Hi there!
Gatlinburg TN can be considered one of the gateway towns to Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
This means that there are many things to do near Gatlinburg in the Smoky Mountains!
And that includes hiking trails that lead to Smoky Mountains waterfalls and hiking trails with views of the Smoky Mountains!
Pack some snacks or a light picnic lunch and eat with views!
I did hikes near Gatlinburg in September. What the weather will be like from year to year can vary (which means the colors can vary!), but this is what it was like for me!
Downtown Gatlinburg basically borders the national park.
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New for 2023:
You need a parking pass for Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
You can buy this when you arrive, or you can buy it online ahead of time.
According to recreation.gov, the official national park reservation website:
If you purchase your parking tag through recreation.gov, you will need to know your license plate number.
You will receive your parking tag via email and you will need to print the tag prior to your visit to display in your vehicle once you arrive.
Park staff cannot print your tag for you.
Annual parking tags purchased online via Great Smoky Mountains Association will be shipped right to your door.
Please allow 2 weeks shipping time.
According to the National Park Service:
Annual parking tags must be displayed in the front, lower passenger side windshield.
Daily and weekly parking tags must be placed face-up on the front, lower passenger side dashboard.
See current Great Smoky Mountains parking fees.
7 of the best hikes near Gatlinburg
Things to do near Gatlinburg in Great Smoky Mountains National Park!
Drive time listed is from downtown Gatlinburg and is approximate!
1. Cataract Falls Trail
Waterfalls near Gatlinburg! It’s around a 5 minute drive from Gatlinburg to the Cataract Falls trailhead.
This is a short little trail.
The shorter version is around a 5 minute walk to get to the waterfalls that you can start from the Cove Mountain trailhead.
You can make it a slightly longer nature trail of maybe 10 minutes or so to get to the waterfalls by starting at the Sugarlands Visitor Center.
There’s a designated trail that you can take from the visitor center.
2. Rainbow Falls Trail
Waterfalls hike near Gatlinburg! It’s around a 10 minute drive from Gatlinburg to the Rainbow Falls trailhead.
As with most hiking trails on this list, the hike to Rainbow Falls is a hiking trail that goes UP the mountain.
You’ll also hiking alongside a creek for a bit, you’ll be hiking with mountain views for a bit, and then you’ll get to see waterfalls!
You will pass the Rainbow Falls trailhead to get to the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail.
3. Baskins Creek Falls Trail
Waterfalls hike near Gatlinburg! It’s around a 15 minute drive from Gatlinburg to the Baskins Creek Falls trailhead.
Baskins Creek Falls is a quieter waterfall hike located on the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail.
A hike you can do that will likely allow you to escape the crowds.
It’s a mostly downhill hike to get to the waterfalls, which means a mostly uphill hike on the way back.
The Basins Creek Falls trailhead is located directly off of Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail.
There is limited parking directly at the trailhead though, so you may want to use the parking spots that are available right before you turn onto the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail.
See more about this waterfall hike near Gatlinburg:
4. Grotto Falls Trail
Waterfalls hike near Gatlinburg! It’s around a 20 minute drive from Gatlinburg to the Baskins Creek Falls trailhead.
Grotto Falls is the popular waterfalls located off of Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, and among the most popular waterfalls in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
This also means that you can likely expect many people, and you also may have to park a bit further away from the Grotto Falls trailhead since the parking lot will likely be full.
It’s an uphill trail to get to the waterfalls, and you’ll also pass smaller waterfalls along the way.
Once you make it to Grotto Falls, you have the chance to walk behind waterfalls.
The Grotto Falls trailhead parking is located directly along Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail.
See more about this waterfall hike near Gatlinburg:
5. Laurel Falls Trail
Waterfalls hike near Gatlinburg! It’s around a 15 minute drive from Gatlinburg to the Laurel Falls trailhead.
Laurel Falls is another one of the popular waterfalls in Great Smoky Mountains National Park that’s near Gatlinburg.
This is one of the very few paved trails in the national park, although it’s more like broken pavement in many spots.
Along the way, you’ll get a glimpse of mountains views.
Once you get to the viewing area of the waterfalls, there are many people who also climb down to the river for a resting spot.
As extremely popular waterfalls near Gatlinburg, the Laurel Falls trailhead parking had the tendency to get full.
You will want to check with the National Park Service to see if there is a Laurel Falls parking reservation that is required.
See more about this hiking trail near Gatlinburg:
- Hike to Laurel Falls (pictures!)
- Getting to Laurel Falls trailhead parking
- Grotto Falls vs Laurel Falls
6. Chimney Tops Overlook Trail
It’s around a 20 minute drive from Gatlinburg to the Chimney Tops trailhead.
This is one of the hiking trails that can be access on Newfound Gap Road.
This is a hiking trail UP to the Chimney Tops overlook.
It used to be possible to hike all the way to the landmark called Chimney Tops, but because of a wildfire it’s no longer deemed safe to hike all the way there.
Instead, the destination is the overlook.
7. Alum Cave Trail
It’s around a 20 minute drive from Gatlinburg to the Alum Cave trailhead.
The Alum Cave Trail is another one of the hiking trails with trailhead parking directly on Newfound Gap Road.
This is one of the most popular hiking trails in the Smoky Mountains.
There are many ways to hike the Alum Cave Trail.
You can see a unique rock formation and hike through a rock, and then turn around.
👆 This is Arch Rock.
Or you can keep hiking further up the mountain and see another unique rock formation and hike to the cave bluffs, and then turn around.
👆 This is the Alum Cave Bluffs.
OR… you can keep hiking even further up the mountain and hike to the Mt LeConte summit! This is said to be the 3rd highest peak in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
👆 This is in the Mt LeConte summit area.
See more about this hiking trail near Gatlinburg:
And those are some of the hikes near Gatlinburg that you may want to consider!
See more for your trip to Gatlinburg and the Smoky Mountains:
- More great hikes with VIEWS in the Smoky Mountains
- More waterfalls in the Smoky Mountains
- Things to do on the drive from Gatlinburg to Clingman’s Dome
- Things to do on the drive from Gatlinburg to Cades Cove
HAPPY HIKING NEAR GATLINBURG!
Among the most popular things to do in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are Clingmans Dome, Cades Cove, and Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. These are some of the best scenic drives in the Smoky Mountains!
There is the Clingmans Dome Trail that will take you to the highest peak in the Smoky Mountains. But you can also see amazing views even from the Clingmans Dome parking lot without stepping foot on the trail!
You can make Cades Cove just about the drive along Cades Cove Loop Road. But there are also stops to make including historic cabins, a historic mill, and even the waterfall hike of Abrams Falls Trail. And, you might end up stopping because you see BEARS! You can bike Cades Cove and you can walk Cades Cove too.
The Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is also a scenic drive you can enjoy from your car, but there are stops you might want to make too!
Another classic Smoky Mountains activity would be to do an epic hike in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The Alum Cave Trail can take you to the Mount LeConte summit for one of the highest peaks in the Smoky Mountains. You can even hike to the summit and then stay near the summit at the LeConte Lodge, which says they are the highest guest lodge in the eastern United States! (It does sell out fast!)
You may also want to see some of the best waterfalls in the Smoky Mountains. (These waterfalls require hiking.)
You also have a chance to see elk in the Smoky Mountains! The best place to see elk is in Cataloochee Valley, but you might see them at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center too.
You can go camping in Great Smoky Mountains National Park for a budget-friendly stay. Otherwise for traditional lodging, Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge are popular Tennessee towns to stay outside of the national park.
PLUS visit the Kentucky national park: Mammoth Cave National Park
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