15 Awesome Things to do in Cherokee, NC, and Great Smokey Mountains National Park

The Great Smokey Mountains are an incredibly popular National Park and an amazing place to visit along the East Coast of the United States. There are several towns to use as a base for your adventures in the Smokey Mountains. If you are hoping to visit the Mountains from the North Carolina side of the park, we’ve got you covered with 15 Things to do in Cherokee, NC, and Great Smokey Mountains National Park.

We loved our visit to Cherokee and think it’s the perfect place to explore these ancient mountains. See more below for everything you need to make this an amazing adventure as well as 15 awesome things to do in Cherokee, NC.

Quick Look at the Best Things to do in Cherokee, NC, and the Great Smokey Mountains

What to Know about Visiting Cherokee and the Great Smokey Mountains

Quick Overview of Cherokee, North Carolina

Cherokee, NC is a medium-sized town located on the reservation home of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation. The town borders the Great Smokey Mountains National Park and is the perfect town east of the park to base your adventure. The town has plenty of restaurants, places and stay and shops and really caters to visitors. From Cherokee, it is just a 12-minute drive to the Oconaluftee Entrance to the park.

Cherokee is also the southern-most town on Skyline Drive. There are also several other towns nearby that offer places to stay including Bryson City.

Overview of Smokey Mountains National Park

Full of gorgeous vistas, seemingly never-ending forests, waterfalls, and rich history, the Great Smokey Mountains are a wonderful place to explore. Spanning the border of North Carolina and Tennessee, the park includes 800,000 square miles. This large park has so many things and corners to explore, you can easily stay for a week.

The Great Smokey Mountains are the most visited park in the country with over 11,000,000 visitors every year!

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park Weather – The Best Time to Visit the Great Smokey Mountains

The best time of year to visit Cherokee and Great Smokey Mountain National Park is spring-fall. By April, the weather is pleasant for hiking. By May there are many wildflowers out and by the end of the month, you can glimpse the fireflies.

Summers in the area tend to be hot and humid, but the mountains offer a chance to cool off. In the fall, you can find tremendous foliage and great hiking conditions. Visiting the Great Smokey Mountains National in winter is also a great time for winter hiking and snowshoeing. The table below shows the average temperature and precipiation throughout the year in the park.

How to Get to Cherokee, NC

The closest airport to Cherokee is the Ashville Airport in North Carolina. From Asheville, the drive to Cherokee is a little over an hour. You can also get to Cherokee from Greenville, SC. From here, the drive is about 2 hours to Cherokee. If you are coming from the west and driving through the park to get to Cherokee, you can fly into Knoxville (about a 2 hours drive) or drive from Gatlinburg to Cherokee (1 hour).

How long do you need in the Great Smokey Mountains and Cherokee?

One of the best parts of visiting the Great Smokey Mountains is the sheer size of the park. Since there is so much to explore, you could easily spend a week here. If you are visiting for that long, I recommend choosing 2 different places to stay during the week, so you can access different hikes.

If you are planning to stay in Cherokee, you should plan on at least 3 nights to see the main sites and do some of the activities. There are many options for lodging in Cherokee including hotels and campgrounds – you can find some suggestions at the very of this post.

Cherokee and Great Smoky Mountains National Park Map

Things to do in Cherokee North Carolina and the Great Smokey Mountains

Things to do in Great Smokey Mountains National Park

Take a Hike in Smokey Mountains – Alum Cave Trail to Mout LeConte and Chimney Tops

The best thing to do in the Great Smokey Mountains is to go hiking. There are many hiking trails for every level including hikes to mountain summits and waterfalls. Out absolute favorite hiking trail is the Alum Cave Trail to Mount LeConte. This is a long trail that takes you along a beautiful stream, through the Alum Cave, and to the summit of Mount LeConte. Another favorite summit hike is the Chimney Tops Trail.

Visit a Waterfall – Rainbow Falls, Laurel Falls

If you are looking for a different type of hike, consider hiking to one of the park’s many waterfalls. The Smokey Mountains get plenty of rainfall each year, making it a great destination for exploring waterfalls. Some of the best waterfalls in the park include Rainbow Falls, Laurel Falls, Grotto Falls, and Ramsey Cascades Trail.

Drive and Walk to Clingman’s Dome

Clingman’s Dome is the highest point in the Smokey Mountains and the good news is that you can drive most of the way to the top at 6,643 feet. You will need to walk the last steep 1/2 mile of the trail to the viewing tower with gorgeous 360-degree views. We also loved the drive up to the top almost as much as we enjoyed the summit!

Go Tubing on Deep Creek

If you’re looking to cool off, you should add tubing to your list of adventures and things to do in Smokey Mountains National Park. There are several places in the park where you can rent tubes and ride down a river. If you are staying in Cherokee, the best place is Deep Creek just south of town. Deep Creek is technically inside the borders of Great Smokey Mountains National Park and you can rent tubes just outside the entrance and walk up the creek and put your tube in the water in serval places.

