Great Smoky Mountains National Park Self-Guided Driving Tour
Description
Recommended: Purchase one tour per car, not per person. Everyone listens together! Explore Great Smoky Mountains National Park and discover why it’s the most visited National Park in the country! Tour these famous mountains while learning about Cherokee history and legends, Appalachian life, and much more. There’s no better way to see Clingman’s Dome, Cades Cove, or Rainbow Falls. Plus, enjoy a free bonus tour of Roaring Forks Motor Trail! After booking, check your email/text to download the separate Audio Tour Guide App by Action while connected to WiFi or mobile data. Enter the password, download the tour, and enjoy it offline. Follow the audio instructions and route from the designated starting point. New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want. This isn't an entrance ticket. Check opening hours before your visit.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is all misty ridgelines, lush forests, and scenic overlooks that feel straight out of a storybook. Drive through Newfound Gap and you’ll get those classic “Smokies” views in minutes. New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want.
As you drive, you'll have the option to take a detour to the Mingus Mill, an 1886 grist mill which, believe it or not, is still fully functional! If you're here on weekends, you can even see the mill operators grind corn just like they did back in the 1800s.
Heading toward Clingman's Dome, you'll soon see its famous observation tower. You really haven't seen the Great Smoky Mountains until you've seen them from up here!
Your first major stop is the Beech Flats Quiet Walkway, a perfect spot for anyone who wants to soak up the natural beauty of the mountains without having to hike an arduous trail.
After that, you'll reach Morton Overlook, hugely popular for its unbelievable sunsets.
Your drive through the beautiful, majestic Smoky Mountains begins at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. Get ready to explore the Smokies and discover why this is the most visited National Park in the country!
Up next is the Rockefeller Memorial, where you'll learn more about Rockefeller's importance to the park! This memorial was dedicated by President Theodore Roosevelt himself.
The next overlook on your route is Carlos Campbell Overlook, which serves up panoramic views of towering mountains and lush forests.
Continuing on, you'll pass through the heart of a mountain using the Morton Tunnel. Here, you'll also hear about how a politician named Ben Morton got his name all over the park.
Next you'll pass the Alum Cave Trail, which takes hikers to the remains of an old salt mine packed with fascinating history.
Your route takes you next to Chimney Tops Overlook, where you'll hear all about wildfires in the Smokies and how they cause lasting damage to mountains like this one.
Next up is the most accessible trail in the park! Sugarlands Valley Trail can be accessed by wheelchair or stroller, and offers a great way to venture into the scenic wilderness. We'll also turn back the clock to get an in-depth look at the complicated history of this valley and the settlers who once lived here.
Next up is the most accessible trail in the park: Sugarlands Valley Trail! This scenic trail can be accessed by wheelchair or stroller, and offers a great way to venture into the wilderness.
The tour leads next to the Sugarlands Visitor Center, a perfect rest stop and the site of a few trailheads.
Our route takes us next to the Rainbow Falls Trail, which leads to the park's most popular waterfall. Standing at 80 feet, Rainbow Falls is the tallest waterfall in the Smokies, but that's not all! When the sun hits it right, it glimmers like a rainbow--hence the name.
Your drive continues to Cataract Falls, a beautiful, secluded set of waterfalls tucked beneath a shaded canopy of beech trees.
From there, your drive continues to Newfound Gap, a stunning mountain pass with huge historical significance. Hear the story of how trappers, farmers, and merchants used to cross the Smokies, and how this gap changed all of that.
Our next stop is perfect for anyone amused by kitschy oddities. This funky museum displays everything from shrunken human heads to rare animal skeletons. We'll get the inside scoop on how it started as a simple one-panel comic strip and grew into a national phenomenon.
Continue following the road to the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. This driving trail invites you to slow down and enjoy the forest and historic buildings of the area. It also features three of the park's most famous waterfalls!
The road brings us next to the Reagen Cabin, which displays a perfect example of old-timey technology in the form of the so-called "tub mill." Hear all about what that is and why it was useful here.
Keep driving until you reach the Grotto Falls trail. While it's not quite as grand as Rainbow Falls, this secluded, less crowded waterfall is absolutely worth a visit. On your way, hear about a rare salamander you can only find right here!
Why settle for one waterfall when you can have several? Our next stop is the Place of a Thousand Drips, where numerous narrow falls come together to form a stunning torrent.
Our drive takes us next to the Baskin Creek Falls, a sparkling waterfall where we'll hear about the amusing, and slightly misguided history behind the name of these falls.
