Smoky Mountains National Park Handicapped Accessibility Guide
Accessibility information: The Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Tactile display for visually impaired in the TN Sugarlands.
Accessible telephone at Cades Cove Rangers station.
Auto Tours - Auto Trails in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
In many cases the most accessible way to tour the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and see the wildlife, beautiful panoramic scenery and the historical buildings is by taking a tour by automobile or van.
The 2 most popular paved roads that crisscross the park - Newfound Gap Road (441) running north and south connecting North Carolina and Tennessee and the Little River Road - Laurel Creek Road (73) which traverse the park east to west both offer stunning views, numerous pull offs and an every changing display of foliage and weather: sunrises, sunsets, fog, mysterious clouds, sunshine and snow.
Available for purchase in the visitor centers is a 1 hour audio cassette tape you can play in your car as you drive Newfound Gap Road which will point out points of interest as well as interviews with people who used to reside in the park before it became a national park.
The most popular "auto tour" area of the Park is the 11 mile Cades Cove Loop motor trail which sees millions of visitors a years. To me you can't say you have visited the Great Smoky Mountains National park if you haven't driven, biked or walked the Cove.
Besides the well know and well travelled roads in the park, there are a few others which will let you get away from the traffic, roll down your windows and drive so slow you can touch a tree limb or watch a deer, squirrel or even bear from the safety and comfort of your car.
These scenic drives in the Great Smoky Mountains national park have Auto Tour Booklets available for sale along the road side and in all of the visitor centers:
- Cades Cove 11 mile Loop near Townsend Tennessee
- Roaring Fork near downtown Gatlinburg Tennessee
- Tremont near Townsend Tennessee
- Big Cataloochee near Maggie Valley North Carolina
There are also some outstanding tours you can do by car on unimproved (gravel) roads in the Great Smoky Mountains Park.
- Rich Mountain Road: Starting in Cades Cove ending in Townsend Tennessee
- Parsons Branch Road: Starting in Cades Cove ending on 129 between Fontana North Carolina and Maryville Tennessee
- Round Bottom - Straight Fork: Off Big Cove Road near Cherokee North Carolina
- Cosby TN to Big Creek NC to Cataloochee North Carolina
These tours can take hours and are best done when there is plenty of daylight. Other than the Cosby - Big Creek - Cataloochee unimproved road which is open year round (weather permitting) these road close during the winter.
Camping and Campgrounds Accessibility in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Accessible campsite in Elkmont TN is near restrooms.
Oconaluftee NC River Trail is accessible and maintained.
The Great Smoky Mountains national park only has 3 frontcountry campgrounds with accessible camp sites that can be reserved in advance.
Reservations for accessible camp sites in Cades Cove TN, Elkmont TN, and Smokemont NC can only be made if you are camping from May 15th to October 31st. Outside of these dates and for other frontcountry developed campgrounds in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, accessible sites are first come first served. Reservations for accessible spots can be made by calling (800)365-2267.
Accessible camp sites in the Great Smoky Mountains national park are located close to or next to restrooms which are also accessible. Accessible campsites are paved and level and are equipped with specialized picnic tables and fire grills.
Be advised that for some reason, I have been advised by rangers who take reservations in the national park that you do not need any persons who are disabled in your group in order to stay in a handicapped accessible site. I personally find this practice deplorable and think that handicap accessible campsites should be handled the same way handicap accessible parking spaces are.
If you are look to find the most accessible campgrounds in the Great Smoky Mountains national park, Cades Cove wins hands down.
The Cades Cove campgrounds is more level than any of the other campgrounds, has accessible sites next to accessible rest rooms, there is an wheelchair accessible telephone (without amplification for hearing impaired) across from the Cades Cove ranger station, and the covered amphitheater is level with a paved path and adjacent to accessible restrooms. Don't forget, Cades Cove also has the best auto tour trail in the park.
The only real "store" in any of the campgrounds of the national park is accessible and is located in Cades Cove right next to handicapped parking and across from the rangers station.
Other notes of interest about campgrounds with accessibility in the Great Smoky Mountains national park are:
- The Big Creek campgrounds have accessible sites.
- The Cataloochee Campgrounds have accessible restrooms but no campsite modifications.
