How to elope in Great Smoky Mountains National Park: The complete guide
Between North Carolina and Tennessee sits the most-visited National Park in the country: Great Smoky Mountain National Park! Named for the fog that seems to always roll in and out of the mountains, the environment, the history of the Appalachian Mountains, and the people that call the area home are instrumental to understanding the beauty of America. The park features one of the most biologically diverse regions on earth. Over 10,000 forms of life call the forest home, including salamanders, fungi, mosses, trees, owls, and so much more. The mountains cover 8.2 million acres, and the park covers 522,427 acres between North Carolina and Tennessee.
Within park boundaries are: 10 campgrounds with 1,000 sites, 11 picnic areas, 100 backcountry sites, 850 miles of hiking (with 70 miles of the Appalachian Trail), 5 historic areas with 97 structures important to Southern Appalachian heritage, 16 peaks exceeding 6,000 feet in elevation. 730 miles of streams, and an International Biosphere Reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As you can see, the park has so much to offer and I can’t wait to show you more! Let’s get started!
See the photos for original posters, vendors, and venue links.
An Overview of Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Climate & weather:
Most important to remember when thinking about the weather is the mountain topography. Weather down in the valley can be drastically different than up in the mountains and it can change quickly. Temperatures vary from 10-20 degrees from the bottom of a mountain to the top, so prepare to bring layers and remember that things can always change!
Spring: March through May. Temperatures average 40 - 70 degrees during the day and can have sunshine one minute and snow the next. Summer: Humidity is common, and thunderstorms happen often, especially in the mountains. Temperatures range from 60-90 degrees, but in higher elevations, temperatures rarely get higher than 80 degrees (remember your layers!). Fall: The mountains turn color with the season change and temperatures fall with the breeze. Temperatures range from 50-80 between September and November. The first frost is usually sometime in September, and there is minimal rain. Winter: The park generally has a moderate winter, but remember that weather can change any time. Temperatures range from 0-40, but can get as cold as -20 during the night in a cold front.
Peak season:
Most people visit the park during the summer, and for good reason! When it does rain, it typically doesn’t last too long, the temperature is high but not stifling (most days), and you can start to catch a little bit of the color changing if you wait until the end of summer and the beginning of fall. Because the park is so popular, accommodations can be harder to come by and some of the places you’d like to go to may be busy.
If you’re looking for those gorgeous fire-red colors, though, you’d better wait it out until late September or early- to mid-October. Most of the summertime crowd has gone and lodging won’t cost as much.
Airports, travel, and getting around:
There’s lots of ways to explore the park here! Here’s a few options:
Enter the park through one of the three main entrance gates located in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, Townsend, Tennesee, and Cherokee, North Carolina. Remember that your GPS doesn’t always know the best route! It is common to be misdirected. Use coordinates, if you can!
The closest airports are going to be in Knoxville at McGhee-Tyson Airport (TYS), or the Asheville Regional Airport in North Carolina.
There’s no public transit here, but local towns like Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, and even Asheville has private businesses operating transit to and from the park, as well as tour groups in the area that will bus you from place to place.
Safety information:
Mountain roads are notoriosly dangerous. The roads here are particularly curvy and winding and take some practice getting used to. I’ve driven them for years and there are still curves that make my heart race. Be cautious, take your time, and always stop for wildlife!
Be extremely careful with waterfalls and rivers: water rises fast and moves even faster. There is no lifeguard-supervised area in the park, so get in the water at your own risk. Hypothermia can happen when you get cold and wet and your body temperature is unable to rise back up. This can happen even in warm weather! Remember to dress in layers, have waterproof clothing, and take precautions for your safety and warmth.
There are yellowjacket wasps in the park and they are wicked. If you have a bee allergy, make sure to take your Epi-Pen (I always have mine!). If you get stung near the hands, take your wedding rings off immediately.
Remember the 10 Essentials for hiking in the outdoors. Take adequate water on your hikes (2 quarts per person per day), and a way to filter water from the streams if you need it.
Bear safety: The best way to practice bear safety in the backcountry is to always assume you’re going to encounter a bear. Don’t start a trip hoping to avoid them — plan to see one and know what to do when it happens. It’s the best way to be prepared! Study bear behavior and know how to react correctly. Read about bear behavior, watch some YouTube videos, and prepare accordingly. A few starter tips: carry and know how to use bear spray, make lots of noise often (it helps scare the bear away while you’re hiking/camping), hike with others, NEVER run from a bear, stay calm if you see one, don’t try to distract them by throwing something or dropping your pack.
