Planning a trip to Great Smoky Mountains National Park with kids? This family guide covers the best kid-friendly hikes, waterfalls, scenic drives, wildlife viewing, where to stay, parking information, and practical tips for visiting the Smokies with kids. We’ve visited Great Smoky Mountains National Park multiple times with our children, most recently in 2026, and I’m sharing the places we’d absolutely visit again.
Whether you are traveling with kids or without, you’ll find plenty to do here. Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the highest visited park in the United States. Approximately 11 million people explore this park annually and is the 19th largest U.S. National Park coming in at about 522,426 acres.
Every visitor to the Great Smoky Mountains should make a stop at one of the park’s 4 visitor centers to get a park map and find an up-to-date weather report or share info about the park’s road conditions and possible closures. Park Rangers are also a wonderful resource for finding out the parks more off the beaten path spots. Since we were staying in Cherokee, we visited the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. The park’s visitor centers vary in opening hours, so reference the National Park Service’s website for up-to-date times. The Sugarlands Visitor Center is the headquarters of the National Park and offers the park film. Restrooms and water fountains are available at all 4 Visitor Centers.
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