If you are looking for a vacation getaway that has lots of attractions and beautiful mountain scenery then a trip to the Smoky Mountains area is definitely the place for you!
My family along with my parents, and my sister’s family spent a week in Gatlinburg in the middle of June. It felt like we did a lot, but we only scratched the surface of all there is to do in this area! We had a great time and cannot wait to go back.
In this post, I will discuss all the things we did on our week long vacation in the order that we did them. Also, you can download the Smoky Mountain Area Guide that I created to give you information about the places we visited and some other popular attractions in the area. It should give you a good overview of what to do if you are visiting the Smoky Mountains area with kids.
WHERE TO STAY?
First, let’s talk about Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, if you are trying to decide between the two for where to stay. They are very close to each other. I think it only took about 5 minutes to get from downtown Gatlinburg to the attraction area of Pigeon Forge.
Pigeon Forge felt much more commercialized; not that that is a bad thing. The main road for all the attractions was a four lane road and you would definitely want to drive from one place to the next.
On the other hand, to explore downtown Gatlinburg, we parked the car and walked to all the places we went, it would be pretty hard to do otherwise. There was a lot of traffic in Gatlinburg and driving around could be stressful if you aren’t used to a lot of traffic.
There was probably just as much traffic in Pigeon Forge, but the set up probably made it feel not as crazy. Also, Gatlinburg is closer to the Smoky Mountains if that is important to you.
As far as accommodations, it seems like both towns have a lot to choose from. We stayed in a cabin we found on VRBO that was about a 5 to 10 minutes drive to Gatlinburg. The cabin had a great view of the mountains, and I would highly recommend finding a cabin with a view. It was so nice to actually feel like I was in the mountains and to see them whenever I wanted. I usually ate my breakfast out on the deck to sit and see the mountains.
Also, there are numerous hotels in this area if that is the way you want to go.
SUGARLANDS VISITOR CENTER
On our first full day, we visited the Sugarlands Visitor Center. I wanted to talk to a ranger about different hikes. We had planned to do the Grotto Falls hike but the ranger said the trail was closed.
At the time of this trip, we had 3 littles – ages 1 ½, almost 4, and almost 7. Therefore, we were not planning on doing too many hikes. I had read a lot of good things about the Laurel Falls hike but later found out that it had some steep drop offs, so we decided to save that for when the kids were older.
The center had some nature exhibits with animal mounts that the boys enjoyed seeing. There is also a movie about the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, a gift shop, and restrooms.
VISITOR CENTER HIKES
By the visitor center there are three trailheads.
Cataract Falls which is a short hike that ends at a 25 foot waterfall. This is less than a mile round trip and a good hike if you have young children.
Fighting Creek Nature Trail is a 1.2 mile loop trail that has a gentle climb along Fighting Creek and passes two historic cabins.
Finally, the Gatlinburg Trail is a paved 3.8 mile round trip trail that allows dogs and bicycles.
TITANIC MUSEUM
We started out the next day in PIgeon Forge at the Titanic Museum. There was a line that we had to wait in for about 20 minutes or more. As we walked up to the line a costumed girl gave each family member a “boarding pass” with a real person that had been on the Titanic. We would find out later if our person had survived or not.
We got in the building, paid for our tickets, and started walking around the museum. They gave us a device to listen to information on. It was sort of like a telephone – you would type in the number on the display, push play, and then hold it up to your ear.
*Note: We bought our tickets at the museum but you may want to consider buying them online ahead of time to make sure you can get the day and time you want.
The museum has different artifacts and there are hands-on areas for the kids. In one room the boys got to shovel “coal” into the ship’s furnace. In another room, you can put your hand in water that is the temperature of the Atlantic Ocean on the night the Titanic sank.
The kids loved the ship hallway where you push a button to make water fill it up to look like the ship is getting flooded. It was behind plexiglass but gave you the feeling that it was rushing towards you.
The boys’ favorite area had separate ship decks slanted at different angles to give you the feeling of what it was like as the ship was sinking. The boys kept climbing up and sliding down. I had fun trying it out myself. You could barely hold on to the 45 degree angled deck. In the same area there were replica lifeboats that you could sit in.
At the end of the museum tour, there is a wall of those that perished and the survivors. There you can find the name of the person on your boarding pass to see if they survived. If you have children with you, all of the boarding passes they give to the children are of children that survived.