Entry fees:
Unlike many other National Parks, entry into Great Smoky Mountain National Park is FREE!
However, you’ll need to register for a parking tag if you’ll be in the park for longer than 15 minutes. You can get three different kinds of tags, depending on how long you are visiting: a daily pass ($5), a weekly pass ($15), and an annual pass ($40).
How to elope in Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Obtaining a permit:
Every wedding or elopement in the park requires a Special Use Permit. There is a $50 non-refundable application fee and you have to get your application to the park office no less than 14 days before your event. You can pick from a list of approved locations (you can’t just wing it and pick a location wherever you want), check availability with the permit office, submit your application, make your payment, and then communicate with your vendors and guests, if you have them.
If you want to have more photos in a different location on the same day, I highly recommend you fill out another Special Use Permit form to make sure you’re not walking into someone else’s wedding. If you are having engagement photos or any other photos outside of a wedding, you’ll need your vendors to fill out a Commerical Use Authorization form.
With an outdoor location, you have the location for 1 hour with 25 people and a max of 6 vehicles. If you are using a historic church, you’ll have the venue for 1.5 hours with 50 people and 8 vehicles. Just because you have a permit does not mean the venue is completely roped off to other visitors. Some places allow alcohol and food while others don’t, so check the SUP form linked below. If you want to get married at Cade’s Cove, you won’t be able to get a permit on the weekends during October, only during the week. It’s a popular location for a reason, so plan accordingly!
Approved locations in Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Cades Cove, LeQuire Cemetary and Overlook, Cataloochee Overlook, Cataract Falls, Chimneys Picnic Area, Clingmans Dome, Foothills Parkway East/West, Gatlinburg Bypass overlooks, Greenbriar #1/#2, Heintooga overlook, Lakeview Drive, Maloney Point, Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area, Millsap, Mingus Mill, Newfound Gap, Noah “Bud” Ogle cabin, Ocanaluftee Overlook, the Methodist Church at Cades Cove, the Missionary Baptist Church at Cades Cove, Palmer Chapel at Cataloochee, Primitive Baptist Church at Cades Cove, Smokemont Church, Appalachian Clubhouse, and Spence Cabin.
This information is the up-to-date information from the park as of 3/2023. Always check with the park and the permitting office to make sure you’re following current guidelines. Please follow the permit guidelines. They help protect the park, the rangers, and most importantly, the environment. Following the rules protects the park for all of us and future generations for years to come.
Getting a marriage license in Tennessee & North Carolina:
Tennessee: Both parties have to be 18 years old or older and apply for the license in person. Both parties need to submit a valid driver’s license/military ID card/passport AND their social security numbers. There is a fee of $107.50. You can only pick up your marriage certificate in person after you’ve signed all your documents. The license is good for 30 days, and your officiant (or you) needs to return all the forms within 3 days of the marriage. You don’t need witnesses to sign.
North Carolina: Both parties need to be 18 years old or older. You’ll need two witnesses to sign your marriage documents. Some counties allow you to apply for a marriage license online, but all will let you just stop by in person. You’ll need proof of ID AND your social security numbers. If you were previously married, you’ll need proof of divorce. The license is good for 60 days.
A note on officiants:
Tennessee: You can be married by any regular minister, preacher, pastor, priest, rabbi, or other spiritual leader of every religious belief, more than 18 years of age, “having the care of souls”. The spiritual leader has to be ordained and cannot include anyone ordained by the internet or a mail service. Additionally, the following people can marry you: the governor, current and former members of county legislative bodies, the county clerk, and mayors.
North Carolina: You can be married by a magistrate or any minister who is ordained in a religious denomination or authorized by a church. You can also be married in whatever manner is recognized by a federally or state-recognized Native American tribe.
Florists near Great Smoky Mountains National Park
A Leave No Trace note about florists: something to consider when thinking about Leave No Trace is how florals will effect the environment. Consider asking your florist to only use native and non-invasive florals in your bouquet to limit the risk of introducing dangerous species to the park.
Best locations in Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Remember that some locations require special permits! Make sure to check with the park to see if there’s any requirements or considerations you need to know about.
