Picnic area · Great Smoky Mountains National Park
A shady lunch stop beside a cold, boulder-strewn river.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Great Smoky Mountains Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Great Smoky Mountains National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Great Smoky Mountains audio tourRecorded for this place
Chimneys Picnic Area and Cove Hardwood Trail“You're approaching Chimneys Picnic Area, a shady place to settle down beside the Little Pigeon River. Choose this for a picnic with the sound of water running among boulders and little cascades.”
Plays as you drive up to Chimneys Picnic Area in the Parkwolf Great Smoky Mountains Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Chimneys Picnic Area is a drive-through picnic area on Newfound Gap Road, at about 2,739 feet, with 68 picnic sites under mixed deciduous and evergreen forest beside the west prong of the Little Pigeon River. It earns its place as a lunch stop: many tables are close to the water, and some look down to the creek.
Each site has a table and charcoal grill on a generally level gravel pad. Use charcoal only; wood fires aren't allowed. The stream runs among large boulders and small cascades, and visitors wade in it. The water is cold, and this is a rocky river rather than a built swimming area.
There’s a 0.8-mile loop through the forest if you want to stretch your legs, but it climbs and descends steeply. Don’t let the short distance fool you into expecting a flat stroll.
This is a seasonal stop, generally open from spring into late fall; exact dates depend on the current schedule and weather. Restrooms are seasonal too. Pets are allowed in picnic areas on a leash and can’t be left unattended.
Wildlife
1,569 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
900 sightingsElkMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
13 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 9 AMSighting map
142 sightingsTimber RattlesnakeMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
26 sightingsBobcatMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
42 sightingsRiver OtterMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Great Smoky Mountains. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ModerateCove Hardwood Nature Trail0.8 mi · 45 min · 0.1 mi awayA shady hardwood loop with 40 steps up front.
ChallengingChimney Tops Trail3.5 mi · 2.5 hr · 1.1 mi awayA steep stair climb ends at a view of the fire-scarred pinnacles.
EasyBalsam Point Quiet Walkway0.4 mi · 30 min · 1.3 mi awayA short wooded loop with a rock-wall clearing and stream.
EasyJohn Carr Place Quiet Walkway0.5 mi · 24 min · 2.2 mi awayA short forest walk links a river path and a roadside overlook.
ChallengingMount Le Conte via Alum Cave Trail10 mi · 7 hr · 2.3 mi awayA creekside climb through rock passages to high mountain views.
ModerateAlum Cave Trail to Alum Cave Bluffs4.6 mi · 3.5 hr · 2.3 mi awayA forest climb to a 75-foot rock shelter and natural arch.
EasyRiverview Quiet Walkway0.9 mi · 45 min · 2.6 mi awayA short river loop with a smooth roadbed and rougher return.
ChallengingBullhead Trail to Mount Le Conte13.6 mi · 10 hr · 2.6 mi awayA long, steep route to Le Conte with exposed ridge views.
Scenic pullout · 0.2 mi awayChimney Tops OverlookStep out for the twin peaks without taking a hike.
Sight · 1 mi awayChimney Tops Trail ViewpointA steep climb to the pinnacle view; the summit itself is closed.
Sight · 2.3 mi awayRainbow FallsA steep Smokies climb to a waterfall named for its rainbows.
Scenic pullout · 2.4 mi awayCarlos Campbell OverlookA quick ridge view with a visible story of forest recovery.Sight · 2.5 mi awayAlum Cave BluffsA 4.6-mile Smokies hike ends beneath a 75-foot rock overhang.
Sight · 2.8 mi awayCliff Tops ViewpointA wide LeConte panorama, best saved for sunset.
Sight · 2.9 mi awayArch RockTake the stone steps right through a natural arch.
Lodging · 3 mi awayLeConte LodgeA historic hike-in lodge on Mount LeConte with family-style meals.Parkwolf’s Great Smoky Mountains ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
