Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge are two towns located next to Great Smokey Mountain National Park that are filled with exciting attractions, shows, and restaurants. If you’re looking for a trip that mixes natural beauty and enjoying the great outdoors with theme parks and attractions, this may be a perfect fit!
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Things to do:
- Dollywood! This is a fantastic theme park with great rides, great shows, and a mountain theme.
- Hike to a waterfall or play in a mountain creek in Great Smokey Mountain National Park
- Ride a mountain coaster
- Ride a ski lift up a mountain to enjoy gorgeous views of the Smokies
- Go see a dinner show like Dolly’s Stampede or The Pirates Dinner Show or one of the many other family-friendly shows
- Visit Ripley’s Aquarium
- Stroll the shops on the main street of Gatlinburg
- Play minigolf, visit an adventure park, or try one of the many other tourist attractions
- Tube or raft down a river
Where to Stay
Wilderness of the Smokies – A waterpark resort! There are a variety of room types to choose from and they all come with access to the outdoor AND indoor waterparks making this place fun year-round! If you enjoy water parks – pick this one!
Dollywood Resorts – There are two Dollywood hotels – HeartSong and DreamMore. The biggest perk to these hotels is you get TimeSaver passes included with your stay so you can skip the regular lines at Dollywood. If Dollywood is your main priority and you’re visiting during a busy time, this perk alone might make this worth it. They are also lovely hotels!
Rent a Cabin – There are a lot of cabin rentals in the area. SO so many that it’s hard to recommend a few in particular. Look around on AirBnB, VRBO, and Booking.com and find one that works for your family. You’ll find cabins with mountain views, cabins by streams, cabins with hot tubs and pools, cabins that can fit large groups, and much more.
Other Hotels/Resorts – you can find cheaper places to stay than the hotels above if you want to keep your budget smaller. If deciding between what area to stay in, we prefer the quaintness and mountains of Gatlinburg over the busy highway of Pigeon Forge.
PRO-TIP: Consider a split-stay. It can be a pain to pack-up and switch hotels, but you could do a Dollywood hotel for a night to get the included TimeSaver passes, then switch to Wilderness for a few days to enjoy the waterpark, then stay somewhere cheaper in Gatlinburg for a few days so you’re closer to the National Park. It could help maximize your time, your fun, and your budget.