Today, Sugarlands serves as one of the most frequently visited areas of the park. Gatlinburg Emily Lawrence lives in Idaho with her husband Nathan. And the trailhead for the formidable Chimney Tops Trail is nearby. Best 5 Things to Order, Is Mountain Monsters Real? Do not let the uniforms intimidate you. City of Gatlinburg information. Also a great spot to orient yourself no matter how many times you have been to the park. Great Smoky Mountains Association Bookstore is inside the visitor center. Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail: Tickets & Tours, Oconaluftee Visitor Center: Tickets & Tours, Sugarlands Visitors Center: Tickets & Tours, Sugarlands Visitors Center Tours and Tickets, Wine tour to Stellenbosch & Franschhoek | includes tastings & lunch, 5-Hour Small-Group Catamaran Cruise from Bridgetown with Lunch, Private NYC Central Park Horse Carriage Ride (Guided) Since 1965, Salem Witch Trials Historical Walking Tour, New York City Skyline Tour by Night with Local Guide, La Pedrera-Casa Mil Skip the Line Admission Ticket with Audioguide, Pedal Kayak Rental in San Diego Bay For Cruising and Fishing. Hours: 9:00-5:00. If Rover is tired of being cooped up in the car, this is your best option! Helpful Park Rangers and park volunteers staff all the visitor centers. Sugarlands is one of the top-rated visitor centers in the area and in the whole country! . *Please be advised: Hours may vary due to COVID19. Inside the visitor center are exhibits detailing mountain life from the times of the Cherokee Indians through the establishment of the national park. These waterfalls include the Cataract Falls a beautiful waterfall located just behind the Visitor Center; Grotto Falls on the Trillium Gap Trail (a popular trail and a fairly easy hike); Baskins Creek Falls and the immaculately named The Place of a Thousand Drips. Sugarlands Visitor Center is not only a place to learn about the national park and gather information, it's also a good place to get your feet wet (figuratively) in terms of outdoor experiences. They also have several maps available for waterfall hikes, scenic hikes, auto drives, etc. There is no fee for participating, so check with the visitor center for the times and locations. Lying just south of Gatlinburg, the Sugarlands is one of the park's most popular access points. They gave us some great ideas for our visit. It is a concrete .5 mile loop trail that goes past the river. Throughout the last century and into the new millennium RCK continues supporting the Park with projects such as a trail for handicapped visitors, a wildlife display at the Sugarlands Visitors Center, an information display on Mt. It is a moderately difficult hike, but the views are amazing. 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. 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. After about 4.5 miles, you'll find Elkmont Road. The center is open year-round, with the exception of Christmas. The visitor center is also quite impressive. NASA Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, How To Use Historical Imagery To Find Boondocking Locations, 10 State Park Campgrounds That Are Big Rig Friendly, Get Free Weekly RV LIFE Updates in your Email Inbox, Passport America Discount Camping Club Is Still Going Strong, The BestCounty Park CampgroundsFor RVers. Near Gatlinburg, TN, Sugarlands Visitor Center is an excellent starting point as you enter the park's North District. If youre a fan of documentaries, youll love the 16-minute Hidden World video presentation that they play every 30 minutes. In fact, famed naturalist author Horace Kephart described the Sugarlands around the turn of the century as a country of ill fame, hidden deep in remote gorges, difficult of access, tenanted by a sparse population who preferred to be a law unto themselves. Phone: (308) 586-2581. The Sugarlands Visitor Center features a 21-minute movie about the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, nature exhibits, hiking (see below), park exhibits, gift shop, restrooms, and plenty of free parking. Great place to make your first stop if you are entering Great Smoky Mountains National Park from Gatlinburg. Check with the visitor center for times and exact locations. 92% of travelers recommend this experience. 