6
- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Show Left Links
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
Started By
Message
Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge/SMNP with family of 4
Posted on 9/30/26 at 2:52 pm
Posted on 9/30/26 at 2:52 pm
Going the weekend before Thanksgiving and early part of that week. I haven't been to the Smokies since I was a kid. Wife and kids (14 & 5). Want to do some actual things in the park and not just the touristy stuff in PF/Gatlinburg. Gonna skip Dollywood. My youngest wants to see waterfalls. What are some easy to hit spots that aren't too strenuous to hike considering a small child & wife? What are some good mountain coasters/zip lines that you would recommend? I've had people tell me we need to get tickets for dinner shows before they sell out. What are your rec's for restaurants/shows etc? I looked in the Travel Board stickied thread, but there's no posts for a Smokies trip.
This post was edited on 9/30/26 at 3:24 pm
Posted on 9/30/26 at 3:03 pm to lowhound
Laurel Falls is a great hike with a fun waterfall that you can stand in. It is very popular and the parking gets crowded fast. Depends on the weather if you want to take your shoes off and stand in the pool
You can drive the Cades Cove loop, should see some wildlife- bears, deer, turkeys. Also drive to Clingman's dome and there is a nice overlook.
Download the All Trails app and it will show tons of hikes and routes for you.
There are tons of Alpine Coasters, I find them all to be pretty comparable. We usually go to Smokey Mountain Alpine Coasters on Wears Valley Rd. You can by a wristband to come back and ride all day.
We rode up to the top of Anakeesta last year. It is a nice way to kill a couple of hours, but not really anything exciting. There is a coaster up there but it is not worth the wait.
In PF, eat at the Old Mill restaurant- best advice is to go at an off-time so it won't be such a long wait (2:00-4:00pm)
In Gburg, Crockett's breakfast camp is really good, but you better go early.
Peddler's steakhouse on the river is a nice dinner spot.
That is the busiest time of year for that area so just be ready to wait.
You can drive the Cades Cove loop, should see some wildlife- bears, deer, turkeys. Also drive to Clingman's dome and there is a nice overlook.
Download the All Trails app and it will show tons of hikes and routes for you.
There are tons of Alpine Coasters, I find them all to be pretty comparable. We usually go to Smokey Mountain Alpine Coasters on Wears Valley Rd. You can by a wristband to come back and ride all day.
We rode up to the top of Anakeesta last year. It is a nice way to kill a couple of hours, but not really anything exciting. There is a coaster up there but it is not worth the wait.
In PF, eat at the Old Mill restaurant- best advice is to go at an off-time so it won't be such a long wait (2:00-4:00pm)
In Gburg, Crockett's breakfast camp is really good, but you better go early.
Peddler's steakhouse on the river is a nice dinner spot.
That is the busiest time of year for that area so just be ready to wait.
This post was edited on 9/30/26 at 3:06 pm
Posted on 9/30/26 at 4:42 pm to lowhound
Download the NPS app and then you can download GRSMNP and will always have a map. Lots of information in app that will help you plan or decide what to see There are self guided tours for Cades Cove and Elkmont which has Daisytown cabins to explore. Will provide updated closure information too. Kuwohi (Formerly Clingmans Dome) will be open until 11/29 so you should be good. Most adult bears will still be around in November and you could see elk over in Oconaluftee area and they have a mountain farm at the visitor center.
Posted on 9/30/26 at 7:24 pm to lowhound
Roaring Fork motor trail is often overlooked but is a beautiful scenic drive if weather permits. The Alum Cave trail to the bluffs is gorgeous if the family is up to burning some calories
Posted on 10/1/26 at 10:04 am to lowhound
I have to recommend Parrot Mountain as an option. It's a tropical bird sanctuary and nursery where your kids can feed and hold tons of birds. It was recommended to us and wound up being one of the highlights of the trip for our kids.
Parrot Mountain & Gardens
What everyone else has said so far is spot on. Lots of easy hikes and strolls and beautiful scenery. Have fun!
Parrot Mountain & Gardens
What everyone else has said so far is spot on. Lots of easy hikes and strolls and beautiful scenery. Have fun!
Posted on 10/1/26 at 10:33 am to lowhound
We went this summer. Did the FoxFire Adventure park for zipline. Was fantastic. If you did zipline, then you could take an easy hike to a waterfall and over a rope bridge. Also did the Forbidden Caves tour.
Kinda touristy, but the Smoky Mountain Knife Works store was cool. Any and every kind of knife, sword, or axe you can imagine from cooking tools to movie prop style. But has a cool collection of ancient artifacts, dinosaur bones, Native American to Civil War artifacts and even WWI and WWII items to buy. Not a bad way to kill a morning or afternoon.
Kinda touristy, but the Smoky Mountain Knife Works store was cool. Any and every kind of knife, sword, or axe you can imagine from cooking tools to movie prop style. But has a cool collection of ancient artifacts, dinosaur bones, Native American to Civil War artifacts and even WWI and WWII items to buy. Not a bad way to kill a morning or afternoon.
Posted on 10/1/26 at 1:04 pm to slinger1317
quote:
Laurel Falls is a great hike with a fun waterfall that you can stand in. It is very popular and the parking gets crowded fast. Depends on the weather if you want to take your shoes off and stand in the pool
Laurel Falls trail is closed until 2027 as they repave the trail, add guardrails and a new observation platform near the bottom of the falls.
Some other shorter options listed below:
Cataract Falls - 1 Mi - 32' Elevation Gain
Metcalf Bottoms Trail - 1.4 Mi - 187' Elevation Gain
Grotto Falls Via Trillium Gap Trail 2.7 Mi - 524' Elevation Gain
Just a short list but you can find more on the all trails app. Theres several places to have a picnic near a stream and let the kids play in/near water but I would think its gonna be a bit chilly for that around the time you are going.
Posted on 10/1/26 at 3:35 pm to lowhound
Also you need to stop and purchase a parking pass either from the designated kiosks or at any of the visitor centers. You can purchase daily weekly or annual passes. If you have a handicapped tag or disabled veteran you do not need to purchase the parking pass.
Page 1 of 1
Popular
Back to top
Follow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News