Live Webcams in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (2026)
Six live cameras inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park — Newfound Gap, Kuwohi, Look Rock, Purchase Knob, plus two phenology cams. With tips for snow checks, fall color, and the no-Cades-Cove-cam answer.
By Shandi
Travel Expert
December 6, 2025
Wondering what it looks like right now inside the most-visited national park? Here are six live views from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, plus answers to the questions everyone asks (yes, including "is there a Cades Cove webcam?").
How these cameras work: The four NPS cams below are part of the national air-quality monitoring program. Images refresh every 15 minutes during daylight; at night you'll see the most recent daylight image. They're not video — but they're the only official, real-time look inside the park.
NPS Live Cameras
Newfound Gap
Newfound Gap's webcam is the most popular cam for snow-watchers and leaf-peepers — it's the highest elevation NPS camera you can drive to year-round. Sits at 5,046 ft on the TN/NC state line.
Newfound Gap is the last stop along the way to Kuwohi (formerly Clingmans Dome) — if Newfound Gap is socked in with clouds, Kuwohi will be too.
Kuwohi (Clingmans Dome)
The Kuwohi webcam now operates year-round and runs at higher resolution than Newfound Gap. It's the highest point in the park (6,643 ft) and frequently above the cloud layer — sometimes giving you sunrise above-the-clouds shots that the lower cams can't.
Kuwohi (Clingmans Dome)
Elevation: 6,643 ft • Looking North • Highest point in park
Heads up: the road to Kuwohi closes for the winter (typically Dec 1 – Mar 31). If you're checking the cam in winter, the views are still live but you can't drive there.
Look Rock
The Look Rock cam sits on a lookout tower at the western edge of the park, along the Foothills Parkway. On a clear day it's the cam where you can actually see the Knoxville skyline 25+ miles away.
Look Rock
Elevation: 2,601 ft • Looking East • Foothills Parkway
This is also the closest official NPS cam to the Cades Cove entrance — about 12 miles away. Use it to gauge cloud cover before driving in.
Purchase Knob (NC side)
The Purchase Knob cam sits on the North Carolina side of the park near the science learning center, looking out over the Maggie Valley side. It's the only NPS cam pointed at the southern half of the park.
Tap any live offer below to open the official ticket checkout for that attraction.
Trail-side Phenology Cameras
These two cams are run by NEON / Northern Arizona University as part of a long-running phenology (seasonal-change) study. They aren't promoted as visitor cams, but they're publicly viewable and they show two specific spots most park cams miss.
Twin Creeks (Gatlinburg side)
Tucked into the forest at the Twin Creeks research station, just outside Gatlinburg. Best for watching spring leaf-out and fall color change in the lower-elevation hardwoods.
The closest cam to Mt LeConte itself. Useful if you're heading to the Alum Cave Trail or Rainbow Falls and want to know what the canopy looks like before you hike.
This is the most-asked question and the honest answer is no, there is no live webcam pointed at Cades Cove itself. The closest official NPS cam is Look Rock, about 12 miles to the west. A few aggregator sites (WeatherBug etc.) list a "Cades Cove" cam — those are placeholders, not real cams.
If you're trying to decide whether to drive Cades Cove Loop today, your best bets are:
Check the Look Rock cam above for general cloud cover in the area
Refresh time: NPS cams refresh every 15 minutes. Don't expect real-time motion — these are scheduled snapshots.
Night views: All four NPS cams stop refreshing at sunset. The image you see overnight is the last daylight shot.
Weather lag: A storm can move in faster than the cam refreshes. If you're driving up the mountain, also check the official road status.
Best season: Mid-October for fall color (Newfound Gap + Kuwohi); late spring for clearest sightlines (Look Rock); winter for occasional snow shots (Newfound Gap is the most reliable).
Live cams just outside the park
If you want live video instead of refreshing snapshots, the best options are in the gateway towns:
