Calendar of Free Entrance Days to National Parks

Author:: Staff
Publish date:: Nov 29, 2018
Updated on: Nov 29, 2018

Enjoy your "free" time in the national parks. Although Great Smoky Mountains National Park is always free, 120 national parks and monuments that normally charge an entrance fee will be free on several days during the year. This includes two parks in Tennessee and North Carolina.

Plan your visit and enjoy our country’s history and nature.

January 21, 2019: Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.

April 20, 2019: First day of National Park Week

August 25, 2019: National Park Service Birthday

September 28, 2019: National Public Lands Day

November 11, 2019: Veterans Day

For more information: www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/fee-free-parks.htm

Wildlife

For about two weeks each year, Elkmont in Great Smoky becomes the site of the most magnificent synchronized firefly gathering in the world.

A monarch butterfly on a milkweed flower.

Wildlife

The national park and parts of North Carolina are on one of the natural migration routes. Learn more about the annual monarch-tagging event.

An elk eating apples off the tree in Cataloochee Valley. Photo by Greg Gilbert via Flickr

Park Itineraries

It’s our nation’s busiest park, so here are tips on how to see the best of Great Smoky in just two days. Make the most of your time by visiting some of our favorite spots in both the Tenn. and N.C. sides of the park.

Appalachian Trail Sign inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Outdoor Recreation

The Appalachian Trail (AT) travels 72 miles through Great Smoky Mountains National Park along the Tennessee-North Carolina border.

Natural Wonders

Feel the mist on your face on one of these top trips to the park’s impressive cascades. Some are seen right from the road. Others require a hike.

Park Itineraries

The park is a fantastic place to spend a romantic weekend, celebrate Valentine’s Day or an anniversary, or to just spend time together.

Bike riding on the Cades Cove Loop in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Outdoor Recreation

Bring your bicycle and mountain bike to the national park. Here's were you can ride.

A young elk buck peeks out from the forest on the edge of Cataloochee Valley in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Wildlife

There are many types of animals in the Great Smoky Mountains, but dense forests can make them difficult to spot. Here’s a guide to better your chances.