Best Hiking Trails in the Great Smoky Mountains from Gatlinburg

Great Smoky Mountains National Park has over 800 miles of trails — more than enough for a lifetime of hiking. But you’ve got 4-5 days. Here are the trails worth your time, organized by difficulty.

Easy: Laurel Falls (2.6 miles round trip)

The most popular trail in the park for good reason — a paved path through hardwood forest to an 80-foot waterfall. Accessible for most fitness levels including older kids. The trail is wide and well-maintained. Go early morning to avoid crowds (by 10 AM on summer weekends, the parking lot is full). The falls are beautiful in every season — frozen in winter, surrounded by wildflowers in spring.

Day Trips from Gatlinburg

Gatlinburg sits at the gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains — America’s most visited national park. The surrounding region has Cherokee heritage sites, mountain towns, scenic drives, and access to the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Cades Cove — 45 Minutes from Gatlinburg

An 11-mile one-way loop road through a mountain valley that was home to settlers in the early 1800s. Historic log cabins, churches, and grist mills dot the valley. Black bears, white-tailed deer, wild turkeys, and coyotes are frequently spotted.

Free Things to Do in Gatlinburg & the Smoky Mountains

The biggest attraction near Gatlinburg is free — Great Smoky Mountains National Park charges no admission fee, making it the most visited national park in America. Beyond the park, Gatlinburg’s downtown has free tastings, galleries, and mountain views.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Free)

No entrance fee. The most visited national park in America is completely free to enter. Over 800 miles of trails, from easy riverside walks to strenuous ridge climbs.

Free Things to Do in Pigeon Forge

Pigeon Forge’s Parkway strip is built around paid attractions — but step off the strip into the Great Smoky Mountains and the best experiences are free.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Free)

No entrance fee — ever. The most visited national park in America is completely free.

Cades Cove — 11-mile loop road through a mountain valley with wildlife, historic buildings, and mountain views.

Gatlinburg Family Attractions — Aquarium, SkyLift & More

Gatlinburg has a dense concentration of family attractions on the downtown strip and in the surrounding mountains.

Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies

The most-visited aquarium in the Eastern US — underwater tunnels, touch tanks, penguin encounters, and a 340-foot glass tunnel through a shark tank. The jellyfish gallery is mesmerizing. Allow 2-3 hours.

Gatlinburg SkyLift & SkyBridge

The SkyLift takes you 500 feet above downtown to the summit, where the SkyBridge — North America’s longest pedestrian suspension bridge (680 feet) — spans a valley with a glass floor section in the middle. The views are spectacular.

Gatlinburg Moonshine Trail — Distillery Guide & Tastings

Moonshine is Appalachian history in a jar — and Gatlinburg has turned it into a tourist attraction. The downtown strip has multiple distilleries offering free tastings, and the history of moonshining in the Smoky Mountains is more interesting than you might expect.

Ole Smoky Moonshine — The Original

Ole Smoky’s Moonshine Holler on the strip is where most people start. Free tastings of 15+ flavors — from traditional corn whiskey to apple pie, cherries, and sweet tea moonshine. The distillery floor is visible from the tasting bar. Live music on the porch. The gift shop is enormous. It’s touristy, but the moonshine is legitimately good and the free tastings make it impossible to leave without buying a jar.

Gatlinburg Timeshare Promotions

Gatlinburg is the gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains — America’s most visited national park — and one of the best-value timeshare promotional destinations in the country. Mountain cabin resorts and lodge properties offer promotional stays to qualified visitors who want to experience the Smokies at a fraction of the retail rate.

Here’s how it works, what it costs, and how to decide if it’s right for your next Gatlinburg trip.

Pigeon Forge Timeshare Promotions

Pigeon Forge is home to Dollywood — one of the best theme parks in America — and a massive entertainment corridor in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. Timeshare promotional deals here offer mountain cabin and lodge-style accommodations at a fraction of the retail rate for qualified visitors.

Here’s how it works, what it costs, and how to decide if it’s right for your next Pigeon Forge trip.

Things to Do in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Pigeon Forge sits 6 miles north of Gatlinburg on the road to the Great Smoky Mountains. Where Gatlinburg is the quaint mountain village, Pigeon Forge is the loud, neon-lit entertainment strip — Dollywood, dinner shows, go-karts, and a 5-mile stretch of Parkway lined with every attraction imaginable.

Dollywood

Dolly Parton’s theme park is the #1 reason people come to Pigeon Forge, and it delivers. World-class roller coasters (Lightning Rod — the fastest wood-launch coaster in the world, Wild Eagle, and Big Bear Mountain), Appalachian craft demonstrations, seasonal festivals, and Dolly’s personal touch throughout.

Waterfalls Near Gatlinburg — Laurel Falls, Grotto Falls & More

The Smoky Mountains get more rainfall than anywhere in the continental US outside the Pacific Northwest — which means waterfalls everywhere. Here are the best ones accessible from Gatlinburg.

Laurel Falls (2.6 miles round trip, easy)

The most visited waterfall in the park. An 80-foot cascade split into upper and lower sections, reached by a paved trail through hardwood forest. The pavement makes it accessible for families and older visitors, but it also means crowds — go before 9 AM or after 4 PM. The falls are beautiful year-round: surrounded by mountain laurel blooms in spring, lush green in summer, golden foliage in fall, and partially frozen in winter.

Things to Do in Gatlinburg & the Great Smoky Mountains

Gatlinburg sits at the entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park — the most visited national park in America with 12+ million visitors a year. The town itself is a compact mountain village packed with attractions, restaurants, and shops along the main strip.

Pigeon Forge (Dollywood, dinner shows) is 6 miles north. Together they form the gateway to the Smokies.