Sugarlands Visitor Center is 1.7 miles ahead on the right side of the road. There is also parking in front of the Welcome sign for the National Park. Park Rangers conduct seasonal programs for the public. Be aware masks are currently required in the building. Complete with a natural history museum, a gift shop, and helpful rangers, the Sugarlands Visitor Center is a great resource for planning your trip. Sugarlands Visitor Center is on the corner of Newfound Gap Road (US 441) and Fighting Creek Gap Road, just 2.0 miles from traffic light #10 in Gatlinburg. The kids thought it was neat to feel the fur from a bear, otter, fox, skunk, raccoon, etc. This visitor's center is a must-see for anyone visiting the park. 1. Sugarlands is one of the top-rated visitor centers in the area and in the whole country! Blog for Zip line Attraction in the Smoky Mountains. When To Go, What to Order, Is the Pancake Pantry in Gatlinburg Worth It? Peruse the park bookstore and shop. Exhibits Free admission to 20-minute film about the park. Its one of the most highly-rated destinations in the country, and almost everybody reports that they absolutely loved their experience. The SmokyMountains.com Local Experts Team, Newfound Gap Road: 31 Miles of Incredible Mountain Landscapes, Sugarland Riding Stables: A Relaxing Wilderness Experience, View The Amazing Synchronous Fireflies In The Smoky Mountains, Clingmans Dome: Highest Point in Tennessee, Little River Road: Overlooks, Trails and Waterfalls. The terrain is mostly level, with some moderate inclines along the way. Emily Lawrence lives in Idaho with her husband Nathan. 9822 Cty Rd 75. Oct. 8:00 am - 6:00 pmNovember 8:00 am - 5:00 pmDecember 8:00 am - 4:30 pmLocation 1420 Little River RoadGatlinburg TN 37738Inside the park, 2 miles south of Gatlinburg on US-441Special Programs Ranger-led programs conducted seasonally. Very informative and friendly rangers. Includes Cable Mill, a grist mill which operates spring through fall, the Becky Cable house, and other historic structures. What hotels are near Sugarlands Visitors Center? Hours: 9:00-5:00. Gatlinburg Welcome Center - DowntownHours Open every day except Christmas Day.10:00 am - 6:00 pmLocation520 ParkwayGatlinburg TN 37738At traffic light #3 on the parkway in downtown GatlinburgAvailable FacilitiesGreat Smoky Mountains Association bookstore and shop. Great Way to Start Your Trip in the Smoky Mountains, Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Attractions, things to do in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The Visitor Center can also be a great place to take a break. With its accompanying RV LIFE App, RV Trip Wizard gets you to your camping destinations utilizing RV-friendly routes specific to your RV and travel preferences. Gatlinburg A must stop if exploring the park. Reviews help other RVers like yourself, and they help the campground. We would have younger kids with us and have 3-4 hours to spend there. Inside the park, 2 miles north of Cherokee, NC, on US 441. Also, the Cove Hardwood Nature Trail is a three-quarter-mile loop showing the diversity of trees in the park. Short and easy to hike. per night. You don't have to wait in line to purchase. Some of them educate, others entertain, and others showcase interesting features of the area. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. But before you worry about what you can do once you leave the center, it's important to know more about the center itself. It is one of the only two dog-friendly hikes in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. The ability to travel and explore new places is one of the best parts of the RV lifestyle. Parking is bad so go early or plan on circling around. Public restrooms and telephones.Townsend Visitor CenterHoursOpen every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.Jan. If you miss the turn, turn left at the light. Prior to 2020, the Sugarlands Visitor Center was also something of a small museum with extensive natural history exhibits that even young children could enjoy, which included a free 21-minute movie about the park. The temporarily closed Sugarland's museum featured local flora, fauna and wildlife (photo by Morgan Overholt/TheSmokies.com) Even though the summer hours have been extended to 7:30 PM, when we arrived we found that the museum wing and the movie wing closed at five. Public restrooms and telephones.Sevierville Visitor CenterHoursOpen every day except Christmas Day.9:00 am - 6:00 pmLocation3099 Winfield Dunn ParkwayKodak, TN 377641.25 miles from Interstate 40/81 on Highway US-66 near SeviervilleAvailable FacilitiesGreat Smoky Mountains Association bookstore and shop. These structures are original to the park and give visitors a first hand look into southern mountain life and culture. Soda and water machines. Near Gatlinburg, TN, Sugarlands Visitor Center is an excellent starting point as you enter the park's North District. Themes include European American settlement, Civilian Conservation Corp work, and the development of the park. Sugarlands was a very nice little visitor center and there were several excellent trails that originated from the visitor's center, which was very convenient. He had pelts from different