Gatlinburg Wildflower Festival Showcases Spring in the Smokies

In the southeast, few things are more beautiful than spring in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. As temperatures warm up and spring arrives, Mother Nature paints Great Smoky Mountains National Park with a rainbow palette, transforming grays and browns of winter into vibrant color. One way to join the celebration is attending the annual Gatlinburg wildflower festival, also known as the Gatlinburg Wildflower Pilgrimage. Read more about this popular event.

Gatlinburg Wildflower Festival: Things to Do, What to See

In April, the annual Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage in Great Smoky Mountains National Park brings together the nation’s leading botanists, Appalachian wildlife experts, gardening enthusiasts and nature lovers to celebrate the return of spring.

The festival offers narrated walks, guided hikes, motorcades, art classes, photographic tours, demonstrations, photography contests for adults and youth, and lectures. Gatlinburg vacationers explore the flora, fauna and natural history of the Smoky Mountains in the company of experts.

Witness the Change

A walk down the national park’s paths and trails is filled with surprises. Each turn reveals greening vistas splashed with colorful wildflowers. Flowering trees and shrubs burst into bloom. Lacey drifts of white-petaled dogwood dapple the forest. Azaleas and rhododendrons splash the wooded trails with brilliant pinks and reds. Tri-petaled red trillium, delicate tufts of dwarf ginseng and white fringed phacelia scatter across the forest floor. Pastel pink mayapple blossoms peek out from under their leafy green umbrellas. Green ferns slowly uncurl their long fronds along burbling streams edged with moss-covered rocks. And that’s not all.

Tickets and Planning

Tickets range from $50-$75, and children under 15 are admitted free with a registered adult. In addition, visitors can spend the week and explore everything Gatlinburg offers — from other outdoor adventures to entertaining dinner shows. So get ready to spend spring in the Smokies, and don’t forget the camera!

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