September is a shoulder month within the Nice Smoky Mountains Nationwide Park, making it the most effective occasions to go to for smaller crowds. After peaking with a mean of 1.6 million month-to-month guests in July, the quantity drops to about 1 million by September. It’s extra crowded than the spring months however not as crowded as July or October.
It’s the most effective occasions of yr to view wildlife from a distance safely. The annual elk rut begins about mid-September – it’s the time of yr when younger bull elks problem different bulls for dominance within the herd. The elk are steadily noticed on the Oconaluftee Customer Heart in Cherokee and Cataloochee Valley.
Finest Issues to Do in September:
- Witness the elk rut at Oconaluftee
- Go to Cades Cove or Cataloochee Valley
- Hike one of many fashionable trails
- Watch the sundown from an overlook
- Spend an evening in a campground
- Go for a scenic drive
October
October defies the legal guidelines of nature as a result of it concurrently exists in two states. It’s the very best and worst time of the yr to go to Nice Smoky Mountains Nationwide Park.
It’s the very best time of the yr due to the spectacular autumn colours sweeping the mountains. But it surely’s the worst time of the yr due to the 1.7 million guests – essentially the most of any month of the yr.
It’s tough to chase the autumn colours within the nationwide park due to the large variations in elevation. One other problem is timing the pure occasion to e-book your lodging earlier than it’s all gone. The autumn colours peak from mid-October till early November in several park areas.
Every time the colours start to peak, right here’s when you possibly can anticipate to see the very best fall colours in several areas of the park:
- Week #1 | Little River Highway, Cades Cove, Roaring Fork Motor Nature Path, Oconaluftee
- Week #2 | Cataloochee Valley, Fontana Dam, Foothills Parkway, and the decrease parts of Newfound Hole Highway
- Week #3 | Clingmans Dome, Newfound Hole, Look Rock, Mount LeConte, and the Appalachian Path
Professional Journey Tip | Many lodges, resorts, and short-term lodging have a window for reserving cancellations. Make a number of bookings for those who can go to the Nice Smoky Mountains Nationwide Park each time the autumn colours are peaking. Ebook your lodging for as soon as per week from the second week of October till the primary week of November. When the cancellation date approaches, make your determination about when to go to.
Whereas the daytime highs stay within the 70s within the decrease elevations, by September, the upper elevations start dipping into the 60s through the day and 30s in a single day. It’s the driest month of the yr, so at the very least you don’t have to fret about being chilly and moist.
Finest Issues to Do in October:
- Go to Cades Cove, Cataloochee Valley, Roaring Fork Motor Nature Path, Newfound Hole, or Clingmans Dome
- Go for a scenic drive (final probability of the yr)
- Go to a much less fashionable place like Greenbrier, Cosby, or Fontana Dam
November
Every thing adjustments within the Nice Smoky Mountains Nationwide Park in November. Campgrounds, scenic drives, and customer facilities start closing for the season. The climate takes a major flip towards winter. And the guests lastly go residence.
Smokemont, Cades Cove, and Elkmont are the one campgrounds open year-round. The Balsam Mountain Campground is the primary to shut seasonally in mid-October. These campgrounds shut for the yr by the top of October:
- Cosby
- Abrams Creek
- Massive Creek
- Cataloochee
- Deep Creek
- Look Rock
Cades Cove, Cataloochee Highway, and Newfound Hole Highway are open year-round. These scenic drives shut between the top of October and the top of November:
- Clingmans Dome Highway
- Heintooga Ridge Highway
- Wealthy Mountain Highway
- Roaring Fork Motor Nature Path
The Cades Cove and Clingmans Dome Customer Facilities shut on the finish of October. However for those who want data or recommendation, you possibly can nonetheless go to the Sugarlands Customer Heart in Gatlinburg or the Oconaluftee Customer Heart in Cherokee.
The climate will get nearer to freezing temperatures, with in a single day lows dipping into the 30s within the decrease elevations. November is a wetter month, and sometimes, it’s the first month in autumn to see snowfall.
The variety of guests plummets by virtually 50% after the height of fall colours. November isn’t the quietest month of the yr – that’s January – however it’s quiet sufficient to get pleasure from scenic drives and mountain climbing trails with out seeing many others.
Finest Issues to Do in November:
- Customer historic constructions (exterior solely)
- Construct campfires within the campgrounds
December
The yr ends with thunderous silence after the chaotic leaf peeping season and overcrowded summer time. Temperatures drop to the second lowest of the yr, and as much as one inch of snow blankets the mountain summits and Newfound Hole.
Surprisingly, 700,000 folks go to the nationwide park in December. Most are day journey guests from Gatlinburg and Cherokee desirous to hike the sparsely populated trails.
Sugarland Customer Heart and Oconaluftee Customer Heart are closed through the winter. December and January are the one months of the yr with no open customer facilities.
Finest Issues to Do in December:
- Winter tenting at Cades Cove, Elkmont, or Smokemont