Great Smoky Mountains – Gatlinburg

“I just want to rent a cabin with a hot tub for like four days in the mountains with wine and great views.”

If this is you, consider a trip to the Great Smoky Mountains!  You can relax and enjoy the views or take in all the sights nearby if you’re up for more adventure!

My family and I spent a few days of our fall break traveling to Gatlinburg, Tennessee for our Great Smoky Mountains vacation.  We rented an incredible cabin in the woods but close to town and the entrance to the park, which made it super easy to get around.

There are several options for places to stay (including the towns of Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Sevierville) so talk to your Pineapple Escapes’ agent about which area and lodging type might be the best fit for you!  On our first day, we walked around the town of Gatlinburg and grabbed lunch.  We planned to go on the SkyBridge, but it was closed for high winds so we headed into the park for some hiking.  Fall is a beautiful – but busy – time to visit the park!  The fall colors are amazing, and we really enjoyed our hike up to Laurel Falls.

We spent day 2 of our vacation at Dollywood in nearby Pigeon Forge.  It was a cloudy and rainy day, which can make for a great day at a theme park – low crowds and wait times!  I found Dollywood similar to Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri.  The park is inspired by the country star’s life, from growing up in a two-room log cabin just a few miles up the road to the glitzy stages of Nashville.  Other than a pretty significant downpour midday, we had a great time!  Always a good reminder to check the weather and pack your ponchos!

Sticking with the “weather can’t stop us” theme, on day 3 we took the trek up to Clingmans Dome, the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  The drive along Newfound Gap Road was beautiful, but the temperature dropped and the rain turned to snow up top.  We were troopers though and made it to the observation tower on the summit where you can see spectacular 360-degree views of the Smokies – on a clear day!  My husband had plans to hike the Appalachian Trail so of course we had to find where the AT crosses Clingmans Dome, marking the highest point along its journey from Georgia to Maine.  Last but not least, we stopped for a photo op at Newfound Gap along the border of Tennessee and North Carolina.

On our last night in the Smokies, my girls and I went back to do a little shopping in Gatlinburg and revisit the Gatlinburg SkyBridge!  It’s the longest pedestrian cable bridge in North American stretching almost 700 feet across a deep valley in a single span… and there’s 30 feet of see-through glass flooring in the middle.  Is it surprising that the boys stayed back at the cabin enjoying the arcade games?

Although we didn’t have perfect weather during our stay, the entire family loved our Great Smoky Mountains vacation!  Whether you’re looking for a laid-back vacation with scenic views or fun outdoor adventures, consider a trip to the Smokies!

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