My fun, educational and affordable Smoky Mountains family vacation itinerary focuses on one of my most favorite U.S. National Parks and follows in the footsteps of the famous book by Bill Bryson, “A Walk in the Woods”. In 2015 a movie has also been produced based on the book starring Robert Redford, Nick Notle and Emma Thompson.
There are places in the world that encourage you to get off the grid, get out of the car and just take a walk, be together with nature, observe, learn and just breathe. Great Smoky Mountains National Park is one of such places. “A Walk in the Woods” book/movie is about two friends’ adventures while walking the Appalachian Trail, part of which goes through the Smoky Mountains. The Trail is 2200 miles long in total and it stretches from Georgia to Maine. Walking all of it with kids is not realistic but exploring a part of it and all other wonderful things to do in Great Smoky Mountains National Park makes for a fun and educational family vacation.
We chose Gatlinburg, TN at the entrance to the Smoky Mountains NP as the base of our trip. We drove there from central Illinois, which took us 8 hours but you can certainly fly too. The closest airports to Smoky Mountains are in Knoxville, TN and Ashville, NC. Gatlinburg has a mountain resort vibe and is consistently ranked among top 20 small towns in America. The main tourist areas have European architecture with brick walkways and German-style buildings. It is nice to stroll up and down its main street, US-441 S Parkway, visit cute shops and cafes but our goal was not to get stuck in town but get into the wilderness that lay just behind it.
Smoky Mountains family vacation Day 1
Typically, I don’t plan much for the day of arrival. Just to give us the preview of what lay ahead of us we took a scenic drive along Gatlinburg Bypass. It is a road above town that visitors to the Smoky Mountains National Park use to bypass the congestion of the touristy areas of town. The Bypass has several scenic overlooks with splendid views. We also took an opportunity of some extra time on hands to explore Gatlinburg, it was especially beautiful because we were visiting during the Thanksgiving week and the town was already all decked for Christmas. Smoky Mountains are a great Thanksgiving family vacation destination.
Smoky Mountains family vacation Day 2
We spent the second day of our Smoky Mountains family vacation driving to Newfound Gap on the top of the ridge and back. There are a lot of opportunities for magnificent scenic pullouts and hikes. Our favorite places for hiking with kids were:
Cataract Falls Trail in Smoky Mountains NP is prefect for small kids as it is short and level. When you stop for this hike you can also visit the Park’s Visitor’s Center.
Cove Hardwood Nature Trail with Chimneys Picnic Area right on the West Prong Little Pigeon River (the trail is famous for its spring wildflowers)
The Appalachian Trail made famous in “A Walk in the Woods” book (where it crosses the scenic Newfound Gap pullout where you can see for yourself why these mountains are called “Smoky”)
I have to be honest: we did attempt Clingman’s Dome Trail (which is paved but a little steep) and unfortunately we did not reach the top, where the views are supposed to be breathtaking… I blame it on the fact that I was pregnant and my now older son was very young so we both got tired very quickly. But those people who made it all the way up, whom we met en route, told us it was amazing…
Smoky Mountains family vacation Day 3
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is located in 2 states: Tennessee and North Carolina. When you get to Newfound Gap you are kind of half way through it, on top of the ridge, and then you drive down again to North Carolina. We decided to complete the drive on a separate day to give us ample opportunity to view attractions on the other side.
On the third day of our Smoky Mountain family vacation we explored two distinctive areas on North Carolina’s side of the National Park which we really enjoyed:
- Mountain Farm Museum – this is a recreation of a small farming village on the bank of Oconaluftee River. You can see authentic buildings, gardens, farm animals. This was one of the best living history museum that I have seen. This area of the Smoky Mountains National Park is also frequented by elks. So keep your eyes peeled for them.
2. Area along Deep Creek near Bryson City is famous for 3 waterfalls that are located in close proximity to each other: Juney Whank Falls, Tom Branch Falls and Indian Creek Falls. The trail to the latter one is the longest but hiking distance to the other two is less than a mile each (one way) so these trails are perfect for kids. To locate this area just type “Deep Creek Trail Trailhead” in Google Maps.
North Carolinian part of the National Park is adjacent to Cherokee Indians reservation. I strongly suggest you stopping by Cherokee Cultural Village, Museum of the Cherokee Indian and Oconaluftee Indian Village that are clustered next to each other along US-441 S. It is another great living history area where you can not only see a lot of educational exhibits but also live traditional Indian performances.
Smoky Mountains family vacation Day 4
One of the highlights of our Smokey Mountains family vacation was a guided walking tour with a company that is appropriately called…“A Walk in the Woods”. They offer many different group tours from two hours to full day in length. We chose “Exploring Nature with Children” 2-hours walk in the woods and since we visited off-season we were the only ones in the group so we got a personal tour. The guide was very knowledgeable, the information provided on the tour about the nature and history of the area of the Smoky Mountains was very interesting and age appropriate. My son listened attentively and asked many questions. We honestly had a blast!
After the walk in the woods we decided to explore Gatlinburg’s Arts and Crafts Community. It is located away from the town’s main touristy area, mainly along HW 321. There are over 100 (!) small shops and galleries within an 8-mile loop. You can find any form of art or artisan product that you like: paintings, wood work, pottery, soaps, candles, sweets – and the list goes on. Since we were visiting the Smoky Mountains at the end of November we bought a lot of beautiful and unique Christmas gifts here for friends and family.
