Finding a room in Great Smoky Mountains
With so many entrances and areas, choosing lodging for Great Smoky Mountains can be a bit confusing. There is no lodging inside the park other than LeConte Lodge, which is located at the summit of Mount LeConte. The only way to get there is a long and steep hike. It is certainly not meant for the average hotel seeker, and reservations are needed far, far in advance.
The large majority of people stay in either Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge on the Tennessee side, or in Cherokee on the North Carolina side. Of course, most people also only focus on the main part of the park covered by the Newfound Gap Road (US-441). On a longer visit, it would be more sensible to stay in at least two different places, preferably one in each state. The much less visited areas of Balsam Mountain, Cataloochee Cove and Big Creek can be easily acccessed from Maggie Valley, NC. The very popular Deep Creek area is just outside Bryson City, NC. And of course, Townsend, TN is near the Townsend entrance, which is the closest access to the immensely popular Cades Cove area.
Each page below offers two methods of finding lodging in the area. The first is via Travelocity. This will give you a good pricing comparison, and a number of property options. We then list some specific properties with details and a link to book directly with the property. The lodging is listed in order of proximity to the nearest entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park and includes a link for directions from property to park entrance.
The large majority of people stay in either Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge on the Tennessee side, or in Cherokee on the North Carolina side. Of course, most people also only focus on the main part of the park covered by the Newfound Gap Road (US-441). On a longer visit, it would be more sensible to stay in at least two different places, preferably one in each state. The much less visited areas of Balsam Mountain, Cataloochee Cove and Big Creek can be easily acccessed from Maggie Valley, NC. The very popular Deep Creek area is just outside Bryson City, NC. And of course, Townsend, TN is near the Townsend entrance, which is the closest access to the immensely popular Cades Cove area.
Each page below offers two methods of finding lodging in the area. The first is via Travelocity. This will give you a good pricing comparison, and a number of property options. We then list some specific properties with details and a link to book directly with the property. The lodging is listed in order of proximity to the nearest entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park and includes a link for directions from property to park entrance.
