Knoxville To Smoky Mountains Itinerary: The Perfect One-Day Trip

I recommend arriving through the Gatlinburg entrance so you can stop for breakfast (there are more options in Gatlinburg – more on where to eat below!) on your way into the park.

On your drive back home, I recommend leaving out of the Townsend entrance so you can check out the sunset along Foothills Parkway.

Knoxville To Smoky Mountains Day Trip Itinerary

Get an early start to your day so you can pack a lot into this Knoxville to Smoky Mountains one-day itinerary!

It’s just an hour from Knoxville to Smoky Mountains, but there’s quite a bit of distance to cover within the park so you’ll need to plan for a bit of driving time.

If you follow the order of this one day Smoky Mountains itinerary you can squeeze all of the highlights into one (very full) day in the park!

→ Spending more than one day in the smokies? Check out my complete Great Smoky Mountain itinerary here!

Use this map to plan your Knoxville to Smoky Mountains road trip itinerary! I’ve labeled items by activity type (noted by icon). The items in this map are listed in the same order as this itinerary, so you’ll be able to easily navigate through the park.

1. Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail

From Gatlinburg, it’s a quick drive into Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The first stop on this itinerary is Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. It gets extremely busy later in the day so it’s best to do it first thing in the morning.

Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is a one-way loop road that passes several waterfalls and historic buildings. It takes about an hour to drive, but longer if you plan to stop and get out of your car.

Along the road, I recommended checking out Ogle Place. It’s a historic site and former home of Noah “Bud” Ogle. The trail is just under a mile and takes you past Ogle cabin (built around 1880), a barn and a mill.

The trailhead for Grotto Falls (2.6 miles) is also along Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. This hike takes you to the base of the waterfall, and you can even walk behind it. It takes just over an hour to hike the full trail.

NOTE: Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is closed in winter.

2. Kuwohi Observation Tower (Formerly Clingmans Dome)

Kuwohi Observation Tower is the highlight of a trip from Knoxville to Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

It’s located in the center of the park and straddles the North Carolina-Tennessee state line.

The drive to Kuwohi Observation Tower is about 45-minutes from Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail and follows Newfound Gap Road – the primary roadway that cuts across Great Smoky Mountain National Park.

There are several incredible views along the road, like Chimney Tops Overlook, so plan a few extra minutes to pull off and enjoy the mountains.

Once you reach the parking area for Kuwohi Observation Tower there is a short (but steep) 1.3 mile paved trail up to the tower. From the tower you’re at the highest elevation (6,643 feet) in the smokies!

NOTE: Kuwohi Observation Tower is closed in winter.

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  Backpacking Smoky Mountains Guide + Review

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  Great Smoky Mountains In Spring (Seasonal Tips, Events & Closures To Know About)

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  Great Smoky Mountains Itinerary

3. Sugarlands Visitor Center & Cataract Falls

Hop back in the car and head north along Newfound Gap Road, the way you came. The route back to the northern half of the park takes you past Sugarlands Visitor Center. This is a great spot to pick up free park maps, talk with a park ranger, use the restroom and refill your water bottles.

Just behind Sugarlands Visitor Center is a short trail to Cataract Falls. The trail is flat and just over one mile. You can complete this trail in under 30-minutes.

If you’ve packed a picnic lunch this is a great place to sit outside and enjoy it. It’s also the best way to maximize your time in the park.

However, Gatlinburg is less than a 10-minute drive from Sugarlands Visitor Center so it makes for a quick detour for lunch. Keep in mind there are very few free parking options in Gatlinburg.

4. Laurel Falls

After lunch, head farther into the Townsend area of Great Smoky Mountains National Park towards Laurel Falls.

Laurel Falls is one of the most popular hiking trails in the smoky mountains. It’s just under 2.5 miles roundtrip and takes you to the base of an 80-foot waterfall.

If you’re visiting the Smoky Mountains in spring you may even see the mountain laurel (the namesake of Laurel Falls) blooming along the trail.

5. Cades Cove Loop

About 45-minutes farther into the park is Cades Cove Loop, which is a fantastic way to wrap up a one-day trip from Knoxville to Smoky Mountains National Park!

Cades Cove Loop is an 11-mile scenic drive (one-way) that has loads of historic structures you can explore, and the chances of spotting wildlife here are high.

While it’s only 11-miles, this route can take more than 2 hours to drive. Traffic doesn’t move very quickly, and there are lots of opportunities to get out and explore.

Along the loop (just past stop #10) is the trailhead to Abrams Falls, a 5-mile out-and-back hike that takes you to the base of the waterfall. This trail will add about 2 hours to your itinerary.

Note: Cades Cove Loop is closed to vehicles every Wednesdays between May and September to allow bicyclists to enjoy the area without car traffic.

6. Sunset Along Foothills Parkway

Finally, I recommend heading back towards Knoxville through Townsend instead of doubling back to Gatlinburg. Townsend is smaller, but offers many options for fantastic dinner restaurants.

Depending on the time of year, you may have enough daylight left to catch sunset in Smoky Mountains National Park. About 10-minutes down RT-321 from Townsend toward Walland is the entrance to Foothills Parkway.

This is one of the most scenic roads in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and it has several overlooks just a few minutes detour from your route back to Knoxville.

I recommend Foothills Parkway West Overlook #1 for incredible sunset views. If it’s too busy, there are many other overlooks just a little farther down the road.

From here, the drive to Knoxville from Townsend is just under an hour.

Where To Eat Near Great Smoky Mountains National Park

There are tons of options for great restaurants near Smoky Mountains National Park. Gatlinburg is the largest city, and is located just outside of the Sugarlands entrance. 10-minutes past Gatlinburg is Pigeon Forge which also has many great places to eat.

About 40-minutes west of Gatlinburg is Townsend. While Townsend is smaller, there are still several good options for where to eat, and it’s more convenient to the second half of this itinerary.

I would recommend getting breakfast and lunch in Gatlinburg, and dinner in Townsend.

Want to turn your day-trip into an overnight? There are several fantastic hotels near Great Smoky Mountains National Park:

Tips For 1 Day Trip From Knoxville To Smoky Mountains National Park

There’s a few things you’ll want to know before starting a one day trip from Knoxville to Smoky Mountains National Park!

You Need A Parking Pass

Great Smoky Mountains National Park does not charge an entrance fee, but they do require you to have a parking tag to park for more than 15 minutes anywhere in the park.

Parking tags cost $5 per day, $15 per week or $40 annually.

Unfortunately, the parking tag cannot be replaced with the America The Beautiful National Park Pass.

You can purchase parking tags in-person at visitor centers, or through automated fee machines throughout the park. It’s also possible to buy a parking tag online, and print it out ahead of your trip.

What To Pack For One Day In Smoky Mountains National Park

Depending on what time of year you’re visiting, Great Smoky Mountains National Park can be quite chilly, especially after the sun goes down.

Even in the summer, evenings can be cooler because of the elevation. Always bring extra layers, weather can change quickly in the smokies.

→ If you’re new to hiking, check out my guide to hiking gear for beginners here.

There are limited water refill locations throughout the park. I recommend bringing a gallon of water (minimum) for each person in your group.

Since you will have limited time on this Smoky Mountain itinerary, I recommend skipping the restaurants and packing your meals instead.

A cooler with some easy hiking meals will save you drive time into Gatlinburg or Townsend, as well as time spent waiting to be seated and served. You can cover a lot more ground in one day at Great Smoky Mountains National Park this way!

Here’s a quick checklist of items to bring with you:

Don’t Expect Cell Service

Like most National Parks, there’s very limited cell service in GSMNP.

I like to download an Offline Map of the area in my Google Maps app before my trip. GPS connects to satellites, not cell towers. This means even without cell service you can still get map directions, so long as the map is downloaded to your phone and doesn’t need cell service to load.

I also download the trails I plan to hike on my trip ahead of time, before I lose service. My favorite app for this is AllTrails. It’s a free app, but you’ll need the paid version if you want to download maps for use offline.

(tip: instead of paying you can start the free 7-day trial right before your trip and get all the access to the paid features)

Bear Safety

Great Smoky Mountains National Park is home to many black bears. Usually, black bears are extremely timid (and nothing like grizzly bears, which actually make me nervous). They want nothing to do with you and will run away when they see/smell you approach.

It’s unlikely that you’ll see a bear on crowded trails, but it’s always a possibility. In my experience, it’s more likely you’ll see them in campgrounds and parking lots as they come looking for food and trash campers have left out.

If you want to feel extra safe, carry bear spray and know how to use it (it’s very similar to pepper spray but has a much longer range and is powerful enough to deter a bear encounter.)

Personally, I don’t always carry bear spray unless I’m in grizzly territory. I suppose I’ve spent enough time outdoors and backpacking in Smoky Mountains National Park that black bears don’t make me nearly as nervous because they behave much differently than grizzlies do.

During the spring and summer, you’ll want to be extra aware of mama bears who have cubs. This is usually the most dangerous encounter with a black bear you’ll have, as mama will behave more aggressively in order to protect her babes.

A few tips for avoiding bear encounters:

• Hike in groups of 3 or more
• Make noise (sing, shout “hey bear”, talk loudly among your group)
• Be extra cautious on overgrown trails, coming around blind bends, or anywhere you see lots of berries
• Talk with a park ranger to learn where there has been recent bear activity

Knoxville to Smoky Mountains Itinerary (Timestamps)

Whew! That’s a lot to cover in one day, but it’s definitely possible to squeeze all the best things in Great Smoky Mountains National Park into a one day itinerary.

Here’s a timestamped itinerary to give you an idea for how to stay on track throughout the day so you don’t miss anything!