- The Deep Creek NC campgrounds have an accessible campsite and restroom.
- The Elkmont TN campgrounds have an amphitheater with paved trails, but they are quite steep and persons in wheelchairs may require assistance.
- The Look Rock TN campgrounds do not have accessible restrooms but there is a paved fairly level trail to the amphitheater.
- The Smokemont TN campgrounds amphitheater has paved trails, but they are also steep and some visitors may require assistance.
Tactile display for visually impaired in the TN Sugarlands. Accessible telephone at Cades Cove Rangers station.
Accessible campsite in Elkmont TN is near restrooms. Oconaluftee NC River Trail is accessible and maintained.
Further updated information about accessible camping on the Great Smoky Mountains national park can be obtained by calling (865) 436-1230.
Nature Trails and Hiking Accessibility in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
The Great Smoky Mountains national park is known as one of the best places to hike in the United States with more than 1,000 miles of marked hiking trails, manways and abandoned roads and trails that can be hiked on.
Most of these hiking trails in the Great Smoky Mountains national park have are rugged and can be quite steep and a challenge for most and may prove difficult or impossible for people with mobility issues to enjoy.
Because most of the hiking trails in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park have large ruts, jutting rocks, in some cases barely wider than the width of a footstep with steep edges and no railings or guides, people with impaired vision may also have significant issues without the assistance of a guide or service animal.
There are 4 trails in the Great Smoky Mountains national park that I would highly recommend as assessable where persons with mobility issues using a wheelchair or visually impaired persons can traverse on their own or with minimal help and 2 trails which although they are paved are very steep so persons who are confined to a wheelchair must be highly functional in their mobility and may still require considerable assistance.
Dogs are confined to only 2 trails in the park, but working service animals are allowed through the entire park and all of trails.
Gatlinburg Hiking Trail: Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Gatlinburg Hiking Trail: Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Hiking Tail Name: Gatlinburg Hiking Trail
Trailhead Location: Sugarlands Visitor Center, Gatlinburg Tennessee
Trail Length: 2.14 miles round trip
Trailhead Elevation: 1398 feet
Elevation Gain: 101 feet
Elevation Drop: 101 feet
Trail Type: Gravel path, paved areas and wooden bridge
Trail Condition: Excellent
Oconaluftee River Hiking Trail: Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Oconaluftee River Trail: Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Hiking Tail Name: Oconaluftee River Trail
Trailhead Location: Oconaluftee Visitor Center, Cherokee North Carolina
Trail Length: 3.60 miles round trip
Trailhead Elevation: 2038 feet
Elevation Gain: 140 feet
Elevation Drop: 240 feet
Trail Type: Gravel path, paved areas
Trail Condition: Excellent
Foothills Parkway in Wears Valley: Maintained by Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Hiking Tail Name: Foothills Parkway Wears Valley
Trailhead Location: Wears Valley Road (321)(73), Between Townsend and Pigeon Forge Tennessee
Trail Length: 10 miles round trip
Trailhead Elevation: 1439 feet
Elevation Gain: feet
Elevation Drop: feet
Trail Type: Abandoned Paved Road
Trail Condition: Excellent
Sugarlands Valley Trail: Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Hiking Tail Name: Sugarlands Valley Trail
Trailhead Location: Newfound Gap Road (441) less than 1/2 mile South of Sugarlands Visitors Center, Gatlinburg TN
Trail Length: 0.5 mile round trip
Trailhead Elevation: feet
Elevation Gain: Negligible
Elevation Drop: Negligible
Elevation Grade: Less than 5%
Trail Type: Cement Paved Trail
Trail Condition: Excellent
Equestrian Activities Accessibility Information for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Horseback Riding Stables Accessibility in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
The stables in the Great Smoky Mountains national park are equipped to handle high functioning disabled persons and the only stables with accessible restrooms are the Smokemont and McCarter's riding stables.
Horse Camping Accessibility in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Although Camping with your own horse in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is popular with people who own horses, only one drive in Horse campsite, the Big Creek Horse Camp has any accessibility accommodations for persons who need them.
Backcountry campsites that allow horses do not have any special accessibility accommodations what so ever.
For more information about camping with your horse you should check out our Horse camping and trail riding in the Smoky Mountains National park page.
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