Looking for the best family-friendly spots in Gatlinburg? From cozy places to stay with incredible views, delicious meals to enjoy, and unforgettable adventures, this guide has everything you need to plan a fun-filled trip with your kids in the heart of the Smoky Mountains!
There is something so serene about a mountain vacation…where the morning starts with a steaming cup of coffee overlooking the towering mountains amidst the quiet stillness of the world. A place where your thoughts can be heard (and for a Mom, this alone is worth the trip!) and a moment of peace and reflection. Where the simplicity of nature demands center stage. A vacation where rejuvenation meets adventure that can only be found in nature’s playground. Gatlinburg is the perfect family- friendly adventure, filled with starry skies, river rapids, campfire evenings, ski lifts, mountain coasters and pure Smoky Mountain Magic.
Getting There
As a family of 5 traveling from New England, we chose to drive to save money on airfare. With a total drive time of 13 hours, we split the drive into two days, staying overnight in Roanoke, Virginia. If you are looking to break up the drive a bit more, Hershey Park was the perfect stop. Parking is free to visit Hershey’s Chocolate World as long as your stay is under 3 hours. Ride the chocolate world ride to see how Hershey’s Chocolate is made and get a sweet treat for the remainder of the ride!
To entertain the kids during the drive, I highly recommend purchasing the Road Trip Game. This game cost $5.00 at 5 Below and provided hours of fun…from creating music playlists on Pandora that everyone loved, to coming up with billboards for each person in the car, it provided hours of laughs! The activities below can all be found on Amazon as well!
If you are driving to the Smoky Mountains from the North, venture off on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The views are spectacular and highlight how beautiful the United States is.
As your journey leads you closer to Gatlinburg, the mountains appear like a watercolor painting before your eyes. Pictures really don’t do it justice. Taking US Highway 441 brings you to the base of the mountains where you are embraced on either side. I vividly remember the squeals from the kids as Gatlinburg came into view, “It looks like Epcot” was a sentiment unanimously echoed from the back seat. Gatlinburg is like no other town I have seen before. The quaint mountain town with walkable shops and restaurants, Ripley’s Aquarium, Mirror Mazes, and chairlifts leading to the summit of the mountain. In one sweep of the eyes, it was apparent that Gatlinburg has something for everyone!
Where To Stay
You’ll first want to decide what features are important to you with accommodations. In our situation, we were looking for a cabin so that we could save money on meals by cooking in the cabin. We were also looking for pet-friendly accommodations if we chose to bring our dog. Most important features for our search included a view, an outdoor hot tub, a pool and a space large enough where everyone could sleep soundly without complaining of someone snoring 🤣. I highly recommend using Cabins of the Smoky Mountains (website below).
https://www.cabinsofthesmokymountains.com/
A word of advice, make sure to do your research. There are plenty of beautiful cabins at the base of the mountain, meaning you may not have that panoramic view of the mountains. Make sure, if a view is important to you, you are looking for cabins with the view.
You’ll find cabins in both Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. In my personal opinion, Gatlinburg is, hands down, the better location. Don’t get me wrong, you will find yourself in Pigeon Forge for activities. However, Pigeon Forge is more built up and has less of that quaint mountain side village feel.
Adventures To Be Had
So many adventures and not enough time! When arriving at Gatlinburg, be sure to stop at the Welcome Center to get brochures of all of the fun! Decide together as a family what you want to experience so everyone is excited! These were our favorites:
1 Anakeesta- This was amongst everyone’s favorite! Located in the heart of Gatlinburg, right on the strip with all of the shops and restaurants. Board a chairlift (or gondola) to the top of the mountain. When you hop off the chairlift, it’s as if you have been transported to a mountain top village. Flowers, water features and sweeping panoramic views welcome you to the experience. Mountain coasters, tree house adventures, tree top suspension bridges and a mountain top restaurant round out the experience. You could spend hours here, and your ticket provides unlimited trips up and down the mountain for the day. Spend the day and head back up to see the sunset!
2. Dollywood- This theme park was an absolute hit! Learn about the story of Dolly Parton through shows and replicas of her childhood throughout the park. If you like thrill rides, take a left after going through the park’s entrance. If you prefer shows, and rides for littles, take a right after going through the main entrance. Whatever you do, be sure to visit the Grist Mill to get cinnamon bread. I promise you, 1 loaf won’t be enough! Get the icing on the side for dipping!
You can save money on parking by parking off site. If you park at Pigeon Forge Park, it costs $3.00 per person for transportation all day to and from Dollywood. Your transportation will be a trolley, that will drop you off very close to the front entrance. If you park at Dollywood, parking starts at $25.
If you were planning on going to Dollywood, check the schedule prior to booking tickets as park hours and openings vary, depending on the season.
