smoky mountains

Gatlinburg, TN

Gatlinburg is known as “The Gateway to the Smoky Mountains” for good reason—it is nestled right on the edge of the National Park, making it a popular mountain resort town.

Gatlinburg Tips: 

  • Get into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park! The whole point of visiting Gatlinburg is the close access to the park, so make sure to get into nature!

  • Gatlinburg is extraordinarily touristy—it’s like the Disney World of mountain towns. Personally I do not love places like this, so if you are similar minded I would recommend staying in a small town on the North Carolina side of the park versus Gatlinburg. Bryson City is my personal favorite!

    • Pigeon Forge is the same level of “touristy” but with even more “attractions”. If you have small kids there is plenty of entertainment options in PF! Gatlinburg is definitely more walkable and a better base camp in my opinion, but the two are only 15 minutes apart

Adventures & Ales Top Gatlinburg Recommendations: ​

  • Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail: A beautiful nature drive with places to stop off for nature views and historical buildings.

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  • Go winery hopping: There are several wineries in Gatlinburg that you can pop into for free samples and to bring home some delicious wine if you choose to do so!

    • Smoky Mountain Winery: My favorite that we visited! Their tasting offered a plethora of samples for free and Tiffany, who was working, was absolutely fantastic! This spot is slightly off the main road, so be sure not to miss it!

    • Sugarland Cellars: The tastings here are $5, the only winery you have to pay to sample at, but they have Sangria slushees that are absolutely delicious and totally worth it! They have two locations, one right in the heart of downtown Gatlinburg and one right on the edge of the National Park.

    • Bootleggers Homemade Wines: Located in the Ole Smoky Holler, a small spot to sample wines with cute merchandise as well!

    • Goodwater Vineyards: An extremely nice family owns and operates this winery, pop in for samples and chat with them!

    • Tennessee Homemade Wines: Another winery with solid wine and free samples. Owned by the same team as Tennessee Cider Co

    • Gatlinburg Wine Cellar: The most touristy of the wineries, this spot has lots of sweet wines in their two locations on the main strip

  • Clingman’s Dome: About 45 minutes from Gatlinburg, this lookout tower and viewpoint is definitely worth the drive. The ride is gorgeous as well, be sure to stop at the Newfound Gap Overlook for great views just a few minutes away from Clingman’s Dome. At the dome expect traffic/parking to be a hassle there are tons of people who stop here. To get to the tower you walk up a steep hill to the overlook, but it is only a half a mile each way and is paved. It is the highest point in the Smokys!

  • Tennessee Cider Company: The first cidery in the Gatlinburg area and new to the scene. Their ciders were delicious and the staff was super nice!

  • Cookie Dough Bliss: Edible cookie dough, what more do you need to know?! It is absolutely delicious and located right next to Goodwater Vineyards

  • We had a complimentary stay at Greystone Lodge and it was lovely! The views of the mountains and river out back were great and it was conveniently located in the heart of the city!

Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail

Gatlinburg Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting: ​

  • Go moonshine hopping! You can’t visit Gatlinburg and not have some moonshine. Each moonshine tasting is $5 for all of the samples.

    • Ole Smoky Moonshine: The classic! Located in Ole Smoky Holler. Don’t skip the pickle!

    • Sugarlands Distilling Company: The first couple samples here are extraordinarily awful and burn, but persevere, it gets better!

    • Doc Collier Moonshine: This is a smaller and newer space with some great options! They also have moonshine slushees that were delicious!

  • Ole Red: A really popular bar/restaurant with live music. Crowded and overpriced but it is entertaining

  • Pigeon Forge: Another area to explore with lots of attractions

Sugarland Cellars

Other Things to Do in Gatlinburg:​​