During the winter, they do close earlier in the day. 2 miles south of Gatlinburg on US 441 This is the most popular national park visitor center in the Gatlinburg area. Sugarlands Visitor Center1420 Little River Gorge RoadGatlinburg, TN 37738865-436-1200http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/visitorcenters.htm. The 31-mile stretch of mountain road is the only fully paved . The area encompasses the abundance of both the natural and cultural resources of the national park. See all Alerts and Messages. Tall tales, trip guides, & the world's weird & wonderful. Take the main Parkway towards the Sugarlands Visitor Center and continue past the visitor center for approximately 13 miles. Alert: This site requires a JavaScript enabled browser. Ranger-staffed facility offering park maps, a plant & animal museum, a 20-minute film & a bookstore. . Doing this will add the rental to your favorites list. But before you worry about what you can do once you leave the center, its important to know more about the center itself. Available Facilities You can view your selected properties by click the "favorites" tab at the top of the search bar. Sugarlands Visitor Center is at jct. Cataract Falls - Super Easy Waterfall By Sugarlands Visitor Center Gatlinburg, But guests can still catch the movie from the lobby, which plays on repeat. United States Tennessee Gatlinburg Sugarlands Visitors Center. What To Know About the Shows Creatures, Cades Cove Lake: The Effort To Turn the Cove Into a Body of Water, 5 Best Smoky Mountain Swimming Holes From a Local, Pigeon Forge Greenway: My Experience With Tips on Parking and Trails, Buc-ees in Sevierville TN Is Now Open [PHOTOS]. However, Im probably one of the few who attempts to read everything, so the typical person should allow around an hour to spend at Sugarlands Visitor Center. Each backcountry shelter must be reserved as they are managed by the park service. Access public restrooms and drink vending machines. This visitor center is open year round with the exception of Christmas Day. Special Programs Ranger-led programs conducted seasonally. Simply click the "+" sign on the lower left side of the property you are interested in. This visitor center was first rate as far as they go. Budapest - Address and Opening Hours - TLScontact Of course, if you're already in Gatlinburg, use the directions through the Gatlinburg entrance to the national park and don't backtrack to take the Pigeon Forge route. For those with a longer day and stronger endurance, you can continue on the trail to summit Mt. You'll be driving right past the visitor center. For example, get out of a storm or just find a resting spot while you wait for the rest of your party to finish their hike. John Gullion 02/26/2022 1 GSMNP Outdoors The Smokies Things to do Are you planning an excursion inside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park? Driving time from Sugarlands: 10 minutes, Suggested combinations: Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. A Trail Guide for Disabled Hikers - The New York Times The Sugarlands Center is named for the valley in which it resides. The paved trail is a short, but steep. You won't want to miss the beautiful wildlife, great views of the national park and all of the history that is found within the old buildings and structures at Cades Cove. Trailhead: From Sugarlands Visitor Center, turn toward Cades Cove on Little River Road and drive 3.5 miles to the trailhead where there are parking areas on both sides of the road. Walking along this trail, you will pass tree identification markers that highlight the various types of trees of the area. Did you know: If you use the Roadtrippers mobile app, your trips will instantly auto-sync over Ready for navigation and good times! the products, vendors, consultants, or businesses referenced in these web pages. They profile all the mammals, reptiles and birds youre sure encounter (at least some of them) on any of the hiking the trails in the Smokies. You will notice that the "+" has now changed to a "-". If youre traveling through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP), one place youve likely seen and even stopped at, is the Sugarlands Visitor Center. When I am hiking I dont see a thing, other than trees, unless it is trying to eat me. At the top of the picnic area across from the campground ranger station, a trail leads to the to the Cosby Nature trail. A continuous trail that runs from Georgia to Maine, to reach Charlies Bunion is a roundtrip 8-mile trek along some of the higher elevations in the park. Enjoy ranger-led programs conducted seasonally. Better yet, there are valuable resources here make it easy to enjoy your Smoky Mountain vacation to the fullest. Your email address will not be published. Both provide demonstrations of corn meal milling. The lowest drivable pass in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Newfound Gap Road (US 441) has an elevation of 5,046 feet. You might encounter a ranger talking about some of the parks first settlers, edible wild plants that grow along the trails, or a simple GSMNP history lesson. Enjoy ranger-led programs conducted seasonally. The Sugarlands Visitor Center is open every day except for Christmas Day. Visitor Centers - SUGARLANDS VISITOR CENTER - NPS - Yelp From New Found Gap Drive towards Gatlinburg from Newfound Gap for 13 miles. Make Sugarlands Visitor center your first stop (photo by Morgan Overholt/TheSmokies.com). You can also remove a property from your favorites list by clicking the minus sign to the right of the property name under the favorites tab. The park service advertises Great Smoky Mountains National Park as being "free." Gatlinburg, A guide to the most scenic drive in the Smokies. Located just behind Sugarlands Visitor Center, This 0.7-mile forested trail takes you to the 40-foot Cataract Falls. I would've rather paid an admission fee and had a few small brochures given to me as I entered the park. Sugarlands Visitor Center, Gatlinburg | Roadtrippers One of the most visited places in the Great Smokies Mountains National Park is the 11 mile, one-way loop around Cades Cove. When browsing results, you can add them to your "favorites" by clicking the red plus mark on the bottom left of your desired property. Driving time from Sugarlands: 45 minutes, Suggested combinations: Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, Cosby Picnic area. After the bridge, the trail goes right to the waterfall. Visitor Centers - U.S. National Park Service Driving time from Sugarlands: 15 minutes, Suggested combinations: Newfound Gap, Clingmans Dome. Find incredible places and experiences that help you bring home a story through See the Gatlinburg Region web page for an interactive location map. Sugarlands Visitor Center information desk. The Sugarlands Visitor Center serves as the ideal gateway to an unforgettable adventure in the Great Smoky Mountains. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. First, you can follow the Pigeon Forge Parkway all the way into Gatlinburg, then to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The roof also features recycled rubber, solar panels and solar tubs to provide additional lighting and energy without using electricity. There is no objectionable material, so the film is suited for all ages. In addition, four information centers are located outside the park in the communities of Gatlinburg, Sevierville, and Townsend. A 20-minute documentary suitable for all ages is shown every half hour in the 150-seat auditorium. Suggested combinations: Laurel Falls, Tour Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, picnic at Chimney tops. Sugarlands Visitor Center - Recreation.gov How do you get there? Copyright 2013-2023, Cabins USA Gatlinburg, Gatlinburg, TN, http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/visitorcenters.htm. Sugarlands Visitor Center - Inside Gatlinburg TN - Gatlinburg Coupons The short trail that leads to Cataract Falls is located just behind Sugarlands Visitor Center, which is one of the main entry points to the park from Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. To find the trail, begin walking down the concrete path to the left of the Sugarlands Visitor Center (near the outdoor restrooms and vending area). Like other visitor centers in the Smokies, Sugarlands occasionally offers ranger led programs on special topics that are free and open to the public. Learn about the park's plants and animals with natural history exhibits. Access public restrooms and drink vending machines. Please be patient, this may take a minute. Even in winter, when the mountains don a serene blanket of snow, the Sugarlands Visitor Center remains a captivating destination for visitors seeking tranquility and natural beauty. There is plenty of free parking near the visitor center. Please Note: Cabins USA Gatlinburg's area information, There are plenty of modern references, so the information must come from a modern source. This flat trail follows the West Prong of the Little Pigeon River and is a 2.6 mile round trip. But more importantly, the center is home to a park ranger. Add/Remove Favorites Suggested combinations: Chimneys Picnic area, Newfound Gap. If you want to pick up some self-guided tour books (remember bring cash) then this would be a convenient stop. There are a number of scenic waterfalls with beautiful scenery, trailheads and great hikes in the surrounding area. Its difficult to plan a route of more than a mile or two without, The massive Buc-ee's parking lot was full for the grand opening (photo by Daniel Munson/TheSmokies.com), When the self-styled home of the worlds cleanest bathrooms, delicious barbecue, freshest food and friendliest beaver announced plans to build the worlds largest convenience store in Sevierville, it generated a, Our site produces editorial content for the purpose of entertainment. Pigeon Forge, TN 37863. Factor in the movie and getting general information from a park Ranger and you could easily spend 2-3 hours here. Any of the Sugarlands park rangers will be able to help you out with that process. Cabins USA Gatlinburg respects our guest's privacy and never shares this information with third-party sites. With over 270 miles of road in the National park that can take you to panoramic views and some of the most diverse forest systems in the world, take the opportunity to venture outside the car and enjoy a stroll to some newly found experience. Fees & Passes - Great Smoky Mountains National Park (U.S. National Park In addition, the park itself features over 270 miles of roads offering dozens of opportunities for scenic drives. Fun little stop with maps, etc and a museum with animals (taxidermy) from Smokey Mountains.