3. Smoky Mountain River Rat Tubing- This was definitely a highlight. With two sections of the river available for tubing, one section offers a family friendly, relaxing tubing experience, while the other section offers intense rapids and adrenaline. Your ticket allows you to ride down the river as many times as you would like for the day, as well as experience both sections of the river, I was affectionately coined the nickname “sandbar” as I kept getting stuck in alcoves, and going MUCH slower than the rest of the family , which the kids thought was absolutely hilarious. Next time, we will try the white water rafting here!
4. Hatfield & McKoy Dinner Theater-You know it’s going to be a fun night when cowbells are encouraged in the audience! Whether you are team Hatfield or Team McKoy, experience a lively theater experience with audience engagement. You will laugh, you will hoot, all while experiencing an all you can eat dinner of fried chicken, mashed potatoes and lots of mouth watering sides! Right next door is the Titanic Museum as well! We didn’t experience the museum but the Titanic replica was impressive, and massive!
5. Cades Cove- you can’t visit the Smoky Mountains without exploring the actual mountains. The Cades Cove loop is perfect if you are looking to explore with kids. The drive to Cades Cove is about an hour each way from Gatlinburg, and you can expect to spend about an hour driving the dirt road loop. Stop and get out to hike to original cabins and learn about the people who lived there. Don’t forget to look for wildlife!
6. The Island at Pigeon Forge- This was reminiscent of a mini Disney Springs, with shops, restaurants, ice cream, rides, arcade, live music, and a water feature set to music. Spent a few hours or half a day here! Restaurants such as Margaritaville or Paula Deen’s restaurant were amongst the favorites!
7. Meander down the strip through Gatlinburg- the eclectic shops, restaurants with live music pouring out the doors and the mixture of kid activities that act as magnets, pulling the family in and out of different experiences- from mirror mazes to mini golf, you can spend a full day exploring downtown and never get bored. Tip: get to downtown before dinner time if you are planning on staying through the later hours. It is tough to find parking if you wait to arrive until the evening.
We ran out of time to do everything we wanted…Hillbilly Mini Golf and the Moonshine Mountain coaster (at night) are our first stops on our next trip!
Where To Eat
If you have a cabin, it allows more flexibility with meals. Stop at Food City on your first day to stock up on grocery essentials. You will want to have your morning cup of coffee taking in the incredible view. We stocked up on snacks, quick breakfast foods, deli meat, etc. This allowed us to save money so we could splurge in other areas. Here are are favorites when eating out:
- Crockett’s Breakfast Camp- This is a must! The theming was fantastic…picture Davy Crockett music enveloping the restaurant with the smell of cinnamon buns wafting in the air! Be prepared to wait a bit though…we waited 45 minutes for a table and it was well worth the wait. The griddle cakes, which were about 2 inches thick, were pillowy goodness. The cinnamon buns were a meal in and of itself. I got the Black Bear Camp skillet and apparently didn’t read the fine print because it took 2 trips to bring out the food for that meal 😳. Highly recommend!
- Alamo Steakhouse- Off the beaten path, this restaurant was recommended by a tourist we met in the hop on/ hop off trolley system through town. Our best dinner was had here. The homemade fried mozzarella and the Horseradish Parmesan Steak strips were our 2 favorite appetizers. They have a 1 lb burger, which was amazing (couldn’t finish it) and the steak was perfectly cooked. The kids loved the options on the kid’s menu and the rolls with sweet honey butter were also a hit!
- Blue Moose- This one was perfect if the kids were hangry and you needed to get food, fast. While the food was not my favorite (I would say it equates to a Buffalo Wild Wings), it was sports themed with games airing in every room. If you, or the kids, want a quick bite to eat, while rejuvenating in front of a game, this could be a good option.
- Cliff Top Restaurant at Anakeesta- This choice combines views with food. The views are panoramic, and absolutely majestic. This is a great place to eat when you ride the chairlift to the top of Anakeesta!
- Downtown Flavortown- This was an unexpected stop to grab food before our venture home. This is Guy Fieri’s place and has a casual vibe perfect for kids. This is another one where the food was OK (sorry, Guy) but the atmosphere was perfect for kids. This place is not only a restaurant, but also an arcade and bowling alley. What we intended to be a quick stop for food ended up being about a three hour pitstop because the kids are having so much fun. What made it even better is that the kids meals came with a $10 arcade gift card each so the kids could play in the arcade while the food was being prepared. There was also a bowling alley inside!
Gatlinburg is a perfect family vacation destination. Whether you prefer hiking, fishing and outdoor adventure, or the explosion of lights and kid centered activities, Gatlinburg truly has something for everyone! I hope you enjoy your morning cup of coffee overlooking the mountains, and the tree top adventures, as much as we did!
Happy Adventuring!
🩷 Always,
Shannan