We spent about two hours in the museum but you could definitely spend longer. We headed outside to take pictures of the impressive building which looks like part of the ship.
Note: When we visited there were no pictures allowed inside the museum except for in a room with a Lego replica of the Titanic. However, the museum has changed this policy and you may now take pictures inside!
CHRISTMAS PLACE
We had some time before we needed to be at the Dolly Parton’s Stampede dinner show, so we headed to Christmas Place which claims to be the south’s largest Christmas store. It was fun to walk around and look at all the Christmas merchandise. There was a wide variety of Christmas ornaments, nativities, and many other decorations.
DOLLY PARTON’S STAMPEDE
Dolly Parton’s Stampede dinner and attraction was a fun time! The tickets are a bit pricey, especially if you have a large family. If you are on the fence about going, I would recommend it. For the price you get to see a pre-show featuring live music, dinner, and an entertaining show with horse riding and fun competitions.
For complete details about the show, you can read this post about our visit.
CADES COVE
We spent a good part of a day at Cades Cove. Cades Cove is a valley surrounded by mountains. It is one of the most popular places in the park, so be prepared for crowds. It took about an hour and 15 minutes to drive there from Gatlinburg.
Cades Cove has a road that makes a one-way 11 mile loop that you can drive, walk, or bike. Along the way there are different stops where you can park (if you are driving) and explore. Some areas involve short hikes to see some historic spots such as old cabins and farms. There is some great scenery of the mountains along the loop. We also stopped at a couple of churches with graveyards by them.
I would recommend getting the self-guiding tour booklet that is available at the entrance. It goes along with the numbered posts and landmarks along the loop. The booklet will give you some history of the Cove and the historic buildings you will see.
Our longest stop was at the Cable Mill area. There is a visitor center there along with a number of historical buildings, including the mill.
We made a couple of more stops after the Cable Mill area to see some historic cabins and then we made the drive back to our cabin.
NOTE: There isn’t really any cell service in the national park. We were driving separately from my parents and we made a stop that they could not find parking at, so they continued on. We had no way to call them to find out where they were. Luckily we had made a plan to meet up at the Cable Mill area if we got separated.
PANCAKE PANTRY
Since we were staying in a cabin with a full kitchen, we cooked a lot of our meals. However, we knew we wanted to eat at the Pancake Pantry during our trip. I had a hard time deciding between the Pancake Pantry and Davy Crockett’s Breakfast Camp.
Pancake Pantry is located on the main strip of Gatlinburg by the entrance to The Village Shops. The Pancake Pantry is open from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. every day of the week. They serve breakfast all day long as well as lunch food. The menu includes 24 varieties of pancakes along with many waffles and other breakfast choices.
We went on Wednesday around noon and I was surprised that there was no wait. I ordered the sweet potato pancakes and they did not disappoint. They were delicious. The hubby ordered the ham and eggs which came with 3 buttermilk pancakes. Charlie’s pancakes were shaped like bears with M&Ms and powdered sugar. He quickly scarfed them down and then asked for more!
ANAKEESTA
Anakeesta is an attraction at the top of a mountain. Part of the experience is the ride up to the top. You can take a classic ski lift or a chondola. We opted for the chondola with the kids, but we definitely had to wait longer for the chondola than the ski lift. Chondola is a word combining “gondola” and “chairlift”.
We opted for the 6 person chondola because it was enclosed and for me, far less scary getting on and riding up a mountain with young kids. It was a bit stressful that, just like a ski lift, the chondola does not stop while you are getting on or off.
We waited about a half an hour and then we split up to get on faster. The ride up took about 15 minutes, during which we looked out at the view and chatted with the ladies we were sharing the chondola with. Since they had only 3 people, we had joined their group (hence why we had to split up).
ANAKEESTA ACTIVITIES
There are a number of activities at the top of Anakeesta Mountain. The Treetop Skywalk has 880 feet of hanging bridges. You get to experience walking above the forest. We started the Treetop Skywalk at the back end of the Anakeesta area and we ended up back at the front where we had excited the chondola.
There is the TreeVenture Challenge course which includes different levels of treehouses. The boys loved this play area and did not want to leave. There were lots of netted ropes to walk between different treehouse type structures.
The Vista Gardens had beautiful flowers all around with great views of the Smoky Mountains.
There are also shops and five restaurants to choose from. At Pearl’s Pie in the Sky we got ice cream and it was delicious!
