Check out this post full of fun things to do in the mountains of Tennessee!  From Pigeon Forge to Gatlinburg to the Great Smoky Mountains, adventure abounds in these country roads! 

Spring break came late for us this year and we struggled to decide the best location for our next adventure.  Wanting something different than our usual beach trip, we finally settled on the Great Smoky Mountains.   Our little family loves hiking, and we knew the combination of trails, mountain air and plenty of attractions would be the perfect vacation for us.

We set off on a short but sweet 5 day trip, packing as much into our time as we could.  What resulted were lots of laughs and fun memories, and a strong desire to return to these mountains ASAP.

So if you’re planning a trip to the Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg area, check out my quick list of things you don’t want to miss!  Each of these attractions are ones we’d do again in a heartbeat and highly recommend adding to your itinerary should you find yourself planning a trip to these beautiful mountains of Tennessee.

9 CAN’T MISS ATTRACTIONS IN PIGEON FORGE & GATLINBURG

Disclosure: We were fortunate to be hosted by several of these attractions.  However, all opinions are my own, and experiences completely as described.

Oconaluftee Visitor Center

Our first stop was just outside of the Tennessee state line. The Oconaluftee Visitor Center is located just outside of Cherokee in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  This free attraction offers a glimpse into the lives of early Applachain Settlers.  The outdoor area contains a replication of what a mountain farm would’ve looked like in the early 19th century, complete with log cabins, barns, a black smith shop and much more.

There is also a small indoor museum with several interesting exhibits recording the history of the Great Smokys from the original Native American inhabitants to the early European settlers.  Inside you’ll also find a gift shop well stocked with souvenirs and snacks.

It also has a 1.5 mile trail that is an easy, peaceful hike alongside a babbling river.  This was the perfect opportunity to stretch our legs after a long ride and the girls enjoyed playing in the river.  They even managed to catch a crawdad!

Clingman’s Dome

About a 30 minute drive from the Oconaluftee Vistor’s Center, you’ll find the hike to Clingman’s Dome. This iconic landmark stands at 6,643 feet elevation, making it the highest peak in the Great Smoky Mountains.

The hike to the summit is straight uphill.  This steep half mile path is completely paved, and while it is certainly challenging, the view alone is worth every drop of sweat you put in getting there!

The hike much down is much easier, and you’ll find a small gift shop at the bottom of the trail.  The parking lot contains stunning views as well, so if you’re not inclined to make the trek, you can still get some pretty incredible shots!

Guy Fieri’s Downtown Flavortown – Pigeon Forge

I was a little skeptical about visiting this one.  My husband is quite the foodie and has very high expectations when it comes to food.  We’ve often found that restaurants like this do not live up to the hype.  I’m happy to report this was not the case with Downtown Flavortown. 

I got the Cajun Chicken Alfredo and hubby got the American Royal Ribs.  Both were packed full of flavor and were delicious!  Even the kids’ meals were great!

This busy spot is both a place to eat and an attraction!  After dinner we hit up the arcade.  Kids meals come with $10 worth of game credits on a gift card.  A sweet lady stopped us on the way out and handed us two more that she wasn’t going to use, so we ended up with $40 in credits which was plenty for an hour and half of play time. Afterwards, my girls racked up enough tickets to score lots of candy!

There was also an indoor bowling alley, but we ran out of time and didn’t get to give it a try.

Smoky Mountain Alpine Coaster

This alpine excursion was surely one of our favorites! Smoky Mountain Alpine Coaster is home to the longest downhill ride in the US, boasting over 1 mile of track.  I’m not going to lie, when we got here and saw the full track (it goes much higher than pictured) I was a little nervous!

Our youngest was too small to ride in her own cart, so she hopped on one with her Dad.  Guests do need to be at least 56 inches to ride in their own sled and 38″ to ride along.

Once we reached the top, the fun started.  The downhill part of the ride zips along the scenic mountain woods.  You can go as fast as 27 miles per hour, but rest assured there are brakes and you can control your own speed!  My first time down, my oldest claimed I didn’t make it down until five minutes after they did!

We rode twice, the second time at night.  The tracks were strung with neon lights and it was a totally different feeling in the dark.  It felt like an amusement park ride, and I even got braver the second time around, finishing not far behind my family!

This attraction is open from 10am to 10pm Monday – Sunday (until 11pm on Friday and Saturday).  The ride runs rain, shine or snow, and only closes down in the event of severe inclement weather. They also capture some fun shots during the ride which can be purchased after the ride.  They are the perfect souvenir for your trip!

This is one attraction we’ll be sure to come back to next time!  We could’ve rode this mountain coaster all day long and never tired of it!

Cade’s Cove

Cade’s Cove is a beautiful scenic bypass you can enjoy from the comfort of your car.  This 11-mile loop covers all sorts of terrain throughout the Smoky Mountains. It’s surrounded by majestic mountain peaks and lush green valleys that harbor all sorts of wildlife.

We saw lots of deer, many wild turkeys and even two bears!  At one point traffic was stopped for about 10 minutes because a mama bear and her 3 cubs had wandered near the road, but unfortunately, we only caught sight of a cub playing in the trees. While they weren’t wild, we did encounter a pasture containing a herd of horses towards the start of the route.  Several of the horses were friendly and walked right up looking for treats and head rubs.

