15 things to do in the SMOKIES

Nick Weisenberger September 4th, 2014

The Smoky Mountain region is an amazing place to visit: majestic views, wonderful wildlife, thrilling rides,

and relaxing walks are all to be found and enjoyed.

Activities include relaxing, hiking, shopping, people watching,

crafting, backpacking and more. You’ll find something to suite every family member’s needs or interests.

The purpose of this guide is to highlight a few individual family oriented attractions that, in my

opinion, are well worth visiting. The attractions listed are only ones I personally have

had experience with and would personally recommend to my friends and family.

Nestled in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains lies Dollywood, Pigeon Forge’s most visited attraction.

One of the most popular

treats at Poyner’s

Pommes Frites is Spaghetti Ice,

an ice-cream dessert made to look like a

plate of spaghetti

pasta.

While at rest the $3 million Island Show Fountains may seem like nothing more than a fancy fountain and a

relaxing place to take a break. But every thirty minutes starting at 10am the fountain springs to life in a

dazzling display of water, light, and sound

The main attraction at The

Island is the Great Smoky Mountain

wheel, a 200-foot-tall $10 million

dollar observation wheel.

One of the top rated attractions in the Pigeon Forge

area on TripAdvisor is the Smoky

Mountain Alpine Coaster, the longest

ride of its type in the US.

The Old Mill is a classic place to stop by for a relaxing visit. This historic gristmill was built

back in 1830 and is still running today.

A mile down Wears Valley Road from the Smoky

Mountain Alpine Coaster you’ll find a unique

establishment: Goats on the Roof. It gets its name because there are literally goats living on the roof of

this quirky gift shop.

A fun alternative to staying in a motel or hotel is to stay in a luxury cabin or chalet.

One way to see the magnificent sights without driving is to take the aerial tramway from

downtown Gatlinburg to the Ober Gatlinburg resort.

Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies is one of

the prominent buildings of Gatlinburg and the kids will surely beg you to take them

there.

One way to get a taste of the Great Smoky Mountains

National Park is to take the Roaring Fork Motor Trail in

Gatlinburg.

The easiest waterfall to hike to in the national park is Cataract

Falls, near the Sugarlands Visitor Center.

Laurel Falls is one of the most popular destinations in the

park. The trail gently ascends Cove Mountain and leads

hikers to an eighty foot, multi-level waterfall.

Cades Cove is the most popular region of the park and will see in excess of two

million visitors every year. The highlight of Cades Cove is the 11-mile one way

loop road that circles this isolated valley.

The most scenic vantage point in all of the Smokies is from the top of the observation

tower at Clingmans Dome

Would you like to know time and money saving tips

for visiting the Smoky Mountain region?

Get started with Things to do in the Smokies

with Kids

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Get started with Things to do in the Smokies

with Kids

Get Your Copy Today!