Finally, you'll arrive in the picturesque mountian town of Gatlinburg, where your tour will conclude. New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want. The tour is over 45+ miles long, with more than 40+ audio stories, and takes about 2-3 hours to complete.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- How To Access: After booking, you’ll get an email and text with setup instructions and password (search “audio tour” in emails and texts). • Download the separate tour app by Action • Enter the password sent by email and text. • MUST download the tour while in strong wifi/cellular. • Works offline after download.
- How to start touring: Open Action’s separate audio tour guide app once onsite. • If there is just one tour, launch it. • If multiple tour versions exist, launch the one with your planned starting point and direction.
- Go to the starting point No one will meet you at the start. This tour is self-guided Enter the first story’s point and the audio will begin automatically Follow the audio cues to the next story, which will also play automatically. Enjoy hands-free exploring. If you face audio issues, contact support. Stick to the tour route & speed limit for the best experience.
- Travel worry-free: Use the tour app anytime, on any day, and over multiple days. Start and pause the tour whenever you like, taking breaks and exploring side excursions at your own pace. Skip anything you don’t care about or explore bonus content for everything that interests you
- Savings tips: Driving tours: purchase just one tour for everyone in the car
- New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want.
- Audio Setup: Connect your phone to your car's stereo system using Bluetooth, USB, or AUX. For the best experience, consider using headphones for walking tours. Audio playback is compatible with Apple CarPlay, with navigation features coming soon. Support for Android Auto is also on the way.
- The tour requires a supported mobile device for navigation. Please use an iPhone with iOS 15 or later, an Android device with Android 9 or later, or an iPad/tablet with GPS and cellular service.
- Seasonal road closures (reopening in 2026): Kuwohi Road (formerly Clingmans Dome Road) and Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. Closed/inaccessible sites: Laurel Falls Trail (including related sections of the Sugarlands Mountain Trail), Carlos Campbell Overlook, and Mingus Mill (preservation/rehab work). Open (weather permitting): Newfound Gap Road (US 441), Little River Road, and Cades Cove Loop Road (may close temporarily due to weather or maintenance). These roads are generally open year-round but may close temporarily due to weather or maintenance.
- Valid parking tags are required for each vehicle parked anywhere within the boundaries of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Parking tags are available for purchase online on nps.gov and onsite.
Reviews(308)
First, this needs to be fully downloaded before arriving at the Visitor's Center. It takes several steps and downloading other apps, entering codes, etc. There is almost no coverage at the starting point to successfully do this. We did finally get this done from the highest point in the park, but it took a long time and felt distracting from the overall experience of the day. The narrative is good but very limited and only covers one short route in the park not any side routes. Also, several times the narrator encouraged us to purchase additional tours that could be add ons to this one, but it seems to me since they are all in Smoky Mt National Park they should have been included. What we did get provided good information and was easy to listen to, but the difficulty downloading the app and its limited coverage of routes within the park were overall disappointing compared to other similar guided audio tours we have used in the past.
Dawn, I’m sorry the tour felt limited and that setting it up was frustrating. Since the app works offline, the full tour needs to be downloaded before arriving, especially since cell service in the Smokies can be very limited. I’m glad the narration was helpful, and I appreciate your feedback about route coverage and add-on suggestions. The good news is your tour never expires, so you can still use it on a future visit. If you’ve already left the area, please contact me, and I’ll be happy to help or arrange a replacement tour.
This is the best way to drive through the park, taking in its beauty and learning about the park and history. It unveiled areas we would have missed and gave us ideas of where we wanted to return to explore.
Maryjane, I’m so glad you enjoyed my Great Smoky Mountains National Park GPS Driving Tour. It’s wonderful to know the tour helped you take in the park’s beauty while learning more about its history. I’m especially happy it helped you discover areas you might have missed and gave you ideas for places to revisit and explore more deeply. If you're exploring more of Tennessee, consider checking out my tours of Natchez Trace, Shiloh, Clingmans Dome, and Memphis. Happy travels!
Very informative. It took us 3.5 to 4 hours to finish. The audio said 2 -3hrs so plan accordingly. Our family enjoyed it. We will use the app again when we return next time. It was of good help when there was no wifi in the mountains .
Shree, I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed my Great Smoky Mountains National Park GPS Driving Tour. It’s wonderful to know the stories and narration added so much to the experience and made a big difference compared to simply driving through the park on your own. I’m happy the offline audio worked well in the mountains, where there was no Wi-Fi, and that the tour made your 3.5- to 4-hour journey both informative and memorable. I look forward to joining you again on your next visit. If you're exploring more of Tennessee, consider checking out my tours of Natchez Trace, Shiloh, Clingmans Dome, and Memphis. Happy travels!