We did not opt for any extra cost attractions like Gem Mining, Dueling Ziplines, or the Railrunner Mountain Coaster.
We spent between 2 and 3 hours at Anakeesta, but you could definitely spend much longer. When we were ready to leave, there was a line for the chondolas. As we waited, I timed them and there was 8 minutes between the chondolas arriving at the top to take visitors down. This time we were able to all ride together and it was a nice, scenic view going back down the mountain.
THE TRACK IN PIGEON FORGE
There is no shortage of go-kart places to choose from in Pigeon Forge. We did not have a specific plan of which one we were going to, but we ended up at The Track. It had 3 levels of go-kart tracks along with rides for kids like swings, bumper cars, and a carousel. Inside the main building there was a good sized arcade.
James went on the level 2 track which was a flat track with curves. Then James and my husband went on the level 3 track which had some hills for more excitement. Charlie was too little for the go-karts so I took him to ride on the swings and carousel.
TIP: We realized after we had already bought our package that there was a coupon available for $10 off when spending a certain amount. Make sure to look for coupons if you go to any type of go-kart place like this.
THE ISLAND
Some of my favorite pictures from this trip, that are not scenery pictures, are ones that I took of the fountain at The Island. Behind the fountain, you can see the Great Smoky Wheel which is a 200 foot high Ferris wheel that must give incredible views of the mountains during the day (we did not ride the wheel).
There is a free parking lot nearby with a short walk to the main area. The Island consists of 40 shops, 20 restaurants, and 22 fun activities to choose from.
If you only come to see the fountain show, it is worth it. The fountain show begins every half hour; starting at the top of each hour and on the half hour. What makes the show fun is that the fountain and lights are synchronized to music.
We came to see the fountain at night and I think that, while it is probably impressive during the day, you really need to see it at night with the different colored lights. Each show lasts for 2 songs. If you are lucky, you can sit in one of the rocking chairs surrounding the fountain to enjoy the sight!
CLINGMANS DOME
If you want to see some great views of the mountains, you should visit Clingmans Dome. Clingmans Dome is the highest peak in Great Smoky Mountain National Park at 6,643 feet above sea level.
To get there, you take Newfound Gap Road (or US 441) to Clingmans Dome Road. You will continue 7 miles on Clingmans Dome Road to the large parking area. We had no trouble finding a parking spot on a Thursday around 9:30 a.m. However, during the middle of the day it may be hard to find a parking spot.
There is an observation tower on the summit of Clingmans Dome, but it does involve a short hike. The hike is ½ a mile from the parking lot but it is a steep, paved trail. You are basically walking at an incline for the whole trail and it does get tiring. They have wooden benches along the way if you need a break.
Our boys were fine walking, and they loved climbing the big boulders on the sides of the trail. This trail does not have any drop offs and I was not nervous at all about the boys walking it. My husband had Henry (1 1/2 years old) in a hiking backpack. I would not recommend trying to take a stroller on the trail.
At the summit, there is an observation tower you can climb to take in the view. It may look hazy, due to air pollution, as it said on one of the informational signs at the top of the tower. However, it is still a good view if you are there on a clear day which, luckily, we were.
After snapping pictures of the 360 degree view, we made our way back down, which was much easier. Along the trail down, we took a very short side trip onto the Appalachian Trail just so we could say we had walked on the famous trail. If you are interested in doing the same, the trail is clearly marked with a sign that you will see if you are looking for it.
At the bottom of the trail, there was a gift shop close to the parking lot that we stopped at for the restrooms and to do some souvenir shopping.
NOTE: You may want to bring a jacket or sweatshirt since the temperature at the summit can be twenty degrees cooler.
NEWFOUND GAP
On our way back from Clingmans Dome, we stopped at the Newfound Gap . A gap is a low point in a mountain ridge, and Newfound Gap is the lowest drivable pass through the national park. At the Newfound Gap scenic area, there is a large parking area and we had no trouble finding a spot. There are scenic views of the mountain pass along with restrooms and some trailheads in this area.
The fun thing here is that you can say you were in two places at one time! There is a spot marked by a sign that shows the border between Tennessee and North Carolina. If you put your feet in the right spot, you can be in both states at once. Of course this was a big photo op at this spot and we had to wait our turn to take a picture at the sign.
