There’s no doubt that the Smokies is one of the most visited areas for vacations in the United States. The area itself is huge, and is a stone’s throw from several eastern and southern states, making it very easy to travel to. But Jen, what do people do for fun when they go there? Well, consider this your ultimate guide of what to do, where to go, and what to see.

The beauty of vacationing in the Smokies is that there’s something for everyone! And we hate to sound biased, but our favorite place to stay is Wears Valley (hence why we own 2 cabins there). Wears Valley is East of Pigeon Forge, and close to Townsend, TN, another favorite of ours, dubbed the peaceful side of the Smokies.

A perfect vacation in the Smokies can be defined by 3 things:

Immersing yourself in nature
Giving in to the mecca of Kid entertainment
Bear sightings (yes you read that right)

Lets start with the first point. Outdoor enthusiasts can all agree the Smokies is one of the best areas for hiking, sightseeing, and being one with nature. The Smokies National Park is huge. In 2023 alone the park had 13.3 million visitors. Thats alot of people, and that means it can get crowded. Lucky for you, our cabins are 10 min away from a secret entrance to the national park. Avoid traffic, get to the areas in the park that don’t have a ton of visitors, and truly experience the Smokies how it should be done. But Jen, how do you get to the secret entrance?! Well, when you book with us, we’ll give you the insider info (wink wink).

The Foothills Parkway is a very easy, comfortable way to see the Smokies. It’s a beautiful, scenic drive that you can access in Wears Valley, offering some of the most beautiful views of the Smokies.

There are also tons of other opportunities within 20 minutes of our cabins to experience the outdoors. From river rafting at the River Rat in Townsend, To the infamous Cades Cove loop, and the Sinks, a beautiful waterfall and swimming area, and the countless hiking trails within the National Park, there’s no shortage of things to see and experience.

On to point number 2! Probably one of the biggest draws to the Smokies….the endless amount of KID ENTERTAINMENT. Looking for a year round haunted house? We gotchu. A Ripley’s Believe It Or Not museum? Right this way! How about a detailed Titanic experience tour, complete with an assignment of an ACTUAL person who was on the Titanic, and you get to see whether you live or die when you finish the tour? And one of our personal favorites, The Alcatraz East Crime Museum (morbid, I know). During warmer months you can have your pick of go carts, mountain coasters and ziplining. Anakeesta is a guest favorite as well! During winter months, there are plenty of dinner shows and indoor activities for kids. Our favorite dinner show is Dolly’s Stampede, because who doesn’t love Dolly? Their Christmas Show is simply magical. And lets not forget DOLLYWOOD! I don’t think I need to elaborate more on that one. To sum it all up, you could spend all of your time at kid attractions in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg and not even scratch the surface. There are A TON!

Now, point number 3 is duly loved and hated by our guests. BUT, the reality is, if you are coming to the Smokies, you will likely see a bear. They are everywhere. Now, its important to emphasize safety right about now. This comes with the usual points: DO NOT FEED THEM. FOR THE LOVE OF IT, DO NOT FEED THEM. While I’m here, don’t leave food outside, don’t leave food in your car, don’t leave food anywhere, pretty much. These guys do not want to hurt anyone. They just wanna eat. They are actually pretty even keeled creatures. We’ve encountered plenty at our cabins. They are usually not aggressive, just curious. That said, we do NOT want to risk them becoming aggressive. We always tell guests to stay vigilant, use the air horns we provide to scare them off, and DO NOT LEAVE FOOD OUTSIDE (one more time for the people in the back!). If you can keep yourself safe from them, which is pretty easy to do, I guarantee the sighting will be a moment you and your family and friends will never forget.

Vacaying in the Smokies: What to do and where to go

Before and After: Rancho Bella Vista

Who are we? and what the EF are we doing here?