It is a moderately difficult hike, but the views are amazing. Open Friday-Sunday in November 92% of travelers recommend this experience. When you leave the visitor center, take a left to get back to New found Newfound Gap Road. The museum and movie are both closed and the rangers strictly monitor how many people are inside at a time. This number is based on the percentage of all Tripadvisor reviews for this product that have a bubble rating of 4 or higher. The Sugarlands Visitor Center is one of four facilities of its kind in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The ability to travel and explore new places is one of the best parts of the RV lifestyle. In addition to getting info on the park, I highly recommend taking the time to visit the museum there. Sugarlands Visitor CenterHoursOpen every day except Christmas Day.Jan. Oconaluftee Visitor CenterHoursOpen every day except Christmas DayJan. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. A separate building houses modern bathrooms and several trails begin at the center. Sugarland Valley Nature Trail is located about 1/2 mile from the Sugarland Visitor Center on Newfound Gap Road. People have been living and working in the mountains for generations, and the history is all on display here. These waterfalls include the Cataract Falls a beautiful waterfall located just behind the Visitor Center; Grotto Falls on the Trillium Gap Trail (a popular trail and a fairly easy hike); Baskins Creek Falls and the immaculately named The Place of a Thousand Drips. The Backcountry Information Office is also available for those planning to go deeper into the mountains. Upvote 6 Downvote. These structures are original to the park and give visitors a first hand look into southern mountain life and culture. The only downside of this experience is the price point. Clingmans Dome Visitor Center is located at the Clingmans Dome Trailhead on Clingmans Dome Road. As the original homesteading families grew, the younger generations found their way to the Sugarland Valley, located on the outskirts of Gatlinburg, in the shadow of Mt. Sugarlands Visitor Center could be considered the hub of Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP). Available FacilitiesGreat Smoky Mountains Association bookstore and shop. The gristmill is a fully operating mill and is open daily 9:00 to 5:00, March 6 to October 31, 2022; and open Friday to Sunday in November. In fact, Newfound Gap Road runs essentially from the Sugarlands Visitor Center to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee, North Carolina. Parking fills up quickly and can be challenging. more information on current conditions Visit Great Smoky Mountains National Park's official online store for books, maps, and guides to the park. Reviews help other RVers like yourself, and they help the campground. You can also access the Cataract Falls trail or the Gatlinburg trail from here. We decided to just drive through on our own. The Sugarlands visitor center is basically a large gift shop, though you can get your questions answered by a park ranger. The Visitor Center can also be a great place to take a break. 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By Ross Bodhi OglePosted on January 3, 2023. Just past the welcome sign to the park (on the left) there will be a road to the left. One trail leads to Cataract Falls (15 minutes one way), the other portion (Fighting Creek Trail-about a 1 hour loop trail) leads to the John Ownby cabin. Tour guides can point out particularly interesting features, teach you about the formation and history of the area, and help you stay safe as you explore these naturally formed caves. Having been here many times my wife and I did not choose to wait. Sugarlands Visitor Center is on the corner of Newfound Gap Road (US 441) and Fighting Creek Gap Road, just 2.0 miles from traffic light #10 in Gatlinburg. 2023 Pigeon Forge Department of Tourism. Store prices were very reasonable. She loves to spend time skiing, roadtripping, and just exploring the outdoors. We invite you to sample our award-winning spirits, enjoy delicious Sugarlands Cocktails and take a . We mentioned the center's gift shop earlier as a source of information, but visitors will find all types of park-related merch at this retail center as well. Stop here to stretch your legs, get your bearings, and speak with experts about your itinerary. Free Movie and Exhibits. Sugarlands Visitor Center | Photo: Ann Bowman. Its a bit discouraging to see that entrance fee, especially if you have younger kids who might not get their moneys worth. There is also a short hike from the visitor center to Cataract Falls, which is very convenient. Amazed how many people were there. Amenities here include: 1-Free more By TikiPirateCrew You will be glad you did. On a recent visit to Sugarlands Visitor Center, we stopped a Park Ranger on the sidewalk and ended up talking for nearly half an hour. The Sugarlands Center is named for the valley in which it resides. There are a number of scenic waterfalls with beautiful scenery, trailheads and great hikes in the