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Your Smoky Mountain Vacation
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items I love the Great Smoky Mountains! With or without kiddos you can get everything from a romantic getaway to a fun filled family vacation. I have been going with my family for 18 years now and here is everything I can tell you!
Map
Sections
5
Hotels and Cabins
Things To Do With Kids
Places to Eat
Just For Adults
Things to Bring
Hotels and Cabins
Most recently, we have been renting family cabins from this company. They offer gorgeous luxury cabins for families of any size
American Patriot Getaways
This is the company we always used to use and we love them still. We only stopped because many of their cabins couldn’t accommodate our ever-growing family (there are 13 of us that go).
Hearthside Cabin Rentals
Quiet hotel on a peaceful little river. Budget friendly!
The Inn on the River
This one is on my bucket list for sure. I haven’t stayed, but I have seen it and it is beautiful. I am a massive Dolly Parton fan. Her park is clean and well kept, so you can bet her resort is too!
Dollywood's DreamMore Resort & Spa
Things To Do With Kids
I just love Dollywood. It’s an enormous park with fun for ALL ages. Not to mention, their food is fantastic with many options.
Dollywood
Kids of all ages (and adults) can enjoy the many go-kart tracks along the pigeon forge parkway. It’s a family favorite
Pigeon Forge, TN | Best Go-Karts in Town – The Track & Fat Daddy's
A fun breakfast adventure for kitties. Animatronic chickens will serenade you while you eat
Frizzle Chicken Cafe
No, they’re not kidding! There are goats on the roof of this gift shop and your kids can feed them! Feed the goats, enjoy the gift shop, ride the mountain coaster! There’s also a gem mine you can pan for gems! A MUST stop if you’ve got kids. You can ...
A Pigeon Forge Attraction - Goats on the Roof of the Smoky Mountains
The Island is a family favorite! Rides for all ages, restaurants, shopping, a water fountain show, you can’t go wrong with a stop here
The Island in Pigeon Forge
You wouldn’t believe how incredible this museum is. Well worth a visit. Travel back as a passenger on the RMS Titanic. Learn facts, experience the ship (and the water), and read about your given passenger. See real artifacts too. We loved this experi...
TITANIC Museum Attraction
Everyone can enjoy nature on this driving loop. Get out of your vehicle and visit the 1800s settlement right in the National Park
Cades Cove - Great Smoky Mountains National Park (U.S. National ...
Experience mountain top fun including shops, an alpine coaster, great restaurants, gem mining, a treetop walk, zip lining, the list goes on and on. Oh and you have to take a rambler or a gondola to the top! This is on my top 5.
Anakeesta
Tubing and rafting in Townsend! We did this once and it was so fun! Knowledgable and friendly staff, too. Bring your water shoes!
Smoky Mountain River Rat: #1 Tubing & White Water Rafting
Rent a pontoon for a few hours! You can tube off the back, or jump off into Douglas lake! Another family favorite for us
Mountain Cove Marina
Call me crazy, but don’t miss this. My 3 year old loved it. There is a museum with interactive children’s attractions, where you can learn the very interesting story of Bush’s Baked beans history. There’s also an adorable gift shop where you can buy ...
Bush's Visitor Center
In general. Hike the trails. Swim the rivers. See the falls. It’s glorious and beautiful all around.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Places to Eat
Not only is this our favorite restaurant, but it’s also a village of shops and attractions. Eat a home cooked family style meal, shop the pottery, watch knives be made at the forge and sample some great whiskey at the distillery. All in one section. ...
The Old Mill Restaurant
My favorite Tennessee style BBQ. Meals for all ages, a delicious variety of sauces and excellent service
Bennett's Pit BBQ
It’s a Touristy chain but they make a darn good pizza after a day of boating or hiking, idk. It’s just good. Go get it. Add the pretzel bites.
Best Pizza in Pigeon Forge, TN - Mellow Mushroom
Our “everyday” type favorite. Classic American food with a view of the river. We like to do lunch here once or twice while on vacation
Harpoon Harry's Crab House - Pigeon Forge
This place was my late night run or hangover lunch spot in college! Get a cookout tray for cheap and their milkshakes cannot, CAN NOT be beat. Great post-hike quick eats.
Cook Out
We just really like to get breakfast here. Excellent variety, great food, wonderful service. Check this place out instead of the chains.
Red Rooster Pancake House
Just For Adults
With several locations in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, it’s easy to get in for a quick tasting. This is the OG in the area and the most widely known
Ole Smoky Distillery
My personal favorite as far as moonshine distilleries go. Their flavors are unique and delicious, try the Bloody Mary if you can!
Sugarlands Distilling Company
You guessed it.. there’s another one on the moonshine trail! Also a good option, I haven’t formed too much of an opinion on them yet
Tennessee Shine Co.
Head to the Barrelhouse for some Whiskey! Different than their moonshines, their flavors are wonderful. My favorites are salted caramel and salty watermelon. Worth the visit
THE BARRELHOUSE - Ole Smoky Moonshine
We love their wines. A taste for everyone, this is by far my favorite Gatlinburg winery
Old Mountain Wine Company
Enjoy a wine slushy on the porch with Mountain View’s!
Cades Cove Cellars
Things to Bring
You’ll want a good pair of Binoculars. You can catch great views off the cabin deck, or check out wildlife in Cades Cove! Lots of bears to see!
Simmons Pro Hunter Binoculars, 10x42mm, IPX7 Waterproof, Fully Coated Optics, Black, SPH1042
Sturdy Hikers! I prefer a hiking/water shoe combo but Merrill makes an exceptional shoe in either. They also have high and low top boots
Men's & Women's Hiking -Tough Outdoor Footwear | Merrell
The Smokies are full of beauty and memories. You’ll want to capture them as well as the wildlife. I use a cannon M50 Mark II but cannon makes many cameras for all levels that will take gorgeous photos
Shop Canon Cameras | Canon U.S.A., Inc.
I will always be a Yeti girl. You will want a nice cooler for the car or the boat, or whatever you have planned. We’ve ended up using one every year.
Hard Coolers: Premium Ice Chests - YETI
Bring your water bottle! It’s not Florida’s heat but in the summer it gets hot and you’ll need to hydrate on the trails, nature or whiskey.
Reusable Water Bottles, Mugs & Jugs - YETI
To stay hydrated on trails of any variety!
Liquid I.V.
Bring a jacket! Even in summer, the nights are cool
Womens Fleece Jackets | Columbia Sportswear
Rechargeable, high lumen flashlight. Just in case!
990000LM Rechargeable Tactical Flashlight