Great Smoky Mountains One Day Itinerary

Great Smoky Mountains
One Day Itinerary

Great Smoky Mountains is one of our most well -loved national parks here in the USA. Did you know it’s our most visited with 11 million visitors a year?

You could easily spend many days in the land of blue smoke but if you’ve only got one day, here’s an itinerary that will give you a jam-packed day of jaw-dropping viewpoints.

Sunrise at Clingmans Dome

Set your alarm so you can get up early! This iconic destination Great Smoky Mountains National Park is super popular so it’s best enjoyable at sunrise without the crowds. It’s the highest peak in the park (6,643 feet to be exact!) and the observation tower provides breath-taking 360° views overlooking the Smokies.

You can drive up and park at the free parking lot at the top. From there you can hike the .5 miles to the top observation tower. It’s a steep hike but the entire path is paved.

Pro tip: With the altitude, comes cooler temperatures and frequent rain showers. It can get really cold on top Clingman’s Dome, even in the summer! So wear layers and be prepared for surprise rain showers.

Pass through Cherokee For Breakfast

After you’ve marveled at the sun rising over the Smokies from the highest peak in the park, drive to Cherokee to grab a coffee or a breakfast sandwich. It will take you 30-40 minutes depending on traffic.

Drive to Bryson City

Allow approximately 20 minutes to drive from Cherokee to Bryson City.

Here you can check in at the train depot by 10 am for a 10:30 train departure on the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad!

10:30 AM Great Smoky Mountain Railway Departs!

Sit back and take in the views of the Great Smoky Mountains from a historic steam train.

Buy your tickets ahead of time, the train sells out on popular dates!

There is a variety of seating options from first class seating adults only seating to open air gondolas that are perfect for families!

I’ve ridden in both the open air gondolas and enclosed cars. If you’re not in first class, the enclosed cars have fans but aren’t fully temperature controlled and can get a bit warm. But you’ll have a table for food and drinks.

Read: RIDING THE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAIN RAILROAD

In the open air gondolas, you have a much more expansive view but only a bench to sit on.

Overall, I found the open air gondola to be my preference for the uninterrupted views and air flow! It can get hot and sweaty on the historic train without a strong breeze.

One hour lunch stop at the Nantahala Outdoor Center

Here you can grab food at a restaurant, shop or wade in the river to cool off while the train stops for an hour.

White Water Raft Back

You can take the train round trip or for the adventure lovers, I recommend taking the train one way and white water rafting back! The combo package is a great deal.

4.5 hours roundtrip

The entire train ride will take you about 4.5 hours round trip.
If you are traveling in summer, this still leaves plenty of daylight hours yet!

Great Smoky Mountains One Day Itineraryv

Drive along Blue Ridge Parkway to Pisgah Inn

So hop in the car and prepare to marvel at this incredibly scenic drive!

As you drive from the train depot to Pisgah Inn, there will be countless scenic overlooks and places to pull over and admire the view over the Smokies as you climb higher. If you use Google Maps to guide you from the train depot, it will send you on the route that takes an hour and 20 minutes.

But if you adjust the route slightly to include more of Blue Ridge Parkway, I think the views are better. The drive will be longer but it is so scenic, you won’t mind a bit!

Here is the adjusted, more scenic route from the train depot to Pisgah Inn:

If you’re traveling in winter and have less daylight hours, then take the faster route to Pisgah Inn.

Pisgah Inn For Dinner and Sunset

The viewing platform at Pisgah Inn is perched on Mount Pisgah at an elevation of 5,000 ft and provides truly jaw-dropping views.

You can order food to go at the restaurant and bring it out on the viewing platform to eat.

If you can, I highly recommend staying the night here. Falling asleep and waking up to these mountain views is something you won’t soon forget!

Tips for your visit:

TRAVEL WEEKDAYS IF YOU CAN

Especially during the busy season, you’ll save money and beat crowds if you can travel during the weekend. Most accommodations jump up 10-20% in price on Friday and Saturday.

Popular hiking trails won’t be so crowded and parking will be easier to come by.

Read: GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK – 18 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

BOOK CAMPGROUNDS OR CABINS IN ADVANCE

As you already know, this National Park is the most popular one in America. So it follows that cabins and campgrounds get filled rapidly during the busy seasons.

So if you’re traveling in the summer or fall, you might want to make sure you’re booking far enough in advance.

We tried booking some accommodation a week out and a few places we had in mind were totally sold out. We were able to find accommodation but if you have somewhere certain in mind you know you want to stay, book in advance!