Enjoying the rest of Great Smoky Mountains National Park
What to pack:
Because the Smokies come with its own set of unique challenges, here’s some tips for packing when you visit:
Sturdy hiking boots and at least a few pairs of wool or synthetic socks to keep your feet warm. Also consider bringing gaiters for river crossings!
A backpack that is fitted correctly and can carry your personal gear, a tent, and a rain fly for your pack.
A rain jacket and pants, NOT a rain poncho.
Warm, quick-drying clothing is very important! Cotton won’t keep you warm if you get wet, so stick to wool or synthetics like polypropylene or nylon. Bring quick-drying pants, at least one long-sleeved shirt, long underwear, a winter hat, waterproof gloves, and a fleece jacket. If you’re coming in the winter, know how to dress for sub-zero temperatures.
A stove, fuel, cookware, water bottles, and water purifying tablets or a water filter.
A sleeping bag and a pad, if you’re camping
Emergency gear and The Ten Essentials.
Bear Spray
Always bring a map! While apps like AllTrails are great, your phone could die or you could drop it in a puddle and poof — there go your maps. Paper maps are still a thing, I promise.
Be prepared with the bug trifecta: the right clothes, bug repellant, and something to treat bug bites. If you can stand it in the summer, pants will help shield you from ticks, black flies, and mosquitos. The same goes for long-sleeved shirts (you can even find some with SPF!).
Remember that sunburns can happen even on cloudy days, and especially on snowy (but sunny) days. Protect that beautiful skin of yours.
What to pack for your elopement:
You wouldn’t forget your dress or your suit (hopefully), but what about all the other little things? Here’s a short list of extras you might be forgetting:
A way to transport your ceremony clothing (whether by wearing it on a hike, packing it in a backpack, or just using garment bags)
Your rings! (A pretty important part, tbh.)
Vow books, clothing accessories (ties, cufflinks, belts, safety pins, stain remover), jewelry, perfume and deodorant, letters to each other, small trinkets, and anything else you plan on including during your elopement.
All of your legal documents, including park entrance passes, park wedding permits, IDs, and your marriage license (you’ll also need your passports if you’re coming from out of the country).
Where to stay:
What else to do around Great Smoky Mountains National Park:
Gatlinburg and the Smokies are my husband’s favorite place and he grew up traveling there every summer to explore. Since we met, he and I have gone nearly every year and have done everything from staying in town being tourists to summiting Mount LeConte a number of years back! Here are some of my favorite things to do when visiting the park and the surrounding towns:
If you’re coming from North Carolina, I absolutely love Asheville. It’s such a fun city with so much to offer. If you’re a beer drinker, there’s no better place to visit than Asheville. Check out the local breweries, the downtown arts scene, and, of course, the Omni Grove Park Inn Hotel for some amazing history, shopping, and views.
If you’re coming from Tennessee, I love Gatlinburg for some fun. It’s cheesy and touristy and has a totally different vibe than Asheville, but still so fun if you go in with an open mind. (I will say that there is a lot of Confederate imagery and some alt-right sympathy as well, so take that warning for what it’s worth).
Go do some moonshine tastings! I love Sugarlands and Ole Smoky distilleries for this. It’s a few bucks, you get a fun and interactive tasting, and it’s always a blast. If moonshine isn’t your thing, check out the Tennessee Cider Company on the parkway for wine, hard ciders, and meade (get the cider slushy!).
Go to the visitor centers! You can learn a lot of the history of the park, talk to rangers, get an education about the native history of the area (important!!!), and get your passport book stamped! There are four visitor centers in the park: Sugarlands, Oconaluftee, Cades Cove, and Clingmans Dome.
Hike the trail at Clingmans Dome! It’s a paved walkway, but don’t be fooled: the walk is STEEP but the views are amazing! On a clear day, you can see for miles and miles. I did this hike pregnant, and probably wouldn’t do that again, lol. But, if you’re in good health, it’s worth it!
If you want a really rewarding hike, I highly recommend Mount LeConte. It’s usually around 12 miles (depending on starting location), and you end up at the LeConte Lodge which is a super cool and historic lodge made for thru-hikers.
Hike part of the Appalachian Trail!
Visit the Mountain Farm Museum and Mingus Mill!
Go looking for wildflowers (but please don’t pick them!), wait for wildlife, take a bicycle tour around Cades Cove, hike all the amazing trails, take a horseback riding tour of the park with rangers, and camp under the forest canopy.