Anyone been recently? Any advice? We're a small family with a 4.5 year old and a 22 month old. Looking to rent a house. Preferably more secluded. Going next month, around the 10th. I am looking possibly even on the North Carolina side, as we don't necessarily care so much for the overly touristy side, and would rather a smaller town feel. Not only that, but that puts us closer to possible day or evening trips to Asheville. Hoping to do some hiking and wandering, but anything kid friendly is a bonus. Curious to hear any recommendations.
It's a large park and it's going to be very hard to take in the must sees, like Cades Cove in the early morning and Clingman's Dome for a sunset, AND do Asheville. (Be aware that both those places can be absolutely overran at times with traffic, Cades especially, and Cades is closed to cars at times). Full Disclaimer: I've camped in each of the park's campgrounds several times, some for extended periods, but I've never rented a house. If I were looking for a place to chill and just take in the park, I would probably start searching around Wears Valley or Townsend. Cherokee and Maggie Valley are popular and would put you a little closer to Asheville, FWIW, but they don't offer as much in the way of scenery. Gatlinburg is the most disgusting tourist trap I've ever come across and should be avoided at all costs. I'll try and provide a few more tips next week when I'm not swamped. Check the park's FB page tho... The park's visitor centers are very nice and worth checking out early in your stay...
Awesome stuff. Yeah, Gatlinburg does not look like something I necessarily want. Found a few nice cabins for cheap in Cherokee and Maggie Valley area. Appreciate the location advice for sure. Asheville isn't a huge necessity, but could be an advantage on a rainy day. Thanks again.
Gatlinburg is SUPER touristy now. I remember going there as a kid and it was awesome, but it's like Vegas now.
I don't honestly understand the appeal of Maggie Valley and why there are so many hotels there, other than it's close to the Smokys and the Blue Ridge Parkway (and maybe some Indian casinos?). It's pretty, but there's more to see and do around Townsend, like Cades Cove, and some great rivers and nice hikes. Townsend the town is kinda crappy. There's really not much of note there, but it's close to Cades Cove and not far from places like Gatlinburg. There's really not an easy answer and I don't want to steer you wrong. Seeing the Smokys in a short amount of time is going to require you to do A LOT of driving, and that's not even factoring in going to Asheville. Maybe just think about finding a semi-secluded place that you can call home base.. enjoy the family... venture out when you're up to it... ???
I completely agree with you. And I completely appreciate your input. It's going to be more about hanging with my family, and venturing out when we can, for sure. Asheville is an afterthought, though I may have misrepresented that. The last year and a half of our lives has been hectic and crazy. We just want an escape to relax, explore a little, and then at night, after we put the kids to bed, have a glass(or bottle) of wine by the fire or in the hot tub.
You've got the right attitude. I've ****ed up and tried to squeeze in too much in the past. Should have focused more on the memories...
We were just there in May, and ended up staying in Pigeon's Forge. This was the house that we rented on airbnb, which we highly recommend: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1964847 We're a small family as well with a 1 year old. We stayed there for one night, and took a daytrip to Smoky Mountain. It is reasonably secluded, and it has a great view of the mountains. The only downside is that the drive up to the house is pretty steep, so make sure you're not driving an underpowered car. We didn't have much time there, so we just took the scenic route to Clingman's Dome, and hiked up to the peak. There is plenty more to do there if you stay there longer. If you're hiking, you'll probably need a backpack carrier for your 22 month old. I was able to rent one from a local family in Pigeon Forge through the babyquip website, so I didn't have to fly in with one. Pigeon Forge as a whole should be pretty kid friendly. There's the Dollywood theme park, aquarium, and other kid's attractions. The food was pretty good as long as you're eating American. Message me if you have any other questions.
With your kids Pigeon Forge is the place to go, they have mountain coasters, they have tons of shows and mini golf locations, it is a tourists dream. Also the hiking, white water rafting and you can get a nice family home with an indoor pool for under $350 a night.... Smokey mountains are awesome ! DD
Awesome. Appreciate this. The house is exactly what we're looking for, but unfortunately not available. Luckily, there's a large quantity. I think we have a carrier, but if not, I may just buy one. Used it in Acadia when my son was young. Did you think Pigeon Forge was too Vegas-y? That's my worry there. And I don't want to pay $50 for an entree. I'm cheap. I honestly didn't know anything about babyquip. Will have to look into that, as well. Appreciate the info!
I'm not going to lie. Pigeon Forge on the main road is pretty Vegas-y. but it didn't bother me when I can just drive right past it. We had no desire to stay at the resorts there, and the section of Pigeon Forge where we stayed at was mostly a residential area. If your family can find enough enjoyment at the park, there's no need to pay the entry fee at those attractions. If you end up going to Pigeon Forge, Three Bears General Store should be good free entertainment for your kids. We also really enjoyed our breakfast at Five Oaks Farm Kitchen.
I stayed in Gatlinburg for a week with extended family. It's true that Gatlinburg is a traffic heavy tourist trap, but it's also extremely convenient being right next to a major entrance and visitor center of Smoky Mountain NP, and actually does have some good restaurants (for breakfast and after a long day of hiking) and some good attractions. I was skeptical even after reading all the great reviews for it, but the Ripley's Aquarium in Gatlinburg is actually 100% legit. So, if you have kids I'd almost call it a can't miss. There's also various skylifts (Ober Gatlinburg, SkyLift park) that kids might enjoy. We rented a mountain house just a little to the west of Gatlinburg with a nice views of the smokies. It's a pretty central location that allows you to get to Pigeon Forge without too much of a drive and of course right next to the National Park. We stayed just to the west of downtown Gatlinburg and easy access to the NP entrance that bypasses the Gatlinburg traffic. Can look at where Ski Mountain Road goes into Gatlinburg and follow that west. I think it was barely a mile to get into downtown Gatlinburg and NP entrance. Just a warning that the mountain roads are pretty steep and winding, so might be a little tough in a non-AWD minivan, but probably fine otherwise. The Alum Cave Trail was my favorite hike in Smoky Mountain NP.
Awesome info. Thanks. I think my kids would love the aquarium. I have some cabins I saved up that way. Maybe I'm ruling that area out, and I shouldn't, after seeing what you and @OldManBernie had to say. I have an Outback, but it's about a 10 hour drive to get there, so we were debating renting a larger SUV to go. Not sure if I need to, to be honest. I'm kind of leaning towards not renting.