surrounding area. Gatlinburg Stop by the information desk and ask to talk to a ranger who can give tips on what to look for, which forks to take and how to make the most out of your time in the mountains. The Gatlinburg Trail is located at the very end of River Road in Gatlinburg which is no more than a 5 minute drive from the Visitor Center. Supplementing all this firsthand knowledge is a treasure trove of printed information. The rangers are very friendly and informative and the line moved quickly. When we left there was a nice line forming to get in as they are controlling the number of people in the building at one time. I would love to come back sometime and see the museum. There is a few parking spaces. Ways to Experience Sugarlands Visitors Center. They had a small line to get into the center (thanks to COVID) but it goes quick. There is also a gift shop here and restrooms. The center is your starting point for three different hikes, all of them rated as easy. It has a fairly large parking lot. Why is Sugarlands a must-stop when visiting the Smoky Mountains with kids? Many guests have said that this should be your first stop when you enter the park. The park staff is always friendly its right in the middle of everything that . What To Know About the Shows Creatures, Cades Cove Lake: The effort to turn the Cove into a body of water, Great Smoky Mountains National Park Entrance Fees, What You Should Know, Smoky Mountains in March: Events in Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge [2023], A Simple Guide to Smoky Mountain Parking Passes, Park it Forward, 5 Reasons Why Dollywood Is Better Than Disney World, What To Expect at the Dolly Parton Stampede in Pigeon Forge. 1.9 mi from Sugarlands Visitor Center Great Smoky. The visitor center features knowledgable rangers, maps, restrooms, animal exhibits, informative museum, and a free movie. Threds and Sugarlands Distilling Co.'s relationship goes beyond producing great merchandise to be sold at the Sugarlands Distillery gift shop. - May 9:00 am - 5:00 pmJune Oct. 9:00 am - 6:00 pmNov.- Dec. 9:00 am - 5:00 pmLocation7906 E. Lamar Alexander Pkwy (U.S. 321)Townsend TN 37882Available FacilitiesGreat Smoky Mountains Association bookstore and shop. Sugarlands Visitor Center T-shirts, stickers, wall art, home decor, and more designed and sold by independent artists. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. It's located 2mi from Gatlinburg. Cades Cove A one-way, 11-mile loop takes visitors through 4,000-acre Cades Cove valley, the most visited area of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which boasts an abundance of wildlife (including black bears, deer, foxes, wild turkey and raccoons), as well as preserved pioneer homesteads, an old mill, hiking trails, a 161-site . Public restrooms and telephones.Gatlinburg Welcome Center - On the Spur between Pigeon Forge and GatlinburgHoursOpen every day except Christmas DayApril - October 8:30 am - 7:00 pmNovember - March 8:30 am - 5:30 pmLocation1011 Banner RoadGatlinburg TN 377382 miles outside of Gatlinburg on US-441 SouthAvailable FacilitiesGreat Smoky Mountains Association bookstore and shop. Movie and exhibits not accessable during Covid. What attractions are near Sugarlands Visitors Center? We are visiting with my parents who love nature, but are not as sure on their feet as they used to be. The rangers are a living fount of knowledge. Can someone recommend a short easy trail/s around that area? It is home to one of the best picnicking spots in the Smokies. The Sugarlands Visitor Center is a must stop for any visit to the Great Smoky Mountains! And it makes for a great first stop for those wishing to embark on an exploration of the park. Check out our list and consider adding one or two of these to your upcoming travel plans! Sugarlands is one of the top-rated visitor centers in the area and in the whole country! Sugarlands Visitors Center reviews TripAdvisor traveler rating 1,059 reviews Google 4.8 By Q8105RDdan My wife & I visited on Monday. Oct. 8:00 am - 6:00 pmNovember 8:00 am - 5:00 pmDecember 8:00 am - 4:30 pmLocation 1420 Little River RoadGatlinburg TN 37738Inside the park, 2 miles south of Gatlinburg on US-441Special Programs Ranger-led programs conducted seasonally. This trail begins at the visitor center and follows a beautiful river to the outskirts of Gatlinburg. Blog for Zip line Attraction in the Smoky Mountains. The center is your starting point for three different hikes, all of them rated as easy. RELATED: Fighting Creek Nature Trail is very popular with visitors to Sugarlands Visitor Center. more, Smoky Mountain Guided Scenic High Van Tour. With thousands of visitors every year, they sought to build an exceptional gift shop to suit the high demand for Sugarlands Distilling Co. merchandise. The hike, which is less than a mile roundtrip, ends at a beautiful 25-foot waterfall. Outside the center, visitors can enjoy the Oconaluftee Mountain Farm Museum, an open-air museum with a collection of some of the oldest log structures original to the park. Leave a campground review today! Cataract Falls Ranger-led