Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area: Riverside Picnics on the Little River

About

Metcalf Bottoms is one of the most inviting picnic spots in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, a wide, shady flat along the Little River between Gatlinburg and Townsend. With 122 picnic sites set along the river, there is usually room to spread out. It is also one of the few places in the park where your leashed dog can join you, which makes it a natural lunch stop for families traveling with pets.

Sites come with picnic tables and grills, and there are restrooms, benches and accessible sites. A pavilion seating 70 can be reserved through recreation.gov up to a year in advance, ideal for reunions and larger groups. Anglers can fish the Little River with a valid Tennessee or North Carolina license. The Metcalf Bottoms Trail starts here too, leading to the historic Little Greenbrier School. Please clean your site and grill thoroughly after eating; feeding bears and other wildlife is illegal.

The picnic area is open from sunrise to sunset. The north loop, the pavilion and part of the south loop open mid-April to late October, while the rest of the south loop is open all year; in winter, dumpsters are removed, so pack out all trash. The Metcalf bridge has a 10-ton weight limit, and buses, motorhomes and trailers are not allowed. Pets must stay on a leash no longer than 6 feet. A park parking tag is required.

Photo: National Park Service, Public domain (NPS)