native animals that the kids could check out and touch. There is also an extensive gift shop with T-shirts, CDs of mountain music, DVDs and books to remind you of your visit. Extensive natural history exhibits. It is hard to say where it will end up but signs are posted to be careful if you spot one and stay 50 yards from it. It can easily be accessed at the end of River Road in Gatlinburg. It is home to one of the best picnicking spots in the Smokies. Oct. 9:00 am - 6:00 pmNovember 9:00 am - 5:00 pmDecember 9:00 am - 4:30 pmLocationInside the park near the mid-point of the 11-mile, one-way Cades Cove Loop Road.Special ProgramsRanger-led programs are conducted seasonally. Perhaps a nearby place where we can see animals, waterfalls etc. The center also features a nature trail (that leads to Cataract falls), a 20-minute informative park video, and a gift shop packed with mountain-themed gifts and educational gear. We stopped at a few gift shops during the day and a Sales Associate suggested Sugarlands Gift Shop. We visited early evening to get maps for hiking. I was barely able to find a parking spot and when I went to go inside I learned they weren't even letting people in. If Rover is tired of being cooped up in the car, this is your best option! Clingmans Dome Visitor Center | Photo: Billy Hathorn. You can reach the Sugarlands Visitor Center by calling 865-436-1291. Hikers come here to enjoy these amazing trails: Abrams Falls, Elijah Oliver Trail, Rich Mountain Trail, and Gregory Ridge Trail. Both are natural terrain, basically level and easy to complete (Both family & dog friendly). The rangers know current conditions (bear activity ie). Hours vary seasonally, but it generally welcomes travelers from 9. If you have enough time to devote to your visit to Sugarlands, you might also want to step into the theater space, where they screen a 21-minute movie about Great Smoky Mountains National Park on a repeating schedule throughout the day. There is also a gift shop here and restrooms. Review tags are currently only available for English language reviews. Park Rangers are managing this process. Park Rangers are approachable and some of the nicest people you will ever meet. . 100% of travelers recommend this experience. Best place to stop and find out some information on trailheads and trails, plus waterfalls. This is your typical visitors center with a gift shop. By Ross Bodhi OglePosted on January 3, 2023. We are two seniors who would like to know what to see and do in Gatlinburg. The building has a cool roof system, which allows heat to escape freely, generating lower cooling costs. Let us know. The Gatlinburg Trail is an easy, accessible trail that runs from the Sugarlands Visitor Center and follows the river to the border of Gatlinburg. With thousands of visitors every year, they sought to build an exceptional gift shop to suit the high demand for Sugarlands Distilling Co. merchandise. This sophisticated center packs a big punch with its varied display of preserved flora and fauna. Sugarlands Visitors Center reviews TripAdvisor traveler rating 1,059 reviews Google 4.8 By Q8105RDdan My wife & I visited on Monday. See 63 traveller reviews, 42 photos, and cheap rates for Travelodge by Wyndham Pigeon Forge Dollywood Lane, ranked #69 of 99 hotels in Pigeon Forge and rated 3.5 of 5 at Tripadvisor. The rangers are very friendly and informative and the line moved quickly. A Comfort Station (official jargon for restrooms), is located next to the visitor center. A separate building houses modern bathrooms and several trails begin at the center. My Mom and Grandma used to bring us here when we were kids. Fully refundable Reserve now, pay when you stay. We had a great conversation about the Synchronous Fireflies event in Elkmont, the park, how he became a ranger, and Tennessee and Alabama football. 2023 - SmokyMountains.com. Click "Show M. Get there before 4 pm if you want to see the movie and/or museum! This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in Singapore. Did you visit the Sugarlands Visitor Center on a recent National Park visit? more information on current conditions Visit Great Smoky Mountains National Park's official online store for books, maps, and guides to the park. 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This section provides lots of information about the animals and their habitats as well as many of the types of wildflowers and vegetations that thrive within the park throughout the year. There are public restrooms, telephones and drink machines available for use as well. In addition, ranger-led programs are conducted seasonally that can add to your appreciation of the mountains. Entrance to the center is free and it is open to the public every day except Christmas day. Today a museum operated by History Nebraska pays tribute to those who traveled the trails and features unique exhibits and a gift shop with one-of-a-kind items. They even have the commemorative quarter! If you are taking pictures at the Welcome sign, you can access the Gatlinburg Trail by walking the short path to the right of the sign. Gift Shop With Books. The center is home to soda machines and water fountains as well as public restrooms, a valuable