What to know for your Great Smoky Mountains National Park Tour.

Park history

Learn more about the Great Smoky Mountains. There’s a wondrous diversity of life in the Smokies for you to explore!

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Wildlife tips

The best times to view wildlife are just after sunrise and just before sunset.
Bring a pair of binoculars, spotting scopes, and cameras with telephoto lenses to enjoy wildlife from a distance.
If wildlife is retreating, please do not follow them off of trails or onto the riverbanks.
Never approach or feed any animal; this is for your safety and the wellbeing of the animal.
Remember, if you approach an animal so closely that it changes its behavior, you have approached too closely.
Wild Turkeys: Breeding season is in the spring and is a great time to see the males strutting in the fields.
Pileated Woodpeckers: Woodpeckers can be viewed all year long.
Black Bears: The best time to see black bears are from late spring through early fall. The cubs are born during the winter in the mother's den.
Mothers will start bringing their cubs out in May and June.
Raccoons: Raccoons can be viewed throughout the year, mostly at night.
Coyotes: Coyotes can be seen all over the park at any time of year.
Whitetail Deer: Deer can be seen throughout the year. Fall is the breeding season and the best time to see them in the fields at Cades Cove.

Fall colors

Autumn is both a beautiful and a busy time in the Great Smoky Mountains.

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Enviromental

Protecting your heritage

Sugarlands Riding Stables has been given the remarkable privilege of operating in and looking after one of the last bastions of wild Tennessee, a responsibility we take very seriously. As such, it is vital that we strike a balance between enjoying the Great Smoky Mountains and preserving their natural beauty for generations to come. In order to protect this piece of our natural and cultural history, we practice our innovative EcoSense program in every aspect of our operations. This program includes:

Using recycled, recyclable, or compostable materials in all areas of our operation
Relying on electronic advertising and office communications in order to save paper
Enacting practices that reduce light, noise, and smell pollution
Monitoring and finding ways to reduce our gasoline, water, and electricity consumption
Using only suppliers that ship in reusable containers
Selling merchandise and snacks in minimal, recyclable packaging
Purchasing as many goods as possible locally, which also stimulates the local economy
Encouraging the use of our recycling receptacles

These tactics help us minimize our impact on the surrounding ecosystem and divert over 90% of our waste from landfills.

What can you do to help?

Our efforts to preserve the Sugarlands Valley are most effective when we have the help of the entire community. Here’s what you can do to help protect one of Tennessee’s remaining wildlands:

Save your trash for when you find a proper receptacle
Use our conveniently placed recycling bins when appropriate
Do not feed the wildlife, as it disrupts the natural food chain and health of the animal
Do not stray from trails or onto the riverbanks, as you may damage the fragile habitats of native flora and fauna