Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee

Yael Dorfman

My family is an intrepid one; we’ve road-tripped for several years and visited incredible places in more than half of the states. While we’re always looking forward to the next trip, hoping to hit the entire country at some point, there are some trips we’d all be excited to repeat. One of our all-time favorite trips is one that’s become more popular in the frum traveler’s world over the past few years: the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee.

Great Smoky Mountain National Park, which stretches across the Tennessee–North Carolina border, is the most popular national park in the country, attracting 11–13 million visitors every year. As a result of its immense popularity—or maybe a factor in its popularity? It’s a chicken-and-egg situation—the nearby towns are a hotbed of unique and exciting family-friendly entertainment, making it a perfect destination for families who love nature but also love a great amusement park.

Let’s explore!

 

 

 

Know before you go

 

 

 

Distance from Lakewood: approximately 600 miles/11–12 hours nonstop

Suggested length of visit: minimum 3–4 days, 5–7 days to experience it fully

Age range: activities for all ages

Closest airport: McGhee Tyson Airport, Knoxville

Main tourist areas (to search for lodging): Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, Sevierville

Jewish infrastructure: Chabad of Knoxville (approximately 1 hour drive). Kosher food is limited even in Knoxville; contact Chabad if you’d like to stay over Shabbos or order meals in advance. Visit chabadknoxville.org or call 865-588-8584.

 

Stops along the way

 

 

 

 

It’s a long drive, but a doable one. Fortunately, there are many beautiful places along the way. A bit before the halfway point, you’ll hit the Shenandoah National Park area in Virginia, which is a trip in its own right.

 

 

 

 

• Drive the scenic 105-mile Skyline Drive. It will take you longer than the straight route, but it’s worth it. It has incredible views, wildlife spotting, and 75 separate overlooks where you can get out, stretch your legs, and enjoy the scenery.

• Tour a cavern. Shenandoah Caverns and Luray Caverns are the more well-known caverns, but you can also visit Skyline Caverns, Endless Caverns, and Grand Caverns.

 

 

 

• There are trails for every ability, from the short and easy to the long and challenging, many with beautiful waterfalls.
• Antique shops abound in the surrounding towns, including the country’s largest antique mall, the 150,000-square foot Factory Antique Mall in Verona.

 

 

 

About an hour past the national park, you’ll find a hidden gem: Natural Bridge, Virginia. This cute little town features its namesake natural limestone bridge at the Natural Bridge State Park as well as a drive-through safari (Virginia Safari Park, where you can feed and interact with animals up close after you drive through), Natural Bridge Caverns, and the Natural Bridge Zoo, a small zoo with exotic animals.

 

The main destination

 

 

 

The Great Outdoors

 

Smoky Mountain National Park is home to 848 miles of trail for the hiking and nature enthusiasts. Some of the most popular spots include:

• Laurel Falls: an easy, paved trail leading to an 80-foot waterfall
• Grotto Falls: the park’s only waterfall that you can walk behind
• Chimney Tops Trail: a steep, strenuous hike with rock scramble
• Rainbow Falls: a challenging hike to the park’s highest waterfall
• Alum Cave Trail: This long trail (11 miles) passes Arch Rock 1.3 miles in, Inspiration Point at 2.3 miles, and the orange-clay Alum Cave Bluff. The trail culminates at the summit of Mount LeConte.
• Cades Cove: This 6,800-acre valley is a great place for wildlife viewing and also features the popular Abrams Falls trail, 19^th-century pioneer buildings, and a working grist mill. The area is accessible by car; it’s an 11-mile, one-way loop.
• Kuwohi (formerly known as Clingmans Dome): This is the highest point in the Smoky Mountains (as well as the highest point of the Appalachian Trail) with views of seven states, located half in Tennessee and half in North Carolina. Walk a steep half-mile trail, then follow the raised, paved trail to the observation tower.

 

 

Family fun

The three main cities at the foothills of the Smokies are Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Sevierville. They’re all located within 15–30 minutes of each other, so wherever you stay, you’ll be near plenty of action.

Family-oriented attractions abound in the Smoky Mountains area. There’s something—or many