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 Both provide demonstrations of corn meal milling. There is plenty of free parking near the visitor center. This will give you additional information about the caverns so you can more fully enjoy your experience once youre in them. It's not expensive. Educational and interesting at the same time. As the original homesteading families grew, the younger generations found their way to the Sugarland Valley, located on the outskirts of Gatlinburg, in the shadow of Mt. There are public restrooms, telephones and drink machines available for use as well. more information on current conditions Visit Great Smoky Mountains National Park's official online store for books, maps, and guides to the park. Spotted near Meigs Falls. Here you can talk to the park rangers, pick up a map, sign up for the junior ranger program, use the restrooms on-site, pick up a water from the vending machines, watch a short FREE park video OR do one of the hiking trails out back. The Sugarlands visitor center is basically a large gift shop, though you can get your questions answered by a park ranger. Turn left at the stop sign. Park rangers also lead tours that showcase the natural beauty of the area. After hiking up Rainbow Falls, we doubled back to Gatlinburg and re-entered the park at Sugarlands. 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 visitor center features knowledgable rangers, maps, restrooms, animal exhibits, informative museum, and a free movie. These programs are educational and fun and the children especially love it. Only a certain number of people are allowed inside at a time and masks must be worn. Jan 10 - Jan 11. By Marc Bowman | 2020-04-23T13:32:26-04:00 21 April 2017 | Related Posts Great American Outdoors Act to Benefit Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The rangers gave out maps and advice on what to do during my time and information about parking and hike times. 97% of travelers recommend this experience. Great gift shop and clean bathrooms. An article dated 6/19/19 spotted 2 elk at the Sugarland Visitor Center. What hotels are near Sugarlands Visitors Center? Just down the sidewalk is an open-air museum. You may purchase flour milled here when the mill is in operation. Located inside theGreat Smoky Mountains National Park, off US highway 441, the Sugarlands Visitor Center has all the answers to your questions regarding planning your trip to the national park. The most authoritative source for restaurants, attractions, & cabin rentals in the Smoky Mountains. The Sugarlands Visitor Center is a great place to stop early in your Smoky Mountain vacation. Thus is the very end if River Road. At the time of this writing, the centers hours are as follows: *Sugarlands Visitor Center is closed on Christmas Day. When To Go, What to Order, Is the Pancake Pantry in Gatlinburg Worth It? Visit the Clingmans Dome Visitor Center from April through November (2022). There are actually several visitor centers for this park, including the South Rim (AKA Grand Canyon Village), Desert View, and the North Rim. This sophisticated center packs a big punch with its varied display of preserved flora and fauna. And there are restrooms. 100% of travelers recommend this experience. The exhibit featuring a natural history of the park is worth seeing. Tripadvisor gives a Travelers Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor. Plan to come here at the beginning of your trip, so you can pick up maps and get any information you might need. In the days before the park, Sugarlands was ripe with farming and, also one of the Smokies other chief crops; moonshine. 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. With thousands of visitors every year, they sought to build an exceptional gift shop to suit the high demand for Sugarlands Distilling Co. merchandise. The kids thought it was neat to feel the fur from a bear, otter, fox, skunk, raccoon, etc. The Sugarlands Visitor Center is open every day of the year except for Christmas Day. After hiking up Rainbow Falls, we doubled back to Gatlinburg and re-entered the park at Sugarlands. Its hard to define what the best visitor centers are, but weve selected five fantastic options below. And of course, dont forget to stop by the gift shop and buy some fun souvenirs! We visited early evening to get maps for hiking. General Stores. Inside the park near the mid-point of the 11-mile, one-way Cades Cove Loop Road. You can also pick up plenty of information about the park if you plan to explore it on your own. As with the other visitor centers, Park Rangers conduct seasonal programs for the public. Short and easy to hike. Sugarlands is a literal "one stop shop" for all the information you might need on your Smokies trip, Sugarlands' experienced staff will help make your trip one that you'll always look back on fondly and with great remembrance. If you just arrived at the park, this is the perfect ad-on to a stop at the visitor center. . Yes! Cataract Falls The valley served as home to a number of small Appalachian communities in the 100-plus years before the National Park existed. Enjoy ranger-led programs conducted seasonally. ), streams, bridges, and a beautiful waterfall. A separate building houses modern bathrooms and several trails begin at the center. There were a few other areas in the visitor center, including a small museum, that we didn't explore, but it looked well-curated. As an adult, my husband and I would stop every year on our annual trips to the Smokies. Park Rangers are approachable and some of the nicest