Get ready, Cades Cove! On the alert, Laurel Falls! Look out, Alum Cave! Sugarlands, here they come!
Over the next several months, the Great Smokies face the year’s biggest season of visitation as schools dismiss students for the summer and hundreds of thousands of workers target mountain trips for their annual vacations. From one-day picnics to week-long camping and hiking, it’s a very busy time for the park.
In 2021, a record year for Smokies visitation with more than 14 million travelers enjoying the park, the busiest month was July. More than 1.7 million visits were recorded that month.
Taking an educated look at things, it follows that July might not be the best month to roam the roads and trails of the nation’s busiest national park. There will be traffic jams, especially along the park’s major roads, and trails to favorite waterfalls and overlooks also will be crowded.
A similar situation develops in October, when the autumn color change attracts leaf peepers from around the country—and beyond. Last year, October was second only to July in the visitor count.
Sometimes fall traffic is so heavy that you can sit and watch a leaf change from green to gold to amber and then watch it fall to earth—all in one traffic stop. (Okay, that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but sometimes it feels that way.)
When then is the best time to visit the Smokies? Is it possible to pick the Perfect Smokies Day?
“Any day of the year has the potential to be a perfect Smokies day,” said Stephanie Kyriazis, the park’s chief of resource education. “Some people like the bustle of humanity, others prefer wild solitude; some people love a particular season, others hope to catch a glimpse of certain wildlife. It’s all about educating yourself about what to expect at certain times of year, times of day, or days of the week, and aligning what you are most hoping to experience with what’s going on.”
She adds that the park’s social media channels or website—and GSMA’s digital and print offerings—are great places to start learning more so you can plan the perfect Smokies day for you.
So, let’s figure out the things we want:
And what we don’t want:
After careful analysis of all the facts and figures and the visitation numbers dutifully compiled by park officials, I’ve determined that Tuesday, October 4, 2022, is the Perfect Smokies Day.
Being a devoted disciple of the Smokies’ fall color change, I have to choose October. It’s a busy time, of course, but choosing a Tuesday will avoid much of the vehicular traffic that is expected every October weekend.
I’m guessing I can find a parking spot at Newfound Gap to see the splendid view, then hike a mile or so on the Appalachian Trail to see some up-close color. I could even make an afternoon run over to Cades Cove, hoping the majority of cove cruisers chose the morning. And, along the way, there are always excellent spots to stop and enjoy the picturesque Little River, its rolling waters framed by autumn gold.
See you then, if not before.
The Great Smokies Welcome Center is located on U.S. 321 in Townsend, TN, 2 miles from the west entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Visitors can get information about things to see and do in and around the national park and shop from a wide selection of books, gifts, and other Smokies merchandise. Daily, weekly, and annual parking tags for the national park are also available.
