Things to do in Gatlinburg & the Smokies
The national park, the trails, the Parkway attractions and the drive over to North Carolina, each judged on who it suits, what it costs and the catch.
42 things to do · across 8 families · 19 free to get into
The Smokies give you two very different trips from the same cabin. One is the national park: free to enter, as busy as anywhere in America at the famous spots, and at its best at dawn. The other is the Parkway: Dollywood, the mountaintop parks, shows and coasters, all ticketed.
Each page here says who the place is for and who should skip it, with the crowds, closures and parking rules left in. Where you can book online, we compare the offers and show the reviews as they appear on the booking site.
Browse by kind of day
The national park The reason most people come: America's most-visited national park starts at the edge of Gatlinburg. 8 places in the park Hikes near Gatlinburg From a paved stroll to a waterfall to the long climb up Mount LeConte 9 trails Attractions worth the ticket Dollywood, the mountaintop parks, the aquarium and the coasters 11 attractions Shows in Pigeon Forge The evenings on the Parkway: tribute acts, variety shows, magic and the dinner shows where supper is part of the performance. 4 shows Smoky Mountain adventures Ziplines over the treetops, a helicopter hop over the ridges, off-road rides 7 adventures Moonshine & wine tastings Moonshine is the local spirit, and downtown Gatlinburg is lined with distilleries pouring samples. 1 tasting After dark & seasonal What to do once the trails close 3 evening & seasonal picks Day trips to North Carolina Over Newfound Gap, the other side of the Smokies: whitewater on the Nantahala, Cherokee, Bryson City and its scenic railroad, the elk of Maggie Valley. 4 day trips
Start here
One per kind of day, if you only read a handful.
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Stay near it
Where you sleep decides how much of the day goes on driving. Gatlinburg is the park's front door, Pigeon Forge is the attractions strip, Sevierville is quieter and better value, and Cosby is the park's quiet side.
Browse the cabins we've vetted →