We recently visited the Smoky Mountains as a family. If you’re looking to make a trip there this fall, keep reading!
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I didn’t realize until we spent our fall break in the Smoky Mountains this year that I actually had not been to the Smokies in the fall since I was a child. We have been 5 times over the last few years with the kids, but we have always been during spring and summer. It was so good to finally go during the best season of all – fall! If you haven’t seen a fall in Tennessee or the Smoky Mountains, you are missing out! I might be biased being from Tennessee, but I sure do love all the gorgeous colors of the trees in the fall. And they’re even more beautiful with a background of mountains too.
We love taking the kids here every year. Like I said, we have been several times, and I grew up going here too. It is SO kid friendly. There is so much to do all around the Smoky Mountains from Gatlinburg to Pigeon Forge to Sevierville to more towns nearby. Depending on your and your kids’ interests and ages, there is something to do for everyone. Sure, there are plenty of touristy things to do too that you just have to cross off your list too (like an old time photo), but I am sharing our top 10 favorites to do here in the fall.
Top Things to Do in the Smoky Mountains
1.) Drive through Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Cades Cove – This is always a favorite of ours! From the beautiful Smoky Mountains to historic buildings like churches and houses built in the 1800s to wildlife, Cades Cove is a must-see in the Smoky Mountains. It is so picturesque! The kids loved running around outdoors! We went hiking and walked down trails and across streams, and the kids absolutely loved it! We saw tons. ofturkeys and deer here over the last couple years. And the year before last we saw black bears. Pack up a lunch and drive through Cades Cove with the entire family! We had a picnic in the back of Matt’s truck afterward, a little tailgate picnic. It made for the best day!
2.) Have dinner and a show at Dolly Parton’s Stampede – We had been wanting to do this for years, and you can’t keep the girls away from something that has Dolly Parton’s name in it. = ) Stampede is a fun dinner and shows all in one. It lasts an hour and a half, and you will get so full with plenty of good food. And you will get to watch a really fun show complete with horses, bison, and more. From horseback riding performances and stunts to aerial performances, this show was so unique and fun! It even kept all 3 of the kids’ attention! This was a favoroite of ours when were here earlier this year!
3.) Go on a Pink Jeep Tour. This was our first Pink Jeep Tour ever, and it definitely won’t be the last! I knew it would be fun, but it was even more fun than I thought! And the kids loved it so much! They said it was their hands down favorite thing we did on this trip! WE drove all through the Smoky Mountains National Park for a few hours. We saw tons of sights, went hiking, heard about lots of history. And after all of that, we went off-road, and the kids were elated! They have already asked us what other cities they have Pink Jeep Tours in becasue they want to do them all! = )
4.) Go hiking – There are so many great trails and waterfalls to hike in the Smoky Mountain area, and Laurel Falls will always be my favorite in Pigeon Forge. All 3 of the kids loved running around and hiking down the trails and over the rocks and waterfalls. They have so many beautiful hikes around here from entry level to more difficult, and so many of them are family friendly and have pretty waterfall views.
5.) Spend a day at Anakeesta – This was one of my favorite things that we did on the trip! Anakeesta was incredible! It is a park that is set up in the mountains and is so beautiful from the moment you get to the top on the chair lift or gondola. As soon as we got up there, the views were just stunning! There were several restaurants, the observation tower, the treetop skywalk, mountain coasters, ziplining and playgrounds. There was something to constantly be doing, but it wasn’t overly crowded. I loved the small, family feel of the resort. It was definitely the highlight of my trip! The skywalk was incredible walking across the rope bridge hanging over the mountains.
6.) Go on a mountain coaster – This is one of our favorite things to do each year in Pigeon Forge! We started out at Goats on a Roof. You can see goats on the roof, feed them and even ride the mountain coaster there. All 3 of the kids rode several time with us, and they had a blast! On our last day, we went over to Rocky Top Mountain Coaster, and I think it might be our new favorite mountain coaster in town! We loved how long the coaster ride was, how fast it went and the pretty views as we curved through the mountains on the ride down. We could have spent all day there!
7.) Go to Dollywood – This is still one of our favorite amusement parks! t is so much fun for everyone from rides to good food to music. There is so much to see and do here. Leighton and Amelia love the thrill rides! We are going back this month, and I can’t wait to let Leighton ride some of the bigger thrill rides that we couldn’t ride with the younger kids. It’s perfect for a wide range of ages and s ofamily friendly here! Check out how little all the kids looked last year when we went!
8.) Visit Ripley’s Aquarium – This is the coolest aquarium we have ever been to! There is an amazing playground on the top level and the bottom level of the aquarium. They are great for kids of all ages, and all 3 of our kids just couldn’t get enough of them! You can even stand on a conveyer belt and move along the aquarium to view tons of sea creatures, including sharks! They will be swimming right above and beside you on the other side of the glass. Downstairs, they have donuts and ice cream for the kids. We watched a fun little penguin march while we were there. And they even had glass-bottom boat rides in the aquarium. I would definitely come and spend half a day here!
9.) The Island in Pigeon Forge – This is a great place to go spend the day with the kids! There are tons of restaurants, shops and amusement rides. It is super family friendly in this area, but there are tons of great shops for adults to stop by too. It’s a great location right in Pigeon Forge with tons of do, and you don’t have to drive into Gatlinburg that gets so crowded.
10.) Stay at a cabin in the mountains – We stayed at a cabin with Overmoon this last time, and we loved it so much! They really went above and beyond and had all the extras! For the first time staying in a cabin, we didn’t have to bring any of our own cookware with us. They had amazing pots and pans and knives. Everything was amazing! All of the draers and lights were labeled throughout the home, and that was so convenient!
The home was 3 levels and had 5 bedrooms. It was huge, and there was tons of rooms for all of us! Thy had a big wrap around patio on the second level, and they had a patio on the bottom floor that had a hot tub. They also had a game room with a pool table that the kids loved so much! They included tons of games, and there was a tv in every room. It was absolutely perfect for our family! Use code LAURA10 to save 10% on your next stay with Overmoon. They have several houses in several different areas!
Have you been to the Smoky Mountains before? What are your favorite things to do and places to stay while in town?