programs are offered periodically. Best 5 Things to Order, Is Mountain Monsters Real? Open daily March 5 through October 31. Great place to start your exploration of the park. Located in Pigeon Forge, TN and near Gatlinburg and Sevierville. Did you visit the Sugarlands Visitor Center on a recent National Park visit? Great place to stop before entering the mountains. Four visitor centers are located within the national park at Sugarlands, Oconaluftee, Cades Cove, and Clingmans Dome. Are you over 21? The trail is very easy and flat. Its hard to define what the best visitor centers are, but weve selected five fantastic options below. Sugarlands is one of the top-rated visitor centers in the area and in the whole country! Entrance to the center is free and it is open to the public every day except Christmas day. Thank you. Sugarlands Visitors Center Location: 1420 Fighting Creek Gap Rd, Gatlinburg, TN 37738 Entrance Fee: Free to enter, tours cost $15+ Website: nps.gov Great Smoky Mountains National Park is home to many interesting historical sites and beautiful natural landmarks. Jan 10 - Jan 11. Date of experience: October 2021 Ask AndyB5542 about Sugarlands Visitors Center 1 Thank AndyB5542 Here are the top 4 reasons to stop by the Sugarlands Visitor Center: 1. Make your trip to the park more enjoyable and memorable! There is no fee for participating, so check with the visitor center for the times and locations. For many a year, it had been known on (the North Carolina) side as Blockaders Glory, which is the same as saying Moonshiners Paradise, and we all believed it to be fitly named., Read Also: Walker family cabin Smoky Mountains: See where the Walker sisters lived. You may purchase flour milled here when the mill is in operation. At the time of this writing, the centers hours are as follows: *Sugarlands Visitor Center is closed on Christmas Day. (865) 325-1355. Park Rangers conduct seasonal programs for the public. The temporarily closed Sugarland's museum featured local flora, fauna and wildlife (photo by Morgan Overholt/TheSmokies.com) The trailhead is located between the visitor center and the comfort station. The visitor center is an eco-friendly building. We used this opportunity to get an official park map/newsletter, get our NPS passport cancellation stamps, and pick up a few postcards in the gift shop. Sugarlands needed a merchandising partner to . Yes No Tucked into the Great Smoky Mountains, there's a barn house we call home. The Sugarlands Visitor Center features a 21-minute movie about the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, nature exhibits, hiking (see below), park exhibits, gift shop, restrooms, and plenty of free parking. I have a group of 82 travels who will be in Bryson City from June 3-6th. Where Can I Have Packages Delivered While On The Road. After about 4.5 miles, you'll find Elkmont Road. (1,110 reviews) "Conveniently located in the heart of Gatlinburg. Tripadvisor gives a Travelers Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor. There were a few other areas in the visitor center, including a small museum, that we didn't explore, but it looked well-curated. Sugarlands is one of the top-rated visitor centers in the area and in the whole country! The Sugarlands Visitor Center's Animal Exhibit - The animal exhibit boasts several stuffed specimens of local wildlife, from wild hog to black bear, which includes a description of each animal's distinctive features. They have a nice park store on location in addition to a FREE museum of animals native to the region. The terrain surrounding the Sugarlands is marked by a swiftly decreasing elevation and rivers and streams that have cut their way through over a period of time. The Covid restrictions have closed the museum and movie portions, but it's still worth stopping. The path runs along the river. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Park Rangers are approachable and some of the nicest people you will ever meet. Phone: (308) 586-2581. The terrain is mostly level, with some moderate inclines along the way. Its free to get in with no fees, and there is designated parking available. Parking Pets Allowed Restrooms Wifi Wheelchair Accessible Credit Cards Accepted See More Details (5) Nearby Hotels Whittier, North Carolina Illuminated Heart Sanctuary Robbinsville, North Carolina Sevier County, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Sevierville information. more, #16 of 104 things to do in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, GSMA Store Locations and HoursCades Cove Visitor Center HoursOpen every day except Christmas Day.January 9:00 am - 4:30 pmFebruary 9:00 am - 5:00 pmMarch 9:00 am - 6:00 pmApril Aug. 9:00 am - 7:00 pmSept. There may be a line to enter because of COVID restrictions. The sidewalk will take you in between the visitor center and the restrooms. Sugarlands Visitors Center: Sugarlands Visitor Center - See 1,043 traveler reviews, 358 candid photos, and great deals for Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN, at Tripadvisor. 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