Here Are 50 Places to Visit In, Near, or Around Gatlinburg, Tennessee
1. Ride the Aerial Tramway, standing room for 120 passengers, it offers BEAUTIFUL views while transporting you to Ober Gatlinburg Ski Resort & Amusement Park http://www.obergatlinburg.com (Ober)
2. Shop “the Village” in Gatlinburg for novelties, gifts, galleries and eateries. It’s a quaint European village atmosphere http://www.thevillageshops.com
3. Ober ski resort: Indoor ice skating, chair lift, snow sport lessons, ski trails http://www.obergatlinburg.com (Ober)
4. Ober Amusement park is a great place to have fun even in the summer- with an alpine slide, mini golf course, water race, black bear habitat, and rides- this is sure to please the whole family! There’s even a shopping mall! http://www.obergatlinburg.com (Ober)
5. Gatlinburg ski lift- another great way to get a wonderful view- located in downtown Gatlinburg (on the strip), it takes the rider up the mountain to a viewing platform with an amazing view! (Gatlinburg)
6. Eat at the Park Grill (Gatlinburg)
7. Go Rafting in the mountains- no experience needed. Lots of fun for the whole family! http://www.raftinginthesmokies.com (The Smokies)
8. Visit the Space Needle for an amazing view of Gatlinburg and the Smokies http://www.gatlinburgspaceneedle.com (Gatlinburg)
9. Visit Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies www.ripleysaquariumofthesmokies.com (Gatlinburg)
10. Shop for crafts and handmade items in Gatlinburg
11. Hillbilly Golf is a must do- take the inclined railway to one of two courses with funny themes and great fun!
12. Ride the Trolley from Pigeon Forge to Gatlinburg
13. Take the kids to visit the Guinness World Book of Records museum, located on the parkway www.guinness-gatlinburg.com
14. Visit the Smoky Mountain Winery http://www.smokymountainwinery.com
15. Sweet Fanny Adams Theatre in Gatlinburg is a must see show http://www.sweetfannyadams.com
16. Dollywood is a lot of fun- it offers concerts, crafts, water rides, and just good old mountain fun brought to you by Dolly herself! http://www.dollywood.com/ (Pigeon forge)
17. Visit Dollywood Splash country with waterfalls, winding streams and white water adventures it’s fun for the whole family http://www.dollyssplashcountry.com/
18. Eat Breakfast at Pancake Pantry- a quaint little pancake house with some of the best pancakes around- but go early- it’s ALWAYS packed! http://www.pancakepantry.com
19. Visit the Sugarlands Visitor Center in the Smoky Mountain National Park for maps and tour books
20. Take the Sugarlands Valley Nature trail for breathtaking views
21. Take a ride through Cades Cove at either dawn or dusk to see tons of mountain wildlife (deer, raccoons, bear and more!)
22. Visit the homesteads in Cades Cove
23. Tour the Pioneer Homestead in the Great Smoky Mtn National Park
24. Clingman’s Dome is a 7 mile, paved road that follows a high ridge to a paved trail. Hike the 0.5 mile path to the park’s highest peak for an amazing view.
25. Take the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. It’s like a hike in your car! Cascades, rapids, and falls adorn the roadside and there are many hiking trails including Grotto Falls
26. Visit Noah “Bud” Ogle’s place, located on the Roaring Forks Motor Trail
27. Hike Laurel Falls- an easy hike for the whole family – paved trail goes about 1.3 miles until it reaches the 75-foot Laurel falls
28. See the Mountains on Horseback. There are many stables that provide daily tours or ride on your own!
29. Take a ride on the Great Smokey Mountain Railroad; it boasts 53 miles of track, two tunnels and 25 bridges. A fun way to see the scenery! http://www.gsmr.com/
30. Visit the Blue Ridge Parkway (known as Newfoundland Gap Road) for beautiful views and scenery
31. See the Chimney Tops located along Newfound Gap Road -sheer pinnacles, dramatic examples of the tremendous forces that millions of years ago caused the eastern edge of North America to buckle, creating the Appalachian Mountains
32. Take a picnic to the Chimneys – a nice place to relax, hike the trails, and play in the streams. Bathrooms are available.
33. Hike the Chimney Tops Trail. This is a highly popular trail, sometimes it’s a bit crowded. The trail is steep, rising 1,300 feet from the trailhead to the chimney-like pinnacles for a beautiful view. The highest point of Chimney Tops trail is 4,840 feet above sea level.
34. Visit Mingus Mill one of two water-powered mills in the park- beautiful self guided tour
35. See the Cherokee Indian Reservation, located adjacent to the park’s southern boundary. Learn more about the history and culture of the Cherokee people. Stop at the Visitor Center first for maps and event information.
36. Shop the parkway in Gatlinburg for novelty shops, gifts, museums, galleries, and eateries
37. Explore the Forbidden Caverns- tour sparkling formations, towering natural chimneys, numerous grottos and a crystal clear stream http://www.forbiddencavern.com/ (Sevierville)
38. Hike the quite paths and peaceful walkways (Smokies)
39. Shop Great Smoky Arts and Crafts Community Visit the 8-mile loop of shops, studios & galleries http://www.artsandcraftscommunity.com (Gatlinburg)
40. Tour the Old Mill craft village, one of the most beautiful and “most photographed” mills in America. It still functions as it did when it was built in 1830 http://www.old-mill.com/ (Pigeon Forge)
41. Take a scenic helicopter tour for amazing views. They start at $10 per person! No website, but email is scenichelicopter@msn.com (Pigeon forge)
42. Shop the many outlet malls in Pigeon Forge
43. Shop the Christmas Place all year round- a Bavarian- Style shopping Complex offering unique shops http://www.christmasplace.com/home.cfm
44. Dixie Stampede dinner and show is wonderful family fun. Eat a good hardy meal while watching the horses and riders perform tricks.
45. The Louise Mandrell theater claims to have the best entertainment in the Smokies, it IS a lot of fun!
46. Explore the Tuckaleechee Caverns www.tuckaleecheecaverns.com (Townsend)
47. Mt. LeConte boasts five great hiking trails to the top
48. Laugh out loud at the Comedy Barn Theater “One thousand laughs, guaranteed” http://www.comedybarn.com/
49. Christus Gardens, in Gatlinburg, offers life-size, life-like representations of important scenes from the life of Jesus Christ. www.christusgardens.com
50. Mysterious Mansion is a fun haunt for the family. Located in Gatlinburg.
