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The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most popular national park in the United States. It is an area that draws people from far and wide. The Smokies are some of the best mountain landscapes in the region for hiking and exploring old historical sites. Another great way to explore them is by taking a scenic helicopter flight of them.

Many of the tours are based out of the Pigeon Forge / Sevierville / Gatlinburg area (these are some of the most scenic towns close to the Smoky Mountains). There is a full range of helicopter flights to choose from, and it is a great family-friendly activity to enjoy. The helicopter tours range from as little as $25 per ride where one just pops up and down - to over $1,000 for a complete helicopter excursion over the Smoky Mountains.

4-Minute Mountain And City Tour

For a very cheap - but also very short - introduction to a helicopter tour, Sevier County Aviation offers a 4-minute Mountain and City Tour. It is meant as an introduction to the helicopter experience, and perhaps one will love it and then book a much longer tour. On tour, one will climb 800 feet into the air and enjoy a stunning bird's eye view of the Smoky Mountains and fly over the city of Sevierville.

  • Duration: 4 Minutes
  • Cost: $25.00 Per Person (Infants Under 2 Free)

Guests need to book a minimum of two seats to reserve the tour, and passengers must weigh less than 300 lbs.

Scenic National Park Tour

Scenic Helicopters' most popular helicopter tour option is their National Park Tour. This is a 50-mile tour across Bluff Mountain and the Tennessee Valley. The tour starts in the resort town of Sevierville before flying over the Pigeon Forge Parkway southward to Gatlinburg.

From Gatlinburg, the helicopter tour heads west into the national park, where visitors have an unrestricted view of the Sugarland Valley, the Fighting Creek Gap, and the Elkmont community. It crosses over Bluff Mountain into the Tennessee Valley before returning to the heliport.

  • Cost: $249.00 Per Person
  • Capacity: 2-6 People
  • Distance: 50 Miles
  • When: Every 30 Minutes Year Round

The tours run from 9.00 am to sunset every 30 minutes year round and every day of the week.

Related: The Fall Foliage Map Tells Us That Autumn Is The Best Time To Visit The Smoky Mountains

Spectacular Smokies Helicopter Tour

Scenic Helicopter's Spectacular Smokies Helicopter Tour is their ultimate helicopter tour option. The tour starts from $1,000 and offers awe-inspiring views of both the Tennessee and North Carolina sides of the Great Smoky National Park. The tour covers almost the whole of the stunning national park, where one can see some of the oldest landscapes in the world.

Passengers fly over Greenbriar Valley, Newfound Gap, Clingmans Dome, Cades Cove, Townsend, and Wears Valley. While flying, the tour includes a guide of the history of the people who have called the Smokies home as well as the ecological threats to the park.

This tour covers around 110 miles and is customizable to one's preferences. So if one would like to see a specific part of the park, just ask.

  • Distance: 110 Miles
  • Capacity: 1-6 People

Cost:

  • 1-2 People: $1,000
  • 3-4 People: $1,650
  • 5-6 People: $2,550

These tours also depart every 30 minutes, seven days a week, all year long. They are from 9.00 am to sunset.

Related: Hike Clingmans Dome: How Hard Is It & How Long Does It Take?

Other Helicopter Tours Of The Great Smokies

Other examples of the Great Smoky Mountains offered by Sevier County Aviation include:

  • Pigeon Forge: Tour Pigeon Forge for 7 Minutes. $45
  • Foothills: Fly Above the Park's Foothills for 11 Minutes. $70
  • Douglas Lake: See The Lake And Dam for 11 Minutes. $70
  • Mountain Valley Tour: See The Bluff and Sugarloaf Mountains for 15 Minutes. $95
  • Gatlinburg Tour: Cove Mountain and Wears Valley for 18 Minutes. $110
  • Clingman's Dome: Climb to 11,600 Feet For a Bird's-Eye-View For 40 Minutes. $240
  • Ultimate Tour: Explore The National Park for 60 Minutes. $355

Some companies offer a range of private and customizable helicopter tours. Next time in the Great Smokies, see them with an all-new bird's-eye-view. To see a more complete list of the helicopter tour companies offering tours over the Smoky Mountains, refer to Smokies Adventure. There are tours for everyone and for every budget.