| The Great Smoky Mountains
National Park, established in 1934, covers 520,408 acres of land with heights ranging from
840 feet at Abrams Creek to 6,643 feet at Clingmans Dome.
Directions:
Several major highways lead to the Park. The following routes provide access to the three
main entrances. In North Carolina: From I-40, take U.S. Route 19 West through Maggie
Valley. Proceed to U.S. 441 North at Cherokee into the Park. In Tennessee: 1)From I-40
take Exit 407 (Sevierville) to TN Route 66 South, and continue to U.S. 441 South. Follow
U.S. 441 to Park. 2) From I-40 in Knoxville - Exit 386B U.S. Highway 129 South to
Alcoa/Maryville. At Maryville proceed on U.S. 321 North through Townsend. Continue
straight on TN Highway 73 into Park.
Visitor Centers/Exhibits:
Sugarlands Visitor Center, near Gatlinburg, TN, is open year-round and offers an
orientation program and natural history exhibits. Oconaluftee Visitor Center, near
Cherokee, NC, is also open year-round and its exhibits focus on mountain life of the late
1800s. Adjacent to the visitor center is the Mountain Farm Museum,
a collection of historic farm buildings. Cades Cove Visitor Center, near Townsend, TN,
(closed in winter), sits among preserved historic buildings representing isolated farming
communities of the 1800s. |