Smoky Mountains family vacation Day 5
On the fifth day of our Smoky Mountains family vacation we took a scenic drive to Cades Cove. The first portion of the trip goes along Fighting Creek Gap Road (that later become Little River Gorge Road), which runs along the river and hence it offers multiple opportunities for viewing waterfalls and rapids. The most famous waterfall in this portion of the Smoky Mountains National Park is Laurel Falls. It is conveniently the first stop on the way to Cades Cove so I suggest you arrive early because the parking lot near the trailhead gets full very quickly. The trail is not too long, a little more than a mile one way, and it is paved but in places it becomes very narrow and winding right on the edge of a cliff. It is a little nerve racking but in the end it is worth it: the waterfall is huge and beautiful. Please, note that even though the trail is paved I do not recommend taking a stroller there because in places the trail becomes so narrow that there is no way for 2 strollers to pass each other.
After Laurel Falls, you will continue your way along the Little River. There are a number of waterfalls that you can see right from the road and the famous Class 5 rapids called “The Sinks”. A number of people died trying to white water raft through it. It is highly dangerous but very exciting to look at from the side of the road. There are a lot of pullouts along the road so stop wherever you feel like and enjoy the beauty of the Smoky Mountains.
Your final destination is Cades Cove scenic loop (about 11 miles drive in total). It is another living history area within the Smoky Mountains National Park that is located in a picturesque valley between the mountains. Before the National Park was established this was home to many settlers and you can find their footprint well preserved here: 18-19th century homesteads, barns, a couple of churches and even a working grist mill (which kids found very exciting).
It is also a great place to see various wildlife: white tail deer, wild turkeys, coyotes, different birds, etc.
Smoky Mountains family vacation Day 6
On this day we drove Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. It is a 6 miles loop in the outskirts of the town of Gatlinburg. This drive offers multiple opportunities to see the mountains, streams, waterfalls and historic buildings. People say that black bears frequent this area but we did not see any. There are several parking pullouts where you can leave your car and go on a hike. Rainbow Falls and Grotto Falls are the most famous hikes here. The former one is suitable for advanced hikers only and the latter one will be good for families with kids. Please, note that the most of this Motor Nature Trail is one-way drive, so once you have started, you cannot go back, you have to complete the loop. Bear that in mind.
Smoky Mountains family vacation Day 7
It is time to go back home but with a goal to definitely return one day. There is so much more to see in Great Smoky Mountains National Park! One week is definitely not enough to explore everything. We will absolutely be back, so stay tuned!
ADDITIONAL TIPS FOR SMOKY MOUNTAINS FAMILY VACATION
When to go to the Smoky Mountains. This is the biggest dilemma. Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the MOST VISITED NATIONAL PARK in the U.S. with 11 million visitors per year. Grand Canyon, by comparison, is a very distant second with only 6 million visitors per year. You will be up against a lot of competition for lodging, parking spots in the park, etc. Smoky Mountains Peak visiting seasons are April-May when wildflowers bloom, the whole summer and October for fall foliage. That’s why we went at the end of November. No, we did not see the beautiful flowers or phenomenal fall colors but even without those the Smoky Mountains are fantastic. I won’t recommend winter season for the first time visit because depending on the weather some roads and trails may be closed.
Where to stay near the Smoky Mountains NP. There is no better place in Gatlinburg than Zoder’s Inn. It has a perfect location just at the entrance to town, away from the hustle and bustle but still a walking distance to all local restaurants, cafes, shops and attractions. And the best part – the Inn sits right on one of the mountain stream and most of the rooms have a balcony facing the stream. It was perfectly relaxing to sit on a balcony in the morning with a cup of coffee or tea or whatever you prefer. In addition to that, the Inn offers a FREE wine reception each afternoon and FREE cookies and milk before bedtime. Should I mention a swimming pool, a hot tub, fireplaces and Jacuzzi in some rooms or you are already sold on this place?
Where to eat near Smoky Mountains NP. At one time Zodder’s Inn provided free continental breakfast, I am not sure if it is still the case. If it does not, all rooms have fridges, coffee makers and microwaves so you can easily have breakfast in your room. When we explored the park we pretty much left for the whole day, so we always took a picnic with us. However, in the evening we ate in town. Here are a couple of our most favorite places:
Smoky Mountains Trout House (in Gatlinburg, next to Zoder’s Inn) – for local trout dishes
Bennett’s Pit BBQ – the place for the best Southern BBQ in Gatlinburg
Be aware of motion sickness. There are a lot of winding roads that you are going to drive on during your Smoky Mountains family vacation so if you or your kids are prone to motion sickness be prepared ahead of time. I have terrible motion sickness but I found a solution that helps me 100% of time: it is a combination of Sea-band Adult Wristband
and Motion Sickness Patches
. Both, the patches and the wristband, are non-toxic and good for children. Wristband is, obviously, reusable (Sea-band produces kids size bracelets as well) and the patches are good for a couple of days (and then you need a new one, but you have 10 in the box).
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THINGS YOU WILL FIND USEFUL DURING SMOKY MOUNTAINS FAMILY VACATION
