Great Smokey Mountains National Park is bigger than we expected! So much to take in and we only had…read moreso much time. We did go to the visitor center and get a map. It was a good visitor center and had some cool merch and friendly rangers with good advice. We hiked a bit, saw many mushrooms, squirrels, birds and snakes. We did not see bears but we heard there are there. Highly recommend and can't hardly wait to check it out again with more time.

So incredibly beautiful. So many dang bears…read more Or so I've been told. Fortunately for me, a person who is very much afraid of bears and wants nothing to do with them, I did not see any bears during my visit to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. But they're there! Lurking ... somewhere ... in the forest, I'm sure. I visited during the spring, when the bears were waking up from their long slumber, and I'm sure they were just waiting, with growling tummies, to eat someone. Because of the bears, I didn't travel too far away from the visitor center area of Newfound Gap. But there are trails and other things to see that are beautiful if you like hiking and whatnot. As for me, I was satisfied staying close to where there was more concrete and cars than nature. (I know! I'm kind of dumb sometimes.) Newfound Gap straddles both Tennessee and North Carolina, so you can be in two states at once -- literally, you can have one foot in Tennessee and the other in North Carolina! There's also a cool rock structure that you can climb to the top of called the Laura Spelman Rockefeller Memorial, where you'll get great views of the mountains. They really do look smoky! They ain't lyin'. The Newfound Gap area of the Smoky Mountains also has a trailhead for the Appalachian Trail, plus restrooms. I saw backpackers who definitely looked like they had been on the the Appalachian Trail for a while. I've since learned that although this is not the largest national park, it's the most visited, and I believe it! There were quite a lot of people at the Newfound Gap area. That said, I visited a few other places around the park where there were zero people, so you might have to change locations, depending on how many people you want to share your park experience with.

Wow. Pricey, but great experience. Should be some sweet memories for the kids - and us!!…read more Special shout-out to Chad (no idea about last name), who was taking tickets before we got on the lift. Super nice guy - professional and helpful (good tips) - friendly and welcoming. Sending us off with a God bless was a nice touch, although I could see that sounding funny to some folks, ha ha. (Dear God, please watch over us on this chair lift...) It was the kids' 1st time on a chair lift / ski lift, and it was a good one. Had to go open-air. No one freaked out. They even took selfies together on it. So sweet. Great views on the way down! Lift was rebuilt in... 2019 (?) after wildfires destroyed it, but they maintained a great old-school feel. Now! To the top. The SkyBridge. THE SKYBRIDGE. WOW. So so cool. Longest suspension bridge in North America, apparently. It was awesome, complete with grating and plexiglass at the middle. Amazing views. A little scary, sure, but so cool. Was stoked the kids wanted to walk across it multiple times. The trails up top are better than I expected. Not top tier Smokies trails, but better than expected. And more good views. Tulip Tower was cool, too. The overall SkyPark area was also beautifully landscaped. REALLY impressive - beautiful. Highly recommended.

The Gatlinburg SkyPark is a good experience worth buying tickets for. The ride up was great with…read morenice views of the town (the seats fit up to 3 people) and the bridge had good views of the mountains, and for the thrill seekers had a part that was transparent glass. At the other end of the bridge there is a drink and burger place and seats with a view. Though you might wonder why isn't this review a 5 star review. It's because the workers print out photos of you on the ride up and wait for you at the top asking you to buy them. They also take a photo of you before the ride, knocking the background out, putting it on a picture of the bridge and expecting 36 bucks for it. If you say no it goes in the trash which is a big waste. Now my family's face is shredded like iceberg lettuce and tossed into a dumpster somewhere in Gatlinburg (probably owned by Blake Shelton) The prices of the food were good, though just a notice the "frozen lemonade" is STRAWBERRY lemonade and is pre packaged.

We don't come from PF to Gatlinburg without stopping at this park. It's excellent for our toddler…read moreto burn off energy before a car-nap or to move around a bit, especially if we've been in the car a while. We watched them build it for a while, even witnessed an Eagle a few years back in this same area, and were so glad once it was finally finished and open. They have nice bathrooms, a fishing access area, and a fence around this play area-which I really appreciate! Highly recommend stopping by if you have a kid and need to let them run and play a bit or if you're looking for something free to do. Also, be sure to walk down and look at the trout in the area near the restrooms.

Cute park located in downtown Gatlinburg--perfect for parents with kids who need to release some…read moreendless energy. I really liked that it had easy parking and was surrounded by a fence to keep kids inside. Restrooms are also located here.

Sweet little park in Gatlinburg! My 3 year old son had fun on the playground. I love how the…read moreplayground itself had some shade for the kiddos and the benches for parents also were set beneath trees for shade too! The high school track in the property was very nice for a couple of runs when we were in town.

Great dog park. We visit each year and are so glad we found this dog park. Great fenced in area…read morewith trees, benches, and a water fountain. There are hills that can get muddy so wear tennis shoes and maybe bring a walking stick for uneven ground.

Love it. Very little walking required. Great for older people. You can see most ever7thing from…read moreour car.

It was busy season ... same week as Fourth of July, but we went on this trail to see a snipet of…read morethe Smoky Mountains . We were in three different vehicles/ families and despite the traffic we were able to pull off a couple of times and see the beautiful views and stream. Kids loved playing in the water, too.

