Spring in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park offers a rare and welcoming combination of fewer people, cheaper lodging prices and an explosion of magnificent wildflowers. With more than 13 million visitors annually, the Smokies draws more visitors than any other United States national park — more than double the numbers of the next most-visited parks, the Grand Canyon and Zion National Park. However, spring is an ideal time to visit if you want to enjoy the Smokies at a quieter and more leisurely pace.
26% fewer tourists visit the Smokies in springtime versus summer
Crowded trails, traffic jams, sold-out hotels and difficulties finding parking at scenic viewpoints and trailheads are common problems during the popular summer and fall seasons in the Great Smoky Mountains. According to the National Park Service, March, April and May are the best months to visit this busy national park, when visitation drops 26% compared to summer and 15% versus fall.
Despite the fewer tourists, there are still enough people in springtime that visitor centers, picnic areas, restaurants and attractions just outside the park’s borders, such as Dollywood, are open. And many of the main draws of the Smokies are just as enjoyable, if not better, in spring. Hiking trails are less crowded, black bears and other wildlife are out, and the park’s many waterfalls are at their best. And a few activities, such as wildflower hikes, can only be enjoyed in spring.
Campgrounds are also less busy in springtime, with campsites still available for last-minute weekend getaways. In summer and fall, the most popular campgrounds in the park are often completely booked months in advance. Two of the park’s 10 campgrounds are open year-round, while the other eight open either in March, April or May, leaving you many choices for a family camping trip.
There is no in-park lodging except for the hike-in lodge atop Mount LeConte, so most non-camping visitors stay in the gateway towns of Gatlinburg, Townsend, Wears Valley and Bryson City. Vacation cabins and hotels in these popular tourist towns often have cheaper rates due to the decreased demand during the spring shoulder season. You also do not need to book lodging quite as far in advance as you would need to for July or October.
What to see when you visit the Smokies in spring
The main appeal of the Smokies in springtime is the spectacular wildflower blooms. The Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage takes place in April and is a full weekend of guided walks, exhibits and expert talks. The popular event has been an annual tradition for 75 years as people worldwide come to see the tremendous variety of wildflowers found in the park.
If you want to hike without a guide, you can easily find wildflowers along many of the park’s trails. Porters Creek, Schoolhouse Gap, Cove Hardwood, Middle Prong and Little River trails are relatively easy trails that have wildflowers within the first couple of miles from the trailhead. Flowers bloom in mid-to-late March and continue through May and June, with lower elevations blooming earlier. Some of the most iconic flowers found in the park are bloodroot, trillium, spring beauty, phacelia, dwarf iris and lady slippers.
Waterfalls and wildlife
Waterfalls are another can’t-miss Smokies experience, and they are abundant in the park thanks to its impressive average rainfall and mountainous terrain. Laurel Falls is the park’s most visited waterfall, but according to the National Park Service, it is closed for trail rehabilitation in all of 2025. Other popular waterfall hikes include Abrams Falls, Ramsey Cascades, Rainbow Falls, Middle Prong Trail and the Deep Creek Waterfalls Loop.
Spring is a great time to see one of the park’s estimated 1,900 black bears as they become more active after their winter torpor. Bear jams are common, especially in Cades Cove and on Roaring Fork Motor Trail, as cars stop to photograph bears loitering nearby. Mothers with cubs are always a memorable photographic souvenir — look for them during the early morning or evening hours when they are most active.
Cades Cove
Cades Cove is one of the most visited destinations within the park because of its pastoral views, historic settler structures and many hiking trails. Traffic on its 11-mile, one-way loop road can take two to four hours to drive around the cove during fall and summer weekends. You can avoid the worst traffic by visiting in spring, especially on a weekday, or skip it entirely by biking the Cades Cove Loop Road on a car-free day.
Cars are banned in Cades Cove every Wednesday from May 7 to Sept. 24, 2025. The scenic loop takes around one to two hours to bike. Many people spend the whole day biking the loop, stopping along the route to tour the historic cabins, churches and the gristmill built by the early settlers of this part of Appalachia. People also enjoy walking and running on the loop road when cars aren’t present.
Hiking trails
Spring can be a more enjoyable time to hike in the Smokies than summer. You are likelier to find sweeping views while hiking before the trees fully leaf out, a bonus in this densely forested park. Also, the summer season brings haze and humidity, obscuring views and leaving hikers unpleasantly sweaty.
The Alum Cave Trail to Mount LeConte is one of the park’s most iconic hikes and one of the most crowded. Limited parking at the trailhead means very early morning starts are necessary in summer and fall, but spring’s less crowded nature allows for a later start and more solitude on the trail. This is the same for other popular trails in the park, such as Andrews Bald, Chimney Tops, Clingmans Dome, Little River Trail and Charlies Bunion.
Enjoy the nation’s busiest park with fewer people and for cheaper prices in spring
Whether hiking through blooming wildflowers, chasing waterfalls or biking the historic Cades Cove Loop Road, visiting the Smokies in spring offers an unforgettable experience with smaller crowds, cheaper prices and more space to explore. It’s the perfect time to enjoy the park’s natural beauty at your own pace and within your budget.
Amanda Luhn grew up on the outskirts of the Smokies and still spends much of her free time in the park, including as a volunteer, wildflower stalker and campfire enthusiast. She writes about her favorite things to do in East Tennessee on her blog, Knoxville Backyard & Beyond.