In addition to the animals you see along the way, there are several trails and scenic historic sites where you’ll find pioneer homesteads and churches to visit.  These  sites stand as a testimant to the challenges of the early mountain settlers who chose to vacate these isolated woodlands.

The whole loop took us about two hours to get through including a stop at the Cable Mill historic area and visitors center.

I highly recommend packing plenty of snacks for the trip.  We visited during a less busy time of year so I can only imagine traffic can get intense as people stop to watch the wildlife they encounter along the way.  There’s also no cell service in this area, so keep that in mind before visiting.  It’s a great way to disconnect from the chaos of everyday life and reconnect with the beauty of nature.

Laurel Falls

One of our favorite things to do as a family is hike, and so we knew we wanted to hit some more trails on this trip.  Laurel Falls had come highly recommended to us by some friends, so we headed there after spending the day at Cade’s Cove.

This hike was about 2.6 miles round trip, and mostly up an incline.  However, the incline seemed to rise in slopes so it seemed much easier than Clingman’s Dome, albeit a bit longer.  The trail was paved but definitely worn and breaking along most of the way.

The trail ends at a stunning cascading waterfall with a small pool of water our girls enjoyed playing in.  The area surrounding the waterfall is not very big and we did arrive at the same time as a couple of tour groups, so keep in mind it can get crowded.  We chose to wait them out and once they left, we had this peaceful spot almost to ourselves.

In addition to the beautiful falls.  This trail also offers many scenic vistas where you can take in sweeping views of the Great Smoky Mountains.  While this hike may leave you a little short of breath, it’s the scenery here that is the most breath-taking.

Dollywood

We love a good theme park!  We’ve spent time at Disney, Carowinds, Tweetsie and many other parks.  My husband and kids enjoy the thrill rides, while I tend to enjoy the slower, less scary rides and shows.  So when we planned our trip to the Great Smoky Mountains we knew we had to visit Dollywood.

This 150 acre theme park is tucked away in the mountains.  Established by iconic country singer Dolly Parton, this amusement park is home to over 40 rides and attractions.  My little family loved the Screaming Eagle best of all!

Dollywood is also known for it’s diverse array of live entertainment shows. While the number of shows can vary depending on the season and any special events, there are typically between 15 to 20 shows on any given day.  We happened to catch a live country music show as well as the Birds of Prey show and both were incredible!

We timed our visit during the Flower and Food Festival.  There were lots of beautiful floral arrangements throughout the park and some pretty unique food options.  Best of all were the fun and colorful photo opps!

Also, it’s important to note…the Cinnamon Bread lives up to the hype!  It was hot, fresh and DELICIOUS!

Gatlinburg SkyPark/SkyBridge

Gatlinburg SkyPark is a scenic mountain top attraction offering stunning views of the Great Smoky Mountains.   To access this park, you have to ascend the heights of Crockett Mountain view SkyPark’s via their iconic yellow SkyLift.  The ride takes about 8 minutes and climbs 1,800 feet above sea level to reach the top.

At the summit of the mountain you’ll find the SkyDeck, consisting of  a two-story gift and snack shop as well as a beautiful brick amphitheatre with cascading waterfalls.  Seating was available all around and there were fire pits in spots on the terrace.  It was the kind of place you could spend all day at, relazing and savoring the view.

At the top of the amphitheatre you’ll be able to access the SkyPark’s main attraction, the SkyBridge.  At 700 feet long, SkyBridge is the longest pedestrian cable bridge in North America.  The center of the bridge is marked by 30 feet of glass, allowing you a full view of the ground far below you.

After braving the bridge, you can take a hike around the SkyTrail on the elevated wooden boardwalk, taking in the views along the way.  Along the way you’ll encounter signs detailing the history of the SkyPark and construction of the SkyBridge.  In the center of the trail, you’ll find the 70 foot observation tower, the Tulip Tower.

This tower is reminiscent of a tree house and contains four elevated platforms that showcase stunning views of the bridge and the surrounding mountains.  The Tulip Tower is accessible by two rope bridges, and be warned, they move far more freely than the SkyBridge!

There are also more rustic hiking trails accessible from the SkyTrail including one that leads back down to the town.  However, you don’t want to end your visit without heading back to the SkyDeck and taking advantage of their many awesome photo opps!

Herbert Holt Park

This was actually a fun little stop on the way out of town.  We were all exhausted after days of going hard, and a quiet fishing trip seemed like the perfect last day excursion.  This park has lots of great features including a handicap accessible fishing pier where children 12 and under are allowed to fish for free!

There’s also a fun little playground that my girls enjoyed playing on.

This park is currently undergoing renovations. There is actually a fish hatchery on the grounds but it was closed.  There were plenty of benches and picnic tables as well as a covered picnic table gazebo and clean restrooms.  If you’re looking for a quiet, free afternoon to keep the kids busy in Gatlinburg, be sure to check this spot out!

There’s Endless Fun in the Great Smoky Mountains!

There is so much to do in this area, we barely even scraped the surface.  After this visit, we decided we need to visit again soon, but next time stay even longer.  There are so many attractions and trails, even a two week trip wouldn’t be long enough!

We’ve got a few adventures planned in the coming year so be sure to stay tuned for more.  In the meantime, be sure to check out my Travel page and Pinterest board for more places to see and travel tips!