14
GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK
Horseback Riding
Three riding stables provide guided horseback
rides from mid-March through late November.
Rides can last from 45 minutes to several hours.
The stables also offer carriage rides and Cades
Cove hayrides.
Year-round Colors
From early spring through the end of fall, Great
Smoky Mountains National Park is filled with
colors provided by more than 1,500 species
of flowering plants and fall foliage. Violets,
black-eyed susans, sunflowers and asters are
some of the seasonal flowers that brighten the
park landscapes. Beginning in mid-September,
leaves begin to change to autumn glory, peaking
between mid-October and early November.
Reports on color change are
posted beginning in September at
nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/fallcolor.htm.
Wildlife
More than 400 species of animals, including
an estimated 1,500 black bears, live in Great
Smoky Mountain National Park. Wildlife-watching
opportunities are best along Roaring Fork Motor
Nature Trail and Cades Cove Loop Road.
Reminder:
Wildlife should be viewed
at a safe distance.
Leave It Like You Found It
Park visitors are urged to respect nature’s
beauty and leave no trace behind when you
depart. Never leave food, trash, personal items
or equipment in the park. Regulations for leaving
the park like you found it are at nps.gov.