Chimneys Picnic Area

With the Chimneys Picnic Area, the National Park Service had done a really fine job of providing a great place to stop. Abundant parking, with picnic tables all over and several barbecue pits provided. Two large restroom buildings and a dedicated handicap restroom are also on the premises. A great spot for a picnic.

Beautiful!! We stopped to stretch for a bit and ended up staying for well over an hour. We had 3 kids with us and we all enjoyed climbing the rocks through the river. So peaceful, just what we needed 💜

Very scenic views, plenty of picnic areas, and nicely shaded. Nice spacing of each picnic area. Our group enjoyed climbing rocks in the river. Accessible bathrooms.

Such an amazing place to have a picnic with your family! Peaceful, and calm atmosphere.
The picnic tables are spaced out so you have plenty of room away from others…
My family and I came here for a picnic during the summer and played card games!
Plenty of restrooms and trash cans all around!

Amazing place to wind down and enjoy nature. Kids and adults had a great time at the river. Had bbq there and played some sports.
The water is ice cold and rocks can be slippery, so don’t forget to get your water shoes when in the water!

Loved jumping from rock to rock and playing in the water. Wonderful area to have a picnic. Wish we were able to get a picnic area by river but had to use one in the middle area. Listening to the water as you eat was a treat.

Pretty cool place to check out some nature. The water level in the creek was down so we were able to run around in the creek and climb on the rocks and get some adventures in. Was very fun and a cool place to visit. Scenery was beautiful and everybody loved the place. Definitely worth going and checking out to get some pictures and to mess around.

This was our favorite place that we visited. The creek was so beautiful. Not crowded. You can even pull in and grill. They have grills at the a number of sites. Lots of opportunities for photo ops. We truly enjoyed the beauty of this stop.

I really loved stopping here on our way to Cherokee. We brought lunch and sat at some of the picnic tables. After eating, we went and played in the water. We saw a couple chipmunks running around near the water. There bathrooms right there also. I think we will spend more time there next time we are in the mountains. It’s a really beautiful area and worth the stop!

The picnic area is a perfect, serene area to sit back and take in how magnificent it truly is! The flowing water nearby and the birds chirping in the distance make it easy to wander and dream... but don't forget this is home to the black bear! So, do stay aware of your surroundings! 🤗

This is an amazing picnic area. A pull in area per table. Wonderful setup. Close to the river, great tree cover. The view from our picnic table.

Gorgeous picnic area with water flowing through! So many picnic tables and well kept. Bathrooms with flushable toilets and sinks, as well. The sound of the water flowing through the rocky bed is amazing (water was low when we were there). We had a great time climbing around the rocks and taking jn all the natural beauty! Highly recommend a stop here.

Amazing memories are made here. Bring water shoes or get ready to take your socks and boots off! You'll miss out otherwise. Strongly suggest bringing some snacks and maybe even burgers/Hotdogs for the BBQ.

Have always enjoyed this place. Used to be able to go to the upper upper area, shame they don't let you drive back up there. Get in the water every year, no matter what time of the year and then grill out at the picnic table. Great memories for me and my lil ones.

One of my favorite places to go since I was a little girl. Putting my feet in the cold water

One of, if not my absolute favorite spots in the Great Smokey Mountains! An absolute must stop while passing through the GSMNP!

Love the fact that every parking space has a grill and table. Water is very cold, nice picnic area, no wifi lol very calm. Restrooms on site, no light in restroom. Nice for a quick stop.

Very beautiful picnic area. There are lots of picnic tables, all well maintained. The view is so gorgeous. There are some tables that are located close to the river, giving beautiful views to the river.

The area is generally clean. The toilets are very dirty, but you can go to the to the visitor centers for toilets.

We have enjoyed coming here over the years with our children. You can play in the water, but be very careful as the rocks can be slippery. Would recommend water shoes with rubber soles for comfort as well. There are many picnic tables with parking next to each specific area. If you are planning for a large group with multiple cars, they may have to park further away. There is somewhat limited space here. There was at least once we came through here and there was no more parking available during a peak season. The prime spots right next to the water are usually taken first and therefore hard to come by. The water is usually cold here.

There are dumpsters to dispose of your trash and the bathrooms are relatively nice since you are in the middle of nowhere. They have actual toilets, sinks, soap and paper towels.

I had spent the night at a trailhead east of this spot & arrived about 8am. There was nobody there. I drove all the way to the back and parked. Made myself some coffee, grabbed a walking stick & walked down to the river. It was Beautiful, Amazing & Glorious. My heart was singing praise to mother nature. I stayed about 2 hours, then I drove from site to site, parking, hiking & taking more photos. I was shocked that while many of the trailhead were full, this picnic area was empty