The tour was lovely and interesting and worked well. Unfortunately there was no parking available at any of the places we wanted to stop so be advised the park gets crowded.
Kristina, I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed my Great Smoky Mountains GPS Driving Tour and that it worked well for your visit. It’s wonderful to know you found the tour lovely and interesting. I’m sorry parking was difficult at the stops you wanted to visit, as the park can definitely get crowded during busy times. If you're exploring more of Tennessee, consider checking out my tours of Natchez Trace, Shiloh, Clingmans Dome, and Memphis. Happy travels!
This app is easy to use and is informative. The stories were interesting although wild ideas on what the natives in the area believed. I didn’t stop a lot so some of the stories didn’t finish before the next session started. Maybe I was driving too fast! Easy to pause when you did stop. Clever technology.
Sharon, I’m so glad to hear you found my Great Smoky Mountains GPS Driving Tour easy to use and informative. I’m happy you enjoyed the stories and the option to pause when stopping. Since the tour is timed to the route, following the speed limit shown in the app can help the stories finish properly before the next section begins. If you're exploring more of Tennessee, consider checking out my tours of Natchez Trace, Shiloh, Clingmans Dome, and Memphis. Happy travels!
Trip Advisor is my go to for reviews.
Kathryn, I’m so glad you enjoyed my Great Smoky Mountains GPS Driving Tour and that it worked perfectly for your trip. It’s wonderful to know it helped make your visit even better. If you're exploring more of Tennessee, check out my tours of the Natchez Trace, Shiloh, Clingmans Dome, and Memphis. Happy travels!
It was great. We stopped often to take pictures and hiked the spot to see the leftover chimneys. The audio was very helpful and we loved learning about the Great Smokey Moumtains!
Marilyn, I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed my Great Smoky Mountains GPS Driving Tour. It sounds like you had a wonderful time exploring the park, stopping for photos, and hiking to see the historic chimney sites. I’m especially happy the audio helped bring the history and beauty of the Smokies to life during your drive. If you're exploring more of Tennessee, check out my tours of Natchez Trace, Shiloh, Clingmans Dome, and Memphis. Happy travels!
Good value for the cost, but too much focus on myths and Native American fables, and not enough about the park: details regarding the trails, what can be found away from the road, etc.
Joel, I’m glad you found my Great Smoky Mountains GPS Driving Tour a good value. I’d like to understand what you felt was missing. I appreciate your note on myths and Native American stories, and I’ll share it with my team for review. Your feedback helps me improve my tour. If you're exploring more of Tennessee, check out my tours of the Natchez Trace, Shiloh, Clingmans Dome, and Memphis. Happy travels!
The narration was sporadic. I thought it would advance automatically but I had to click each time a segment finished. Not easy when trying to drive mountain roads.
Hi Maureen, the app is designed to play automatically as you drive (so no need to click ahead). It does not play the next story immediately when the first one ends, but rather when you drive up — the gap is typically 30 seconds or so, based on exact driving speed. This allows for a little variance in driving speed and gives the ear a break instead of constant talking. Could that be the confusion? If not, I’d really like to understand what happened—your feedback would help me improve the experience. I’m also happy to provide a refund or replacement. Please reach out anytime between 9 AM and 6 PM EST.
My wife and I just wanted a self-guided tour not do a lot of hiking. I had some credits with Tripadvisor so I purchased this for a dollar. It was worth it. It does track pretty well and give you narration along the way it gets a little confused on the way back down, but overall was pretty good but one recommendation is not to go to Smoky Mountain national Park during spring break. It was crazy busy this time of year here we couldn’t believe it on a Thursday in March! hard to find parking anywhere and at the visitor center. We did three quick hikes one to cataract Falls on the way back, which of note is behind the Sugarland visitor center so you need to go in the back to catch the trail head, because it was too busy on the way up. and two other small ones so that was good saw little pigeon River and chimney stack remnants of old housing establishments back in the early 1900s. We had a nice 80° clear day and was beautiful. went all the way up to newfound gap the Appalachian hiking trail runs through there. The last time I was in North Carolina. I went the northbound route from Cherokee, but the road going through newfound gap north at that point was closed. It is now open all the way through of note.
Robert, I’m really glad to hear that my Great Smoky Mountains National Park GPS Driving Tour worked well for the type of visit you had in mind and provided helpful narration along the way. I also appreciate you mentioning the crowds and parking challenges—that’s a very helpful note for other travelers. Spring break can definitely make the park much busier than expected. I’m happy you had a good overall experience, and if you’re visiting the Smokies, you can try my audio tour instead—it's offline, offers lifetime access, and automatically shares stories and directions as you drive.
