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The Great Smoky Mountains National Park isn’t hard to find! Part of what makes it so popular is that it’s within a day’s drive of 2/3 of the United States. We’ve gathered all the information you need to know about where the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is located and how to get there.
Where are the Smoky Mountains?
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is in the eastern part of Tennessee and stretches into western North Carolina. Major towns nearby are Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Knoxville in Tennessee, and Cherokee and Asheville in North Carolina. There are 3 main entrances to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Gatlinburg ,TN; Townsend, TN; and Cherokee, NC.
Driving Directions to the Gatlinburg Entrance
From interstate highway I-40 take Exit 407 (Sevierville) to TN-66 South. At the Sevierville intersection, continue straight onto US-441 South. Follow US-441 through Sevierville and Pigeon Forge into the national park.
Driving Directions to the Townsend Entrance
From the north: From interstate highway I-40 in Knoxville take Exit 386B to US-129 South to Alcoa/Maryville. At Maryville proceed on US-321 North/TN -73 East through Townsend. Continue straight on TN-73 into the national park.
From the south: From interstate highway I-75 take Exit 376 to I-140 E towards Oak Ridge/Maryville. Merge onto I-140 E via Exit 376B towards Maryville. Turn onto US-129 South (Alcoa Highway) at Exit 11A and travel towards Alcoa. Turn onto TN-35 and follow it to US-321 North. Follow US-321 North/TN-73 East through Townsend. Continue straight on TN-73 into the national park.
From Pigeon Forge: Turn at red light #3 and take US-321 south into Townsend. Then take TN-73 East into the national park.
Driving Directions to the Cherokee Entrance
From the north: From interstate highway I-40, take Exit 27 to US-74 West towards Waynesville. Turn onto US-19 and proceed through Maggie Valley to Cherokee. Turn onto US-441 North at Cherokee and follow the road into the national park.
From the south: Follow US-441/US-23 North. At Dillsboro merge on US-74 West/US-441 North. At Exit 74 merge onto US-441. Follow US-441 through Cherokee and into the national park.
Nearby Airport Information
The closest Tennessee airport to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is McGhee-Tyson Airport, which is just south of Knoxville in Alcoa. It’s about 45 miles west of the Gatlinburg entrance. The closest North Carolina airport to the Smoky Mountains is the Asheville Regional Airport, which is about 60 miles east of the Cherokee entrance.
Smoky Mountain National Park
About the Smoky Mountains
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited national park in the United States! It has some of the best hiking, fishing and wildlife viewing you'll find in the U.S. We're sharing the inside scoop with you so you can plan your next trip to the Smokies.
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