The Smoky Mountains surrounding Gatlinburg offer some of the most beautiful driving routes in the East. Mountain views, waterfalls, and twisting roads through dense forest make this region a road-tripper’s paradise. These routes are particularly stunning in fall (October) and spring (May).
Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail — 5.5 Miles, 45 Minutes
A narrow, one-way loop winding through old-growth forest along a mountain stream. The road hugs the creek, passes several small waterfalls, and includes multiple pulloffs for photos. Dense trees and creek sounds create an immersive forest experience.
Pigeon Forge sits at the gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains, offering quick access to some of the East’s most dramatic scenic routes. Mountain views, historic drives, and river gorges dominate the region. Fall foliage (October) and spring wildflowers (May) peak this area’s beauty.
Cades Cove Loop — 11 Miles, 1.5-2 Hours
A scenic valley loop inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park featuring meadows, historic 1800s cabins, and a mountain backdrop. The one-way loop road provides consistent views and numerous pulloffs with short hiking trail access.
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.
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.
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.
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 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 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.
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.
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Dollywood
Dollywood Theme Park Pigeon Forge Tennessee
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.
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Quick Facts: Gatlinburg is in eastern Tennessee at the entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, about 4 hours from Nashville. Best time to visit: October for fall foliage, June–August for hiking.
