Everyone’s idea of the “perfect” vacation adventure is different. Some people love to get outside and enjoy the great outdoors, while others prefer a city tour or a day spent in arcades or museums. While some vacation destinations offer limited adventure choices, Gatlinburg has something fun for everyone! Whatever your idea of the best adventure, you’ll find it here. Read on to discover the most essential Smoky Mountain activities for every adventurer in your group.
Key Takeaways
- Gatlinburg offers nature lovers the best adventures and things to do, especially the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
- Try whitewater rafting or mountain fishing in the Smokies for extra thrills outdoors.
- Gatlinburg also offers city fun with ghost tours and arcades.
- If walking isn’t your speed, a driving tour will give you a taste of the scenic views around the Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge area.
Nature Adventures
The highlight of a Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge visit is the Great Smoky Mountains. Here are a few things to do in and around the park for your nature-loving buddies!
Explore the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park has something for every nature lover. Enjoy waterfalls? Take a 2.6-mile hike to Laurel Falls for watery beauty that will take your breath away.
Are breathtaking mountain views more your speed? Hike up to the highest point in the park at Clingman’s Dome or explore Andrew’s Bald.
Looking for pristine valley views? Cades Cove promises isolated valley views, a winding road, and plenty of wildlife sighting opportunities.
No matter your specific tastes, if you love nature, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a must-see during your adventures in Gatlinburg.
Gatlinburg Scenic Overlook
The Gatlinburg Scenic Overlook is a destination that offers stunning views of Gatlinburg and the surrounding mountains and national park. To access the overlook, take the Gatlinburg Scenic Bypass and look for the parking spot along the road. It’s one of the easiest ways to get a great view of the area without an extreme hike! Escape the city and enjoy a local outdoor spot you’ll love.
Outdoor Adventures
Whitewater rafting in the Smokies
Rafting in the Smokies, just outside of Gatlinburg, offers great options for adventurers! Looking for thrills on the river? Try a whitewater rafting trip! Prefer a relaxing river cruise?
Our scenic family float has you covered. Into the ziplining scene? We offer a canopy tour that’s sure to amaze!
From rafting to ropes courses, Rafting in the Smokies offers outdoor adventures for everyone in your group. Be sure to book an experience on your next trip to the Smokies.
Mountain Fishing Expeditions
Are you or one of your friends an avid fisherman? The Great Smoky Mountains and the park are teeming with fish, just waiting for you to catch them! You can strike out alone on your fishing expedition, but why not get the expertise of a seasoned mountain angler?
Consider a guided mountain fishing expedition to improve your chances of getting that prized catch. Great options in the Smokies and Gatlinburg area include The Smoky Mountain Angler, R & R Fly Fishing, and Smoky Mountain Guided Fishing Adventures. Rates range from $300 to $400 for a full day of fishing, or you can snag a half-day trip for $250 to $300. Your options include pontoon boat fishing, lake fishing at night, and fly fishing in the mountain streams. From bass to trout, the waters of the Smokies offer angling opportunities that will satisfy all levels of fishermen.
Walk across the Gatlinburg SkyBridge
Do you love the view from way up high? The Gatlinburg Sky Bridge will be right up your alley! This pedestrian cable bridge is the longest of its kind on the continent, boasting an incredible view of the mountains and national park from 500 feet above Gatlinburg. It’s no wonder CBS named the Sky Bridge to their list of the Top 10 Most Scenic Spots in the US!
The bridge features a glass floor, giving you a truly panoramic experience. It’s 680 feet long, with a five-foot-wide walking path and incredible views of the Great Smoky Mountains. While at the SkyPark, take advantage of the opportunity to try the outdoor Gatlinburg Sky Lift, SkyTrail, and SkyDeck! It’s an experience that’s sure to delight every thrill-seeker.
You can purchase SkyPark tickets online for $31.95, giving you access to the park’s attractions.
Tours
Ghost and Haunt Tour of Gatlinburg
Are you visiting the Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge area this fall? Looking for a spooky good experience? Look no further than the Ghost and Haunt Tour of Gatlinburg! Experience a two-hour tour of Gatlinburg, learning more about the area’s history and various accounts of the paranormal from friendly guides. The tour includes actual ghost-hunting equipment and operates seven days a week.
The Ghost and Haunt Tour is the only ghost tour in Gatlinburg to receive Tripadvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Award, so you can be confident that you’re in good hands. Tickets are $25 per person, but you can get $2 off if you book online.
Wine and Shine Tours
The Wine Me, Dine Me, Shine Me Tour is the perfect experience for the wine-lover on your Gatlinburg trip. Ride in a luxury limo bus or high-top van, check out local distilleries crafting their unique beverages, enjoy a delicious lunch, and get plenty of wine and moonshine sampling opportunities along your ride. You’ll be riding in style as you experience Gatlinburg’s best food and drink attractions!
Book your tour with friendly locals Mike and Jenn to experience the best drinks in the Smoky Mountains!
High Points Driving Tour
Explore the highest points in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park with this outdoor driving tour, easily accessible from Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. You’ll start at Clingman’s Dome, the highest point in the park, before exploring other high-elevation locations and learning about the history of each spot and its place in the park.
The tour costs $235 for 1-3 guests and $35 for each additional traveler.
