The Park also offers a glimpse into the lives of early Southern Appalachian farming families and community lifestyles. Overview of the Great Smoky Mountains National Parkįamous for the beauty of its ancient mountains, the Great Smoky Mountain National Park is also an ecological treasure that is home to a number and diversity of plant and animal life unsurpassed in the National Park Service (NPS). If you plan to camp in the park, reservations or permits may be necessary (backcountry camping, car camping, LeConte Lodge, horse camps, campgrounds). Reservations may be made for picnic pavilion use in picnic areas for group outings. Fees are charged for activities such as overnight camping and pavilion rental at picnic areas. The park is one of the only major national parks that does not charge an entrance fee. Visit NPS.gov to learn more about the GSMNP’s pet policy.Įntrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park is FREE. Plan to bring poop bags with you, as pet owners are required by law to immediately clean up any waste left by their dogs. There are also two short walking trails in the park that allow leashed dogs: the Oconaluftee River Trail near Cherokee and The Gatlinburg Trail just outside of the town of Gatlinburg in Tennessee. Pets that are caught running loose in the park may be impounded–so don’t risk it. Allowing your dog to run off-leash in the park is against federal law and may be punishable by a fine. Read the NPS Guide to Service Animals in National Parks here.ĭogs ARE allowed in Great Smoky Mountain National Park campgrounds and picnic areas and along roads BUT they must always be kept on a leash of fewer than 6 feet in length. Emotional support animals are not considered service animals. Service animals, including trained guide dogs for visually impaired or hearing-impaired people, are an exception to this rule. There are strict rules (and laws) about where you can and cannot take your pet dog in Great Smoky Mountain National Park.ĭogs are NOT allowed on any hiking trails or in the backcountry anywhere in Great Smoky Mountain National Park (including the Appalachian Trail). Here are our top things to do in the Smokies on the North Carolina side.įor more outdoor adventure tips, go to our Great Smoky Mountains Hiking & Camping Guide.Ĭan I Bring My Dog to Great Smoky Mountain National Park? Since the park is so large and has so many places to explore during a vacation, where do you begin? (Pic at top is the highest point in GSMNP Clingmans Dome.)įive entrances to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are within 70 miles from downtown Asheville: Cataloochee Valley, Oconaluftee, Road to Nowhere, Balsam Mountain, and Big Creek. There are 520,976 acres of natural beauty filled with artifacts of early mountain culture to explore in GSMNP, so you are unlikely to run out of fun things to do while you are here.Īn International Biosphere Reserve and UNESCO World Heritage Site, Great Smoky Mountains National Park is home to rugged mountains (many peaks in excess of 6,000 feet), historic homesteads, old-growth forests, famous hiking trails (including the Appalachian Trail, which passes right through the park) and 100,000 different types of plants and animals (including the most famous animals in the park–black bears). Plan your vacation and adventures with our guides below. Come see why this is the most visited national park in the United States with 11+ million visitors each year. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park straddles the Tennessee and North Carolina border right near Asheville.
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