The Chimneys Picnic Area is one of the best picnic sites in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Great Smoky Mountain National Park
~30 Minutes
Spring & Fall
~$5 per Vehicle
Overview
Chimneys Picnic Area is the best place to stop for a picnic lunch in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. You’ll not only find clean public restroom facilities and plenty of space to eat but there’s a surprising hidden adventure in this picnic stop.
After stopping here, I understand why it’s one of the most popular picnic areas in the park.
West Prong of the Little Pigeon River
A tree growing alongside the creek
Chimneys Picnic Area Plan
When we left our condo in North Georiga to head to Great Smoky Mountains National Park for the day, our only plan was to find “somewhere” to have lunch in the park. We packed the cooler and vehicle with all the trimmings for sandwiches, chips, drinks, and snacks before leaving.
On all of our trips to the national parks, we tend to do this at least once or twice, depending on how long we plan to spend in the park. It’s a great way to save money and not worry about where we will get food since some parks have more dining options than others.
During our trip to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, we stopped to walk to the top of the observation tower at Clingmans Dome. When we made it back to the parking lot we were all getting hungry. We debated just picnicking right there in the parking lot, but it was so busy we decided to find a better area to let others have our parking spot.
The next place we planned to stop was at the Sugarlands Visitor Center. I previously downloaded the Great Smoky Mountains National Park date on the National Park Service app and found a picnic area not far from our location. That ended up being the Chimneys Picnic Area about halfway down the scenic drive on Newfound Gap Road.
Getting There
Location
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a huge park that spans both northwest North Carolina and southeast Tennessee. There are multiple ways to get into the park. We used the Cherokee Entrance in North Carolina, although the Chimneys Picnic Area is closer to the Gatlinburg Entrance in Tennessee.
Best Time to Go
The best seasons for Great Smoky Mountains National Park are spring and fall. Temperatures aren’t blistering hot like they can be in the summer, and there’s no snow on the ground. We were here the first week in October and the weather was perfect. In the higher elevations, we needed a jacket on over our pants and T-shirts. At the lower elevations, such as in the Chimneys Picnic Area, we were fine without the extra layer. With the opportunity to play in the river, it’s a great place to stop on a warm day.
Note that the picnic area is only open seasonally. It opens at sunrise and closes at sunset from early April through late November. The area closes at 8PM from late April through early September. The vault toilet is open year-round, but the flush toilets and picnic area closes in the winter.
Tyler enjoying the rocks
Ryan having fun on the boulders
About Chimneys Picnic Area
Who Can Go?
The picnic area is accessible to anyone. The road through the picnic area is paved and the picnic stations are packed with gravel. There are also many of the parking spots that are flat from the parking to the picnic tables, making this area wheelchair-friendly in the right places.
What You'll See
The Chimneys Picnic Area is a forested picnic spot along the West Prong of the Little Pigeon River. At the riverside, there are giant boulders throughout the water, meaning the picnic spots on that side of the loop road also get to hear the water rushing through.
What to Bring & Wear
Make sure to bring a picnic lunch and wear shorts or swimsuits if you want to play down by the river. Each site has charcoal grills that visitors can use to prepare and warm food over, but you must bring your own charcoal, no wood fires are allowed. Also, there are black bears in the area, so make sure to properly dispose of trash and food waste in the black bear-safe dumpsters before leaving the area. Human foods are incredibly dangerous for black bears.
Walking across the large rocks and boulders in the creek
Looking back along the creek
Where to Go
From Sugarands Visitor Center and Gatlinburg: The Chimneys Picnic Area is 4.4 miles south of the Sugarlands Visitor Center on Newfound Gap Road (US 441) heading towards Cherokee. The picnic area will be on the right side of the road, designated by a brown park sign.
From Clingmans Dome Road: Turn left to head north on Newfound Gap Road (US 441) and drive 8.7 miles towards Gatlinburg. The brown park sign will direct you to the Chimneys Picnic Area on the left side of the road.
From the Oconaluftee Visitor Center and Cherokee: Head north on Newfound Garp Road (US 441) towards Clingmans Dome and Gatlinburg. After 24 miles you’ll see the brown sign directing you to the picnic location on the left side of the road.
When you enter the picnic area, the loop is a one-way road. The first sites you come to on the lower loop overlook the forest scenery. If you go to the end and make the turn, the sites on the upper loop are the ones along the river.
How Long Does it Take?
You can spend as much or as little time here as your group wants. We were in the area for about an hour, most of that picking our way over the rocks in the river and playing by the water. It’s not a deep creek, so it’s a great place for families to play. We saw some come in, have their lunch, and leave quickly. On the other hand, we could tell some people must come and set up for the day.
Chimneys Picnic Area Cost
There’s no cost to get into the picnic area, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a fee-free park. You will need a parking tag, though, if you plan to stop at any parking lot in the park for more than 15 minutes. Parking tags can be purchased at any of the visitor centers and a few other places throughout the park. They can also be purchased online before heading to the park. Parking tags are not available to purchase at the Chimneys Picnic Area.
Water rushes over the rocks
Justin takes a break on the rocks
Tips for Chimneys Picnic Area
- There are no picnic pavilions in the Chimneys Picnic Area, but trees shade the entire area.
- It is illegal to feed any wildlife so make sure to keep your food protected and clean up your entire area.
- The trailhead for the Cove Hardwood Nature Trail is near the entrance of the picnic area. This is a short 0.8-mile loop trail through the forest with a parking area near the trailhead.
- There are two flush toilets and a vault toilet in the picnic area.