people you will ever meet. Shop online or visit a bookstore at the following park locations: Great Smoky Mountains Association members receive many benefits: To find out more, become a member, or browse the online bookstore, visit www.smokiesinformation.org, 107 Park Headquarters Road Outside the center, visitors can enjoy the Oconaluftee Mountain Farm Museum, an open-air museum with a collection of some of the oldest log structures original to the park. Look for national-park-themed clothing items as well as souvenir mugs and ornaments and games and activities designed for kids. We strolled through the wildlife exhibit. Been to a campground lately? Your recap is right on the mark, Our site produces editorial content for the purpose of entertainment. The Sugarlands Visitor Center is open year-round on every day except Christmas Day. There is also parking in front of the Welcome sign for the National Park. We invite you to sample our award-winning spirits, enjoy delicious Sugarlands Cocktails and take a behind the scenes tour of our still house. 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. They have a large parking lot. RELATED: Oconaluftee River Trailis a popular spot for anyone who wants an easy trail close to civilization. Is Ole Red in Gatlinburg Worth It? We mentioned the center's gift shop earlier as a source of information, but visitors will find all types of park-related merch at this retail center as well. The facility includes a bookstore and a gift shop for all your souvenir needs. The Sugarlands Visitor Center features a gift shop where you can browse books on a variety of topics, including hiking, wildlife, and history. The sidewalk will take you in between the visitor center and the restrooms. He had pelts from different native animals that the kids could check out and touch. There are also books available for purchase for those thirsty for knowledge or who want to learn more about the history of the area. Find Sugarlands Visitor Center-inspired gifts and merchandise printed on quality products one at a time in socially responsible ways. Parking fills up quickly and can be challenging. Get there early. We invite you to sample our award-winning spirits, enjoy delicious Sugarlands Cocktails and take a . Written 6 August 2022. . The good news is the restrooms are in a separate building and are still open and readily available. RCK continues supporting the Park with projects such as a trail for handicapped visitors, a wildlife display at the Sugarlands Visitors Center, an information display on Mt. If youre a fan of geology or just want to see something incredibly unique, its hard to top Carlsbad Caverns. You can find even more campgrounds and RV parks while planning your route with RV LIFE Trip Wizard or the RV LIFE App. The facility includes a bookstore and a gift shop for all your souvenir needs. The only downside of this experience is the price point. They had a small line to get into the center (thanks to COVID) but it goes quick. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. If you wanted to walk to the Sugarland Great Smoky Mountains National Park Self Driving Tour, Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Cades Cove Self-Driving Bundle Tours, Smoky Mountain Guided Scenic High Van Tour, Titanic Museum Pigeon Forge Admission Ticket, Small-Group Jeep Tour of Smoky Mountains Foothills Parkway, Sights of Smoky Mountains with Lunch Included, Thundering Streams and Falls of the Smokies Guided Hiking Tour, Exciting Upper Pigeon Smoky Mountains Rafting Trip, Wine Me, Shine Me, Dine Me - Must do tour, Unbelievable Magic Show - Starring Steven Best. 2023 Pigeon Forge Department of Tourism. Clingmans Dome: Great views, steep walk - See 3,088 traveler reviews, 3,412 candid photos, and great deals for Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN, at Tripadvisor. NOW, as a sort of family tradition, we bring our own kids! They have maps and have lots of great info on trails and have great recommendations. 3. In addition, ranger-led programs are conducted seasonally that can add to your appreciation of the mountains. This number is based on the percentage of all Tripadvisor reviews for this product that have a bubble rating of 4 or higher. more, #16 of 104 things to do in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, 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 Aug. 9:00 am - 7:00 pmSept. Sugarlands Visitor Center Near Gatlinburg, TN, Sugarlands Visitor Center is an excellent starting point as you enter the park's North District. As one of the four main visitors centers within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Sugarlands Visitor Center is a major stop for anyone's visit to the Smokies.. In the visitors center, there are several extensive natural history exhibits, a free 20-minute film about the national park and an information center. 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