Traveling to the Smoky Mountains
In my mind, having a “lay of the land” is always a good idea. This map shows the general proximity of the cities/towns to each other and to Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
The state line between Tennessee and North Carolina divides the park on a southwest to northeast diagonal. For a more detailed explanation about which airports to use, please scroll down this page.
The National Park Service created a map of major access roads to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. You may download the map using the link below.
DOWNLOAD: Map of Major Access Roads (PDF)
Tennessee Destinations
Townsend | Pigeon Forge | Sevierville | Gatlinburg | Great Smoky Mountains National Park
McGhee Tyson Airport | Knoxville, TN
Airport
The closest major airport to Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, Townsend, and Gatlinburg is the Knoxville, Tennessee airport. McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS) is a full facility airport located just south of Knoxville in the city of Alcoa.
Rental Cars
After arriving by plane, nationally recognized rental car companies are available in the baggage pickup area where you may rent a car.
Alamo, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Hertz, National, Sixt, & Thrifty.
Driving to Your Final Destination
The closest destination city to the airport is Townsend, TN. Driving from McGhee Tyson Airport to Townsend takes approximately half an hour. Pigeon Forge is an additional half hour from Townsend.
If you intend to travel on, add another fifteen minutes to Gatlinburg or ten minutes to Sevierville. Keep in mind that during the high season, traffic does get quite heavy and will take longer.
PERSONAL NOTE: Most GPS systems and map services like Bing Maps or Google Maps do not prioritize routes based on what is the most scenic.
When the starting point is the Knoxville airport, we prefer to drive through the towns of Maryville and Townsend, then use Wears Valley Road to get to Pigeon Forge, Sevierville, and Gatlinburg.
The drive is beautiful through the mountains and the difference in time from taking the Interstate is minimal.
North Carolina Destinations
Bryson City | Cherokee | Maggie Valley | Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Asheville Regional Airport | Asheville, NC
Airport
The Asheville Regional Airport is located 25 minutes south of Asheville, NC, and is the closest airport to the cities of Maggie Valley, Cherokee, and Bryson City.
Rental Cars
Five popular rental car agencies are located inside the airport:
National/Alamo, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Hertz
Thrifty/Dollar is located nearby, outside the airport.
Driving to Your Final Destination
Maggie Valley is the closest destination city to the airport. It is 40 miles, about a 45 minute drive. Cherokee is an additional 25 minutes or so, while Bryson City can be reached in under twenty minutes from Cherokee.
Please remember to take a route that is best suited for your driving skills, type of vehicle you are driving, your health, or whatever else may be a factor.
When we first began writing information for this section, we thought we would offer driving directions to every location/city on our website.
We quickly discovered that it was way too much information because there are literally hundreds of routes to take.
Also, people normally don’t have a problem getting here after consulting the usual resources like Siri, Google Maps, Bing Maps, etc.
We suggest doing some research on these websites or purchasing an Atlas from your favorite book store or travel center located on just about every Interstate Highway out there.
Travel Tips
So, you are planning a vacation to the Smoky Mountains. Wonderful! Here are a few tips for traveling to and getting around in the Smokies.
- Like most places, if you fly in, you will need a car, a motorcycle, an RV, or some form of transportation to get around after you arrive. While you may want to spend all your time in one location, it is not likely. Visitors to the Great Smoky Mountains usually want to get out and see it all. There is just too much to see to stay in one location!
- RV parks are popular in the Smoky Mountains. Keep in mind that larger vehicles are not always the best for tooling around town, especially in high season when vehicles are everywhere. Park your RV and use something smaller to get around in. Traffic is heaviest in June, July, and August, so be prepared.
- Riding a motorcycle is a fantastic way to see the Smokies and thousands of people do each year. Roads in the mountains can be dangerous, so drive carefully, especially when you are on a bike. The Dragon is famous for bikers, and unfortunately, every year there are fatalities due to carelessness. If you choose to ride, do it safely! If you are in a car or other vehicle, please look out for bikes.
- Public transportation is available in all the gateway cities, however, the National Park does not provide any public transportation.
- Parking your vehicle inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park can be difficult during peak travel seasons. Please keep in mind the following: 1) Only park in designated parking areas, 2) If you need to park on the side of the road, make sure all four wheels are off the road, 3) Do not block any part of the road with your vehicle, 4) Expect to be fined if you are caught parking illegally.
- Driving a car in the mountains, or being a passenger, is very different than driving or riding on a straight, level road. Passengers frequently get car sick due to the repetitive curves and switchbacks on the two lane mountain roads. Driving slowly helps. However, when you drive slowly, you may prevent other cars from proceeding at normal speeds. You should pull over at one of the many designated pull-off areas along the roads and allow faster cars to pass. This is good mountain driving manners, and locals will appreciate it.