commodity for those not willing to go in the wild, so to speak. The center is staffed by Park Rangers who normally share maps, answer questions and share park history and other pertinent information. Stopping by the visitor center will give you an idea of what to expect during your visit. Answer 1 of 11: Going to TN in April. We stopped here to get ideas from the rangers for our visit and to pick up some maps. Children and their families can join in a variety of free, hands-on activities including ranger-guided walks, historic toy making, visiting a blacksmith shop, and exploring touch tables with animal skins, skulls, and scat. Having been here many times my wife and I did not choose to wait. City of Gatlinburg information. Read Also: Gatlinburg history: When did Gatlinburg become a tourist attraction? Oconaluftee Visitor Center | Photo: Billy Hathorn. This has created a number of scenic waterfalls reachable by hiking trails with trailheads near the center. Look for national-park-themed clothing items as well as souvenir mugs and ornaments and games and activities designed for kids. Nice walking trails, beautiful scenery. The main attraction of this area is the caverns themselves, and there are tons of guided tours available. This center was no different, although there were great park rangers available to help you decide where best to hike or drive, and the maps were reasonably priced, as was the gift shop, where we did spend $50 or so.There is a nice hike right outside the visitor's center--you can walk down to a sweet little falls, and many families were playing in the creek, stacking rocks and having fun. What To Know About the Shows Creatures, Cades Cove Lake: The effort to turn the Cove into a body of water, Great Smoky Mountains National Park Entrance Fees, What You Should Know, Smoky Mountains in March: Events in Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge [2023], A Simple Guide to Smoky Mountain Parking Passes, Park it Forward, 5 Reasons Why Dollywood Is Better Than Disney World, What To Expect at the Dolly Parton Stampede in Pigeon Forge. (1,110 reviews) "Conveniently located in the heart of Gatlinburg. You will be glad you did. Bikes are also allowed on this popular trail. Read more. The Sugarlands visitor center is basically a large gift shop, though you can get your questions answered by a park ranger. One trail leads to Cataract Falls (15 minutes one way), the other portion (Fighting Creek Trail-about a 1 hour loop trail) leads to the John Ownby cabin. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate and a partner of other affiliate programs including Booking.com, CJ and Tripster, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases via links found in this article. Theres also a gift shop full of all sorts of interesting things from knick-knacks to souvenirs to basic hiking supplies. If youre a fan of geology or just want to see something incredibly unique, its hard to top Carlsbad Caverns. GSMA Store Locations and HoursCades Cove Visitor Center HoursOpen every day except Christmas Day.January 9:00 am - 4:30 pmFebruary 9:00 am - 5:00 pmMarch 9:00 am - 6:00 pmApril A This number is based on the percentage of all Tripadvisor reviews for this product that have a bubble rating of 4 or higher. Your recap is right on the mark, Our site produces editorial content for the purpose of entertainment. The wooded area of the trail ends at the Park maintenance facility. 107 Park Headquarters Road Lying just south of Gatlinburg, the Sugarlands is one of the park's most popular access points. There are Ranger-led programs offered seasonally and various nature trails nearby with historic cabins and waterfalls to visit and enjoy. Staff were restricting occupancy to 50 people due to COVID, but we didn't have to wait very long. You can find even more campgrounds and RV parks while planning your route with RV LIFE Trip Wizard or the RV LIFE App. A park ranger will roll up fast to let you know to back up for your protection and the animals. I thought this was genius; a little way of saying that you were here. The center is your starting point for three different hikes, all of them rated as easy. Cades Cove Visitor Center | Photo: Marc Bowman. You get to really know the areas you travel through, and you have the opportunity to participate in local events and visit interesting landmarks. , Leason Gregg built this house in Cades Cove in 1879 and operated a store on the first floor. ).The bathrooms at the VC were great--clean and well maintained. We are visiting with my parents who love nature, but are not as sure on their feet as they used to be. 4.1/5 Very Good! RELATED: Fighting Creek Nature Trail is very popular with visitors to Sugarlands Visitor Center. Visitor centers are one of the best ways to learn about a new area. There is one small and gentle hill. Got right into the museum/store without a wait. After hiking up Rainbow Falls, we doubled back to Gatlinburg and re-entered the park at Sugarlands. After hiking up Rainbow Falls, we doubled back to Gatlinburg and re-entered the park at Sugarlands. As souvenir mugs and ornaments and games and activities designed for kids kids us... 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