As winter begins to recede and the days grow longer, Great Smoky Mountains National Park stirs back to life. Spring arrives slowly but steadily here, creeping up the slopes in layers—dogwoods blooming low in the valleys while snow may still linger along the higher ridgelines. On the Tennessee side of the park, towns like Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge serve as gateways into this vast, forested expanse, offering a blend of natural access and small-town energy that shapes many visitors’ first impressions of the Smokies.