Pink Jeep Tours
For an adventurous trip in an open-air Jeep, look no further than Pink Adventure Tours! You’ll spend two hours relaxing as you ride in a Jeep Wrangler and listen to an experienced tour guide share inside details about the Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge area and the national park. You’ll also get plenty of photo ops at scenic outdoor mountain spots!
Museums
If you prefer indoor adventures, or the weather isn’t aligning with your Gatlinburg outdoor plans, don’t despair! Gatlinburg offers plenty of opportunities to learn and discover at museums that cover all sorts of exciting topics.
Visit the Hollywood Star Cars Museum
If you love the glamor of Old Hollywood–or if you’re just an old car enthusiast–the Hollywood Star Cars Museum in Gatlinburg is the place for you! The museum features vehicles owned by movie stars and celebrities from the past 50 years, plus famous movie cars. Check out the Batmobile, a collection of vehicles from the Fast and Furious franchise, and Dolly Parton’s Cadillac.
The museum attraction is open seven days a week, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., admission is $17.99 for adults. Still, you can save $2 on admission by purchasing online.
Salt and Pepper Shaker Museum
The world’s only salt and pepper shaker museum is located in the heart of Gatlinburg! Anyone who loves unique and vintage items will enjoy a trip through the local attraction, which features over 20,000 sets of shakers from across the globe.
Admission is only $3, and you can apply it towards a purchase of one of the salt and pepper shakers in the gift shop. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
Fun & Games
For the adrenaline junkies, Gatlinburg offers fun and thrills to spare! The Gatlinburg area covers you from a soaring skylift that takes you to new heights to a mountain coaster in the heart of the Smokies. Check out some of the fun-packed adventures and attractions below.
Take a ride on the Gatlinburg SkyLift
You can’t go wrong with a ride on the Gatlinburg Skylift for a great view with a longstanding history. When the lift opened in 1954, it was the first all-season chairlift in the South. Today, it continues to thrill and impress visitors as it takes you 1800 feet above sea level, treating you to astounding outdoor views of the surrounding Gatlinburg area and the Great Smoky Mountains.
Each chairlift seats three people, and the current iteration was built in 2017, ensuring maximum comfort and safety standards. Finish off your trip on the Skylift with a walk across the Gatlinburg Skybridge and some time on the SkyDeck!
Tickets are $31.95 for the complete experience at the Gatlinburg SkyPark.
Moonshine Mountain Coaster
The first mountain coaster in Gatlinburg combines two thrilling experiences–a trip through the Smoky Mountains and a ride on a roller coaster–into one incredible journey! Strap in for a 3000-foot coaster ride that takes you 250 feet up the mountain.
At the top, you control the speed of your sled, allowing you to enjoy a scenic and leisurely ride down–or race off at speeds of up to 30 miles an hour. The track, recently updated in 2022, is maintained to the strictest “Wiegand” safety standards so you can have absolute confidence during your trip.
For extra thrills, take a ride on the coaster at night. The company lights up the outdoor mountain track, giving you spectacular and exciting views of Gatlinburg and the nearby park!
Adult tickets to the attraction cost $14 per person, or you can get a two-ride special for just $25. Military members, first responders, and large groups get a special discount.
Food & Drink
Every adventurer needs good food to be fuelled and equipped for whatever the day has in store. If you’re a connoisseur, sampling the highest quality food and drink might be your idea of an exciting adventure. Whether you’re looking to grab a quick but delicious bite or spend the day sampling the area’s best wines, Gatlinburg is the place for you! Discover the best food and drink for every adventurer with our selections below.
Wine and Shine Tours
The Gatlinburg Wine and Shine Distillery Tour allows you to eat and drink like a Gatlinburg local, sampling the region’s best wines. During this walking tour, your guides will share details about the history of Appalachian distilling and Gatlinburg wine-making traditions. You’ll get to tour local distilleries and taste a custom selection of drinks. This company also offers the ever-popular Wine Me, Shine Me, Dine Me Tour, which you can book for even more sips and stories.
The tour lasts over three hours and costs around $50 for drinkers. Non-drinkers can also take the tour for about $30 per person. All tastings are included in the ticket price, which also gives you a discount at the stops on your tour.
New Orleans Sandwich Company
Want to dine at a locally-owned restaurant with flavorful and unique dishes? Look no further than the New Orleans Sandwich Company, which offers delicious Low Country fare to fuel all your Gatlinburg adventures. Choose from Southern dishes, including po’boys, gumbo, seafood, and Jambalaya. The restaurant received the Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Award in 2023, so you can grab a bite with confidence that it will be delicious.
New Orleans Sandwich Company opens at noon and closes at six on Sundays, eight on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, and nine on Fridays and Saturdays.
Whether your idea of a thrilling adventure is a mountain fishing trip or a day at the arcade, Gatlinburg offers an experience you’ll love. There are things to do and fun attractions for everyone. Make memories high in the air at Gatlinburg SkyPark, conquer your fears with a ride on the Moonshine Mountain Coaster, or learn more about the spooky history of the area with the Ghost and Haunt Tour of Gatlinburg. Remember to fuel your fun with a tasting Wine and Shine tour or a delicious bite at the New Orleans Sandwich Company.
Rafting in the Smokies offers outdoor adventures for everyone in your group! From thrilling whitewater trips to the tranquil Scenic Family Float, from ziplining high above the trees to conquering the rock climbing wall, we offer fun for everyone. Book now and make us a part of your next Gatlinburg adventure!