Drive and Take in the Scenic Views

The drive right through the midsection of Great Smokey Mountains National Park on route 441 is beautiful and there are several places to stop to hike or just take in the views. The road climbs steadily from Cherokee and then as it nears the gap goes through several switchbacks. Here the road crosses into Tennessee and begins to descend to Gatlinburg.

You can simply pull over at any of the viewpoints that look good to you, but the best views on 441 in the Smokey Mountains include:

• Newfound Gap
• Morton’s Overlook
• Chimney Tops Overlook
• Campbell Overlook

Visit Cades Cove

If you are interested in the history of the area, visiting Cades Cove should be on your list of things to do in the Smokey Mountains. This popular place has it all: mountain views, wildlife viewing, and several historic buildings including the John Oliver Cabin, Primitive Baptist Church, and Cades Cove Cable Mill. You can also find a campground here and several hiking trails.

Explore Nature

With large tracts of protected land, the Great Smokey Mountains are an excellent place to explore nature. From springtime wildflowers and fall leaves, it’s more than just the wildlife. Of course, you can find many animals here as well, including bears, deer, elk, and the famous synchronous fireflies.

Cherokee, NC Things To Do Outside Great Smokey Mountains National Park

Drive the Blue Ridge Parkway

The Blue Ridge Parkway stretches from Great Smokey Mountain National Park to Shenandoah and starts right in Cherokee. This goregous National Parkway winds through mountains, passes over rivers with beautiful views in every direction for 469 miles. If you are visiting Cherokee on a road trip,

Visit Oconaluftee Indian Village

This living museum is a replica of an 18th centruy Cherokee Village. Guided tours introduce you to Cherokee crafts, people, and history, and you can visit one of the events to see dancing and other celebrations. You can see more about the hours on their website.

Museum of the Cherokee Indian

Located right in Cherokee, the Museum of the Cherokee Indian is an excellent place for a visit to expore more about the history and culture of the Cherokee people. This award winning museum covers 13,000 years of history through a series of exhibits including special effects, life-sized figures, artwork, and priceless artifacts. This is truly a wonderful way to gain a better understanding of the Cherokee people.

Mountain Bike at Fire Mountain

Locted right in Cherokee, Fire Mountain in Cherokee, NC is an well maintained mount biking area with a series of trails. This fun mountain biking area offers plenty of berms, one way tracks and some fun bridges and views. We had several bikes with us when we visited, but rented a bike in town as well and rode directly to the trails.

Mine for Rocks

As you drive around Cherokee, you will notice many places where you can ‘mine’ for gems. My daugters finally convinced me to stop and we had a blast sifting through the sand to looking for gems. The running water helps to clear out the sand and then you can take your treasures inside to learn more about the different stones. This felt a bit more touristy than we usually prefer, but the kids had so much fun that it’s definintely worth adding to your list!

Go Fishing

Everywhere we went people were fishing in the creeks and streams in Cherokee. These streams are simply full of trout. Make sure you check that you have the correct permit for fishing in these waters before you head out to catch your first trout! You can purchase your permit for fishing in Cherokee here.

Walk to Mingo Falls

This beautiful waterfall is just a short walk up some stairs and is located near Cherokee in the Qualla Boundary. The trail is only 0.3 miles round trip and ends directly at the waterfall over a small bridge. You don’t need long to explore this pretty waterfall, but it is definintely worth adding to your list!

Explore Oconaluftee Islands Park

This downtown park right in Cherokee has it all. Relax here and enjoy the river, swimming, tubing and fishing. Pack a picnic during the summer and enjoy lunch or dinner at one of the park’s picnic tables.

Best Things to do in Cherokee North Carolina with Young Kids

If you are visiting Cherokee, NC and the Great Smokey Mountains National Park with young kids, there are plenty of activities to enjoy. Make sure you add hiking, mining for gems, exploring Oconaluftee Islands Park, and looking for waterfalls to you list of things to do!

Where to Stay in Cherokee, NC

There are several places you can stay within Great Smokey Mountains National Park and even more places to stay right in Cherokee. We visited Cherokee on a road trip and camped at Indian Creek Campground and highly recommend. We had a lovely site next to the stream and the bathrooms were very clean! You can find many more campgrounds in the area, or if you are looking for hotels, here are a few that looked good both in terms of the facilities and the location.

Stonebrook Lodge – with a great location, this lodge has a swimming pool as well.

Great Smokies Inn – this Inn has hiking trails and a seasonal pool right on site.

River’s Edge Motel – Another great option that has rooms with balconies in a great location.

Summary of Things to do in Cherokee, NC

Cherokee is a great town to base yourself and explore Smokey Mountain National Park. There are so many fun things to do in and around the town. We loved spending time in Cherokee and exploring the local area.