The Coolest Visitor Center In Tennessee Has Trails, A Museum, And Is A Gateway To Adventure
By Chris Dodge|Updated on May 06, 2024(Originally published August 24, 2023)
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Chris Dodge
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My name is Chris Dodge and I live right here in the great state of Tennessee. My family and I are full adventurers filled with passion to see the amazing things our state has to offer. We are avid hikers and have explored many different places in Tennessee and beyond but we are always thankful to be living in such a glorious state.
In my humble opinion, The Great Smoky Mountains have to be the best national park around. It is unlike any other forest I have ever visited. There are a wide variety of places to see and things to do and you could spend a lifetime exploring the mountains. From incredible overlooks, scenic drives, and epic hikes, this park seems to have it all so when it comes to one of the best visitor centers in the state, the honor has to go to the Sugarlands Visitor Center in the Smokies. It is small, sure, but what it represents is a gateway to an adventurous trip spent in our nation’s best park.
The Sugarlands visitor center sits at the intersection of two major roads in the park.
This crossroads area represents the juxtaposition between two different sections of the park. The New Found Gap Road leads you high to the mountain tops and will take you to great locations like Alum Cave or Clingmans Dome. The other road, however, will lead you to a more low-lying area where you will eventually make your way to Cades Cove, and along the way, pass Laurel Falls. If you do plan on going to Cades Cove in Tennessee then you will want to make sure you arrive when the gates are open. Be sure to check the Great Smoky Mountains National Park page for Cades Cove hours or if there are any closers before you go.
When you arrive at the visitor center, you will be greeted by a giant topographical map of the park so you can see all the peaks and valleys. You will also see an adorable stuffed bear in a display case. Next to those, you will find various suggestions for hikes in the park and a short blurb about them.
You can pick their brains about the history of the area, suggestions of hiking trails or sections of the park to explore, and many more things. If you are like me, I just went in to ask how to pronounce a certain trail name, but then ended up talking for a few minutes because the ranger was so friendly and helpful.
Each animal is represented by a taxidermy display and shows the diversity in the park. Of course, everyone is there to see a black bear but there is a large variety of animals. Two things I learned when I went was that you can find Anoles Lizards in the park. I knew that the Smokies were the salamander capital of the world but I didn’t know you could find these little lizards as well. The second thing I learned while visiting the visitor center is that wild boars roam the park. Now, they are not very common and are invasive but nonetheless, they are in the park. Make sure to peruse the gift shop before you leave.
My favorite feature of this visitor center is that it also serves as a trailhead for two awesome trails.
The first one is Cataract Falls, which is an easy hike through the flat Smoky Mountain woods leading to a pretty waterfall. There are other more impressive waterfalls within the park, but with a short hike, you can see this beautiful 25-foot waterfall and it is still completely worth it. I would recommend adding this hike alongside a longer trail that you might be planning in the park for an added bonus. Check out this Adventuring in the Moment video when we went to see this waterfall.
This nearly 4-mile hike takes you from the Sugarlands Visitor Center to the heart of downtown Gatlinburg. Also a fairly easy hike, this trail will take you across a bridge, along the river, and by a couple of remains from some old abandoned structures. This is a pleasant place to go for a peaceful stroll and one of the only two trails that allow dogs in the park. Make sure you check out this video of the Gatlinburg Trail from Adventuring in the Moment.
All in all, the Sugarland Visitor Center in the Smokies holds a special place in my heart. We have stopped there many times and not just to use the bathroom. We have hiked the trail, talked to rangers, and most of all, it is special to me because it means we are in the Smoky Mountains. Which I still think is the best national park in our country. For more information, please visit the park page to learn about the Sugarlands Visitor Center. If you are in love with the national parks like me, then check out this cool bucket list poster! If you plan on doing some hiking around one of the best visitor centers in Tennessee then make sure you have the AllTrails+ app.
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