Beautiful and scenic. A bit more strenuous than I'd thought it would be. Still, quite lovely and…read morecool

Laurel Falls is a great starter trail for Families that are introducing their children to hiking in…read moreGatlinburg. There are plenty of interesting facts to be shared, different types of plants and wildlife along the trail. This time we didn't see many animals but the trail was a bit more crowded that day. I would not recommend taking a stroller or wheelchair on this trail. It is barely paved and there are many roots. Parts of it are very steep as well. It's a great place to practice mindfulness on the way up. There are enough roots and rocks on the path to force you to focus on being present and walking carefully. It's a peaceful trail that gives you a great view of the forest. The falls are still there but not as deep as they used to be. The rocks are very slippery! I definitely recommend water shoes if you have them. The way down is a bit harder than the way up. If you have issues with your legs or balance, I recommend using a support of some kind. There are no benches but you should be able to find large boulders to rest on.

Patriot Park is a perfect starting point for exploring Pigeon Forge--especially on a sunny day…read more Free parking alone makes this spot a win, and it's conveniently located next to the Pigeon Forge Trolley stop, which is affordable, easy to use, and connect you directly to Dollywood and most of the city's major attractions. The park itself is clean, well maintained, and has centrally located restrooms (always appreciated). From here, you're steps away from Old Mill Avenue and the historic Old Mill district, one of the most charming areas in Pigeon Forge. Highlights include the Old Mill Pottery House Cafe and Pigeon River Pottery, where you can watch local artisans at work, plus plenty of unique gifts and souvenirs. Old Mill Square feels like the heart of the original Pigeon Forge, with its preserved charm and walkable cluster of shops and eateries. Favorites include Iron Mountain Metal Craft, Old Forge Distillery (they have the best prices in town for moonshine, whiskeys and all) Old Mill Restaurant, Creamery, Candy Kitchen, General Store, Farmhouse Kitchen, and more--there's truly something for everyone. This area beautifully maintains its historic ambiance while offering great food, shopping, and family-friendly fun. Ideal for all ages, Patriot Park and the Old Mill district are absolutely worth dedicating a full day to--and a must-stop on any Pigeon Forge visit.

This park is cute and has a nice walk area and grass area. Loved the Smoky the Bear statue and a…read morefew of the Pigeon Forge statues here too. Located real close to the transit center, this is a great place to park for free and use the tram to go into town. Overall, the park is on the small side, but the location makes this a nice stop. It's super close to the Old Mill, so a pleasant area for a walk through and around town and the Old Mill area where parking is sometimes scarce.

My family had a wonderful experience this morning doing the Mega Zip!…read more Our guides were Alyssa, Bobby, and Sky! They had great attitudes/personalities and really enhanced the experience This place takes safety very seriously and the guides teach you how to be safe and do multiple safety checks throughout the entire experience to make sure everything goes smoothly. All of my fears were calmed by how thorough they were. And they actually have a tiny "demo" ZipLine that they have you do first- to make sure you know what to do and can handle the Mega Zip. THE "Mega Zip" ZIPLINE WAS A BLAST!!! And the views from the ZipLine, the top of the mountain, and on the way up in the bus are gorgeous. 10/10 would come back again! Very safe and very fun!

This was my husband and my second visit for the guided UTV tour at Wildside. We are adrenaline…read morejunkies and this activity was right up our alley. We came here two years ago when they first opened and had a blast! It was definitely on our let's go again list. We rented the Maverick 2 seater and had Brad and Keith as our guides. They were great and attentive to everyone in the group and kept the thrills coming throughout the whole tour! We stopped halfway through the tour for pictures and Brad and Keith were happy to help and answer any questions. I highly recommend wearing clothes and shoes that aren't important to you because YOU WILL GET MUDDY! One suggestion is to have better sanitation for the helmet liners. They were pretty stinky so I recommend bringing a head sock or scarf.

Step back in time as you visit this 19th century one-room schoolhouse. The blackboards are still…read morethere, as are the student desks, well-worn wood polished smooth by countless children who were educated here for more than 50 years. The schoolhouse served the Little Greenbrier community as both school and church beginning in 1882 when it was built. There is a small cemetary across from the school at the edge of the small parking area. A marker with a picture of students and teacher at the entrance to the school yard gives a brief history. We reached the schoolhouse easily enough by taking the narrow, one-lane Little Greenbrier Road from the Metcalf Bottoms picnic and trailhead area. Do not attempt this road in a large vehicle. There is a portapotty at the edge of the parking area. Visting the school itself is cool, but making the experience even better is the hike up the road on the Little Brier Gap Trail to the Walker Sisters place. This is a farily easy, approximately 1.5 mile hike which crosses a small stream via a narrow footbridge just before reaching the Walker's. The Walker house and outbuildings are the last remnants of the Little Greenbrier Community. The 5 Walker sisters lived there within the Great Smoky Mountain National Park until the last sister died in 1960. We opted to visit and hike after lunch. It made for a perfect afternoon. As one of the "less advertised" spots to visit in the park, we saw a handful of folks at the schoolhouse and met a few people on their way back from the Walkers but for the most part, we were alone on the trail and felt like we had the place to ourselves. What a treat!

Amazing bison burger! Food was great. Atmosphere kinda close to other tables and crowded but well…read moreworth it. Got a table fairly quickly and server was awesome