Are you planning a trip to visit the Great Smoky Mountains National Park? You probably are trying to decide when you want to come to the area, so you want to know when is the best time to visit. The answer depends on your personal preferences, but we want to share some general knowledge about it with you! Keep reading to find out the best time to visit the Smoky Mountains:
Best Time of the Day
Depending on what part of the national park you want to see, you may want to visit at various times during the day. The most popular times of the day are mid morning, midday, and early afternoon. Early mornings and later in the evenings are less popular times to drive through the mountains since most people will either be asleep or heading back to eat dinner.
If you’re hoping to enjoy fewer crowds, the best time to go during the day would be in the early morning. Traffic is lighter, and the chances of spotting wildlife in the park are higher.
Keep in mind if you want to have a picnic lunch, you may want to get to the picnic area of your choice earlier than you want to eat, because these spots fill up quickly!
Best Time of the Week
You probably have a ton of things you want to do when you come to the Smokies. So if you’re here for a little while, you may be trying to decide what day of the week you should head into the national park. The best time to visit the Smoky Mountains if you want to avoid crowds is earlier in the week. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the least busy days in the park, and the weekends are the busiest part of the week since people tend to drive up for a weekend getaway.
Best Time of the Year
Don’t have a particular time of year in mind of when you want to see the gorgeous Smokies? You may be wondering when you should come to the area. Learn all about the different seasons in the Smoky Mountains and when you should visit:
Spring
Spring is a great time of year to come to the mountains. With the weather starting to warm up, wildlife becoming more active, and flowers blooming, people come from all over to see the start of new life. March through May is more popular than the winter months, but not quite as popular as summer and fall.
Summer
Summer is one of the most popular times of the year to visit the Smoky Mountains. June through August is super busy since families are going on vacation, and there are quite a few holidays during this time. But, it’s a popular time of year to visit for a reason! People enjoy taking a dip in the creek since it gets so hot, and seasonal activities open back up during the summer, including tubing and white water rafting.
Fall
The peak time in the Smokies is definitely fall. October is one of the busiest months of the entire year because the leaves are changing colors. Weekends are especially busy during October since people drive up to see the fall foliage. If you have never seen the Smokies this time of year, it is definitely worth a trip! The leaves tend to reach their peak between mid to late October.
Winter
Winter is the least busy season out of the year in the mountains. While it does stay busy through the holidays, the crowds will die down at the beginning of the year until it warms back up for spring. Quite a few people enjoy visiting during this down time because there aren’t many crowds of people, so you can enjoy popular places in the park without as many people!
Now you know about the best time to visit the Smoky Mountains! Have you decided when you would like to plan your next trip? Look through our Sevierville hotel rooms and book your stay today!
