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Supporting Great Smoky Mountains
National Park since 1953

Photo by Michele Sons

The latest from Smokies LIVE

Members of the National Park Service Trails Forever crew, which is funded by Friends of the Smokies, stand on a footlog they installed during the intensive rehabilitation of Ramsey Cascades Trail they completed between 2022 and 2024 with support from American Conservation Experience, Southeast Conservation Corps, and volunteers. Photo courtesy of National Park Service.

Ramsey Cascades Trail reopens following multiyear rehabilitation

For the first time in nearly three years, the trail to Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s tallest waterfall is fully open—and following an intensive rehabilitation of its entire four-mile length, Ramsey Cascades Trail is in better shape than it’s been in decades. “It’s a great feeling, just seeing how hard

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Great Smokies

Welcome Center

Hours of Operation

(subject to change)

Open year round (closed December 25)


January - February

Open Daily 9:00 am - 4:30 pm

March - November

Open Daily 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
December

Open Daily 9:00 am - 4:30 pm

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.

Physical Address

7929 E. Lamar Alexander Parkway Townsend TN 37882

Contact

865.436.7318 Ext 320