Among the many ways to experience nature in the Smokies, wildflower blooms are one of the best. Every year in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the spectacular annual display starts off in late February with spring ephemerals and runs through the summer months into fall. Below are a few places a wildflower lover must see when it’s springtime in the Smokies.

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The Sugarlands

The Sugarlands is a popular place for park visitors and the perfect beginning for a tour of Smoky Mountain wildflowers. The Old Sugarlands Trail and the Sugarlands Valley Nature Trail are both easy to access, located not far from the Sugarlands Visitor Center. Along these trails, you’ll find fringed phacelia and mayflower blanketing the forest floor in spring and early summer, with white trillium peeking through. Also in the area are bloodroot, spring beauty, and heal-all, to name a few.

Cove Hardwood Nature Trail

Cove Hardwood Self-Guided Nature Trail is one of the most highly recommended places for viewing gorgeous Smoky Mountain wildflowers. The trail loop begins just a little farther up Newfound Gap Road from the Sugarlands, at Chimneys Picnic Area. At the trailhead you’ll find brochures to guide you. The hike is not very strenuous, and the payoff is huge. March and April see large blooms of bloodroot and hepatica, while dwarf iris and several varieties of trillium come out in May and early summer.

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Little River Trail

None of Smoky Mountain National Park’s 312 trails will have everything, but the Little River Trail is a solid introduction. From the trailhead in Elkmont Campground, the trail takes an easy upward slope along the Little River. Views of wildflowers along the trail are some of the best in the park. From mid-March through April, you’ll find violets, mayflower, rue anemone, dwarf cinquefoil, and stonecrop. Excellent opportunities for wildflower photography await you as well, with common sightings of exquisite beauties such as pink lady’s slipper.

Deep Creek

Another wildflower spot that won’t disappoint is Deep Creek. The whole area has appeal for the outdoor enthusiast, but for the wildflower viewer it is a paradise. Easy hikes along the Deep Creek and Indian Creek Trails will take you past a diverse sampling of the Smokies’ 1,500 wildflower species. In spring, you can expect to see jack-in-the-pulpit, various bluets, wild geranium, and Solomon’s seal, to name a few.

These are just some handpicked favorites from Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s hundreds of amazing wildflower spots. There is also the annual Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage, a late-April festival that celebrates the Smokies’ stunning array of wildflower blooms, during which you can check out these locations and countless others.

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Plan Your Spring Getaway

Eager to see these beautiful blooms on your own spring getaway? Check out the exclusive offers at Courtyard by Marriott Pigeon Forge and make sure you get the best rate.

Whether you’re a seasoned hiker or just starting out, the Smoky Mountains are an ideal place to unleash your inner outdoor-enthusiast. In fact, the region’s trails frequently appear in leading hiking magazines and websites, such as Outside and Backpacker. Here’s a breakdown of eight of the more popular trails near Pigeon Forge — including several waterfall trails, the famous Clingmans Dome Observatory trail, and more.

Alum Cave Trail

The scenic, rhododendron-fringed Alum Cave Trail, on Mount LeConte, includes rocky steps, archways, and an unusual bluff. (Beware of falling icicles in winter.) The 10-mile, 2,942-foot trail additionally boasts an interesting history, having formerly been a mine for epsom salts.

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Rainbow Falls Trail

The 5.5-mile, 1,653-foot Rainbow Falls trail is known for wildlife, its vast boulder field, and its assortment of falls, including smaller cascades falls along with the namesake.

Grotto Falls Trail

One of the more moderate trails, 2.6-mile, 534-foot Grotto Falls offers multiple falls, beautiful flowers in spring — such as whiteviolets and yellow trillium — and lush greenery.

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Porters Creek Trail

The flower-dotted four-mile Porters Creek Trail, reaching an elevation of 699 feet, comprises stretches of forest, roads, and even a portion of a former farmstead beside a cemetery.

Gatlinburg Trail

One of the park’s only dog-friendly rails, the generally flat 3.9-mile Gatlinburg Trail boasts cascades, long wooden footbridges, and direct access to the Sugarlands Visitor Center.

Clingmans Dome

The short path to Clingmans Dome runs along a creek and forest before reaching the famed observatory, the highest point in the national park and eastern Tennessee.

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Cades Cove Loop

Cades Cove Loop’s 11-mile trail houses not just verdant greenery and dramatic rock formations, but abundant wildlife and historic sites, including a working grist mill.

Ramsey Cascades Loop

The Ramsey Cascades Loop reaches the tallest waterfall in the park via a path dotted with creeks, footbridges, and old-growth oak and maple trees.

Hit the Trails

Ready to explore these magnificent hiking trails for yourself? Check out our four sister hotels in Pigeon Forge by visiting www.ExploreSmokies.com.

In Pigeon Forge, autumn is a truly spectacular season —  the Smokies turn red, green, and gold; Dollywood transforms into a larger-than-life pumpkin patch; and Southern wineries and distilleries release limited-edition bottles. Here’s our guide to the best autumnal happenings in this Tennessee resort town.

 

Old Mill Heritage Day

Old Mill Square was built around, and named for, a 19th-century gristmill, and autumn is the season when the plaza celebrates its history. September brings Old Mill Heritage Day, where you can watch moonshine- and sorghum-making demonstrations, catch bluegrass performances, take part in old-fashioned games and square dances, make arts and crafts, and learn about Pigeon Forge pioneers.

September 28; http://oldmillheritageday.com

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Seasonal Wine-and-Spirit Tastings

Though Smith Creek Moonshine’s Pigeon Forge outpost and the Rocky Top Wine Trail organization’s wineries are popular year round, both offer enticing autumn-specific offerings that you’ll want to add to your Pigeon Forge itinerary. Smith Creek Moonshine releases a seasonal apple-pie flavor, and the Rocky Top Wineries host the “Chocolate Wine Trail” event, pairing wines with handmade desserts and wine-themed souvenirs.

October 26; https://www.rockytopwineries.com/event/chocolate-wine-trail-3/

 

Dollywood Harvest Festival and Great Pumpkin LumiNights

Each autumn, Dolly Parton’s famous theme park takes a cue from the singer’s flamboyant, over-the-top style by hosting its annual Harvest Festival. The event transforms Dollywood into a larger-than-life pumpkin patch, with pumpkin-picking activities, an after-hours “LumiNights” jack-o-lantern spectacular, more than 500 gospel performances, and demos by local artisans, including glass painters, Appalachian woodworkers, and even fiddle-makers.

September 27-November 2; https://www.dollywood.com/themepark/Festivals/Harvest-Festival and https://www.dollywood.com/themepark/Entertainment/GreatPumpkinLuminights

 

Chalkfest

The Island shopping and entertainment complex features hundreds of square feet of bare concrete (alongside its famous Ferris wheel), and this particular Pigeon Forge venue honors autumn with a celebration known as Chalkfest. For one afternoon every October, dozens of artists take to the park’s grounds, drafting larger-than-life chalk illustrations of Tony the Tiger, the Mona Lisa, and more.

October 5; https://islandinpigeonforge.com/event/chalkfest/

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Colorful Smoky Foliage

If there’s one truly iconic Pigeon Forge autumn experience, it’s a hike or drive around the surrounding Smokies themselves, a sub-range of the Appalachian Mountains. Take in sweeping views of the colorful landscape from lookouts atop Clingman’s Dome, Charlie’s Bunion, Andrew’s Bald, Cades Cove Road, or Newfound Gap Road. For something a little more exciting, visit Legacy Mountain Ziplines, where you can zoom through the trees at up to 50 miles per hour on one of seven ziplines.