CHIMNEY’S PICNIC AREA
This is a very popular area for a picnic lunch. I don’t know why, but I always want to have a great picnicking experience when I am on vacation. I’m always looking for that scenic spot to sit and eat lunch with my family!
The Chimneys Picnic Area is a wooded area along the rocky creek. There are 68 sites with picnic tables and grills. Each picnic site has a parking spot next to it.
We had had so much good luck with finding parking spots at other busy areas that our luck had to run out! Sure enough there were absolutely no spots available. I should have known because this is one of the most popular spots to have a picnic in the national park.
My husband knew how much I wanted to have a picnic here so he slowly drove around the one-way loop three times and then we lucked out and found a spot where someone was leaving. We quickly pulled in and got out our cooler to enjoy the lunch that I had packed.
After eating, we walked over to the West Prong Little Pigeon River which is right next to the picnic area. To get down to the water, you had to go down a bit on some boulders. There were lots of rocks in the river that people were walking on. My boys really wanted to walk along the river on the rocks but this Mama bear did not feel comfortable with that. After taking some pictures we made our way back to the vehicle and headed back to the cabin.
SHOPPING GATLINBURG
On our last full day, we went back to the Gatlinburg downtown area to do some shopping and we also planned to get ice cream. There are lots of fun shops in Gatlinburg and we were on the hunt for some souvenirs. With all the selection of stores, you should not have any problems finding what you may be looking for.
Another fun experience was the Ole Smoky Tennessee Distillery. They have moonshines, whiskies, and canned cocktails to purchase like Salty Caramel Whiskey, Cookie Dough Whiskey, and Pumpkin Pie Moonshine.
You can also pay to sample some of the beverages. You can get 7 samples for $5. My husband sampled five beverages and enjoyed them all. There is a tour available but we did not opt for that since guests must be 13 years or older.
Lastly, as a small thunderstorm rolled through, we visited the Kilwin’s store for some ice cream. They also sell chocolates and fudge. We have locations of Kilwin’s in Michigan so we knew it would be good ice cream. I love their waffle cones that are made in-store.
A little tip – they will allow you to sample some ice cream flavors if you are unsure if you will like it. Also, depending on the store (some have told me no) you can also get more than one flavor even if you pick a single scoop. If you are interested in that, make sure to ask. One of my favorite flavors is cake batter and my husband likes the blueberry waffle cone.
ROARING FORK MOTOR NATURE TRAIL
Unfortunatley, the rain that started while we were shopping in Gatlinburg continued for the rest of the day. This rain hampered our last planned activity which was the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail.
The trail is a 5.5 mile long, one way, loop road. The road is narrow and winds. To get there, turn off the main parkway in Gatlinburg at traffic light #8. Follow Historic Nature Trail Road to the Cherokee Orchard entrance to the national park. Just past the Rainbow Falls trailhead you can take the one-way Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail.
There are historic buildings along the loop that you can stop at and explore. However, with the rain, we did not venture out of the car as much as we might have if it was sunny. The loop offered plenty of scenic views and I would like to try it again the next time we visit this area.
Close to the end of the loop is the waterfall called “Place of a Thousand Drips”. This is right along the road and can be seen from your vehicle.
One exciting thing that happened during our drive is that we got to see a bear, finally! We saw another vehicle was stopped, and the family was standing on the road and pointing into the forest. We pulled over ahead of them and walked back to where they were. Sure enough, at a distance, there was a bear in one of the trees. We snapped some pictures and watched for a while. When the bear quickly (faster than I realized it could) climbed down the tree, we decided it was time to get back in our vehicle!
LAST DAY
The next day we made one stop at the sign to the national park for some pictures and then made our way back home. We were all sad our trip was over, but had fun talking about all we did on the long trip home.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
This area has SO much to offer. Whatever you may want in a vacation; hiking, great views, shopping, museums, thrills, relaxation, this area has it all! The only thing you won’t find is a beach!
We left our week-long vacation with many great memories and experiences and we all really want to go back. The boys have often brought up the trip and said they want to go back to the mountains.
As John Muir famously said (about the Sierra Nevadas in California), “The mountains are calling and I must go.” Once you experience this area you may understand just what he was saying!
Grab Your Guide
Click the download button below to get your free guide to the Smoky Mountain Area. The guide includes information about all the places I discussed in this post, plus some other popular attractions. You will find hours, prices, links to the websites, and other general information.
Hopefully the guide will help you plan your own trip to the Smoky Mountain area!