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Our trip to the Great Smoky Mountains was a little different from some of our other national park adventures because Gatlinburg itself was a big part of the trip. We stayed in a cabin in the mountains, did a few hikes, explored Gatlinburg, walked across the SkyBridge, went on a ghost tour, and spent an embarrassing amount of time looking for bears that apparently everyone in Tennessee can find except us. To be fair, it was winter.
🏡 Where We Stayed
We stayed in a cabin near Gatlinburg, which was perfect for this trip. It gave us the whole Smoky Mountain experience while still keeping us close enough to everything we wanted to do.
The one we stayed at does not look like its being rented currently. Here are some other amazing cabins you could check out.
Amazing view!
Great value with a pool table and hot tub!
Another great value and view!
I definitely recommend a cabin if you’re traveling with a family. There are tons of them around Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, and having a little extra room after a day of hiking and sightseeing was really nice.
🥾 Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Of course, we couldn’t come all this way without spending time in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
We did a few different trails while we were there. One of note is Laurel Falls.
Laurel Falls is a 2.3-mile round-trip hike that takes you to an 80-foot waterfall. There is about 314 feet of elevation gain, so it was a manageable hike for us and you get a pretty great payoff at the end!
One thing to know before you go is that this trail is VERY popular, so parking can be a challenge, especially during the busier times of year. If this one is on your list, I would definitely plan to get there early.
One of the things we were REALLY hoping to see was a bear (Are you over my bear discussions, yet?)
Apparently, black bears are everywhere around Gatlinburg. People see them crossing roads, wandering around cabins, climbing trees—you name it.
Us? Nothing. 😂
We drove around looking. We kept our eyes peeled while hiking. We watched around the cabin.
No bears.
Meanwhile, there’s apparently even a local bear named Hulk who is known for making appearances around the area and enters the stores sometimes. Naturally, Hulk did not put us on his schedule.
So if you’re heading to the Smokies hoping to see a bear, your odds are apparently pretty good…unless you’re traveling with us (or during the winter).
🌉 Gatlinburg SkyBridge
We also did the Gatlinburg SkyBridge, which was absolutely worth adding to the trip.
You take the SkyLift up the mountain and then get to walk across the suspension bridge with some pretty incredible views of the Smokies. There’s even a section with glass panels in the middle of the bridge, because apparently simply walking across a bridge high above the ground wasn’t enough. 😂
This is a great non-hiking way to get some amazing mountain views.
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👻 Gatlinburg Ghost Tour
One night we traded bears for ghosts and did a ghost tour through Gatlinburg.
It was a fun way to spend an evening and hear some of the area’s history and creepy stories while walking around town. If your family likes spooky stuff or you just want something different to do after spending the day hiking I’d definitely add this to the list.
🏙️ Gatlinburg
Gatlinburg itself has a lot going on. It’s very touristy, but that’s also part of the fun. You can spend the morning hiking in the national park and then be back in town later for restaurants, shops, attractions, ghost tours, and all kinds of other things.
For us, combining the national park with Gatlinburg made this trip feel like more than just another hiking trip. We had our outdoorsy days, but we also had plenty to do when we weren’t on a trail.
Would We Go Back?
Absolutely. Although next time, I would like Hulk to kindly make an appearance. 🐻
Between the cabin, the Smokies, hiking, Gatlinburg, the SkyBridge, Pigeon Forge shopping, and our ghost tour, there was a really good mix of things to do—and it’s an easy trip to customize depending on whether your family wants more hiking, more attractions, or a little of both.