Our national parks are such a treasure and the Great Smoky Mountains Park was no exception. We…read morevisited in mid Oct and the leaves were just changing so lots of bright greens and yellows and just the start of the reds. When the sun hit the colors it was just so beautiful. All the trails were lovely. We really enjoyed Rainbow falls with its 80 foot drop. The Alum Cave Bluff Trail was so cool at the top as you rested under a huge rock overhang. The views from Kuwohi were stunning. I would suggest taking the trail rather than the paved path. It's a little bit longer but it's shady. The paved path is so steep. We were not a fan of Cade's Cove. Apparently, there are often bear sightings there but all we saw were a few turkeys. The traffic was atrocious. We did do Abrams trail at the middle of the loop. Parking for that trail was the easiest of all trails we did. A national park pass is not required but you do need a parking pass. Ours was $10 for the week. You are allowed to drive through the park for free but if you park longer than 15 min you need a pass. I did see rangers ticketing cars.

Been wanting to visit the Smoky Mountains and Appalachia and wow it is so beautiful. It's a free…read morenational park, which makes it even better. If you are parking for more than 15 minutes anywhere, you must buy a daily parking pass though ($5 per day). These can be purchased at any information center. The mountains and nature are breathtaking. We even saw so many elk and wild turkeys early in the morning while we drove through!! We also saw a black bear. Many hikes and nature trails to choose from, including ones that are completely drivable. Kuwohi Observation Tower: Easy paved uphill walk. Do not go in the early morning when the fog is thick because you will not be able to see anything. Alum Cave Trail: Pretty easy trail. Beautiful nature and cool rocks to look at. Took about 3 hours roundtrip to reach inspiration point. Cades Cove: A drivable scenic loop road. 11 miles one way. Took about an hour or so driving very slowly enjoying the scenery. Saw a black bear that held up traffic. It is closed to cars on Wednesdays to open it up to walkers and bicycles.

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.

This was a nice experience in the heart of Gatlinburg! The chairlift provides amazing views as you…read moreascend and descend from the park. The SkyBridge itself is a fun experience. After the bridge and a short trail walk, there's nothing else to do except sit and enjoy the mountain view. I wouldn't recommend this excursion if you're hungry. I don't think there are plentiful food options. I didn't see anyone eating but lots of people had a beer.

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.

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.

This was a great trail to drive as we spent most of the day hiking. You are able to see a great…read moreamount of the river and wildlife on the drive. Usually you can see some black bears driving through. Parking is extremely limited so definitely get there early. But if you're driving through there are plenty of places to stop quick for the scenic overlooks.

Great city park! Clean, lots to do at the park. Nice clean bathrooms, paved walking trail around…read morewhole park. Great place for families or just to enjoy the outdoors! Twin Creek trailhead is just up the road and is a beautiful walk through the woods.

This is a beautiful park, especially in October with the trees and their colorful leaves. Our…read morefriend is able to walk her dog here. We explored under the pavilion, and down by the water. We didn't use the 6 tennis courts or dance under the pavillion, but we did use the bathrooms. Husband said his was fine. Ours had a defective paper towel dispenser, but a working blower. We had soap, toilet paper, and the toilets flushed. Perfect! We also walked by the clubhouse. They have a water fountain to fill bottles! If you are lucky, you'll also see butterflies & bees in the flowers nearby. This would be a lovely place to picnic. We'll be back to do just that!

This is a great, fairly easy, hike. The paved trail is nice, however it's in need of some serious…read moremaintenance/repair in many places. That said, it is a trail in the mountains... Laurel Falls is beautiful and worth of some good photos and selfies. I've seen bears on this hike, which is a nice bonus. PARKING: be prepared to wait or park at one of the several overflow lots (which can add extra "hiking" to your journey). Well worth the effort!

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

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