One of the fantastic things about staying at our Gatlinburg hotel is that we are located right on the doorstep of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park! If you want to visit the park during your vacation, there is no better place to start your day than the Sugarlands Visitor Center! This excellent facility is situated just over 2 miles from our hotel and has everything you need to plan a successful day in the nation’s most popular park! Here are the top 4 reasons to start your National Park visit at the Sugarlands Visitor Center:
1. Interact with a Park Ranger
The Sugarlands Visitor Center offers guests the opportunity to interact with a park ranger, who can recommend hikes that are best suited to your abilities, suggest itineraries, and provide other valuable information! If you are interested in detailed trail guides and maps, the park ranger can also direct you to the center’s extensive bookstore where you’ll find topics on the park’s hikes, wildlife, historical background, and more! There are also ranger-led programs that are conducted seasonally, so be sure to ask what is available on the day of your visit!
2 Enjoy the Natural History Exhibits
Another one of the top reasons to start your visit at the Sugarlands Visitor Center is to enjoy the natural history exhibits that are on display! This is your chance to learn about some of the park’s plants and animals, some of which you may encounter while exploring the scenic roads and hiking trails! Some of the wildlife that is often seen in Great Smoky Mountains National Park includes white-tailed deer, groundhog, chipmunk, and some squirrel and bat species. Of course, the most famous resident in the park is the American Black Bear!
3. Take a Scenic Hike
When you’re ready to stretch your legs, you’ll find several hiking trails that depart right outside of the Sugarlands Visitor Center building! The Gatlinburg Trail travels for 1.9 miles in one direction to the outskirts of Gatlinburg, making it possible to actually walk to the Sugarlands Visitor Center from our hotel! This trail runs through a cove hardwood forest and along the West Prong of the Little Pigeon River, and you can see the foundations and chimneys of several old homesites along the trail. Other hikes that depart right outside the Sugarlands Visitor Center include the Fighting Creek Nature Trail, a pleasant 1.2-mile loop trail that passes the site of Noah McCarter’s former cabin, and the Cataract Falls Trail.
4. Public Restrooms & Drink Vending Machines
You’ll want to take advantage of the public restrooms at the Sugarlands Visitor Center before heading out on a long hike! While there are no restrooms on trails, you will find restroom facilities at all of the park’s official visitor centers, campgrounds, picnic areas, Newfound Gap, and Clingmans Dome. If you forgot to bring a few extra bottles of water for your adventures, this is also a great time to use the drink vending machines to stock up!
Check out all of the rooms at our hotel in Gatlinburg TN today to stay just minutes away from Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Sugarlands Visitor Center! We look forward to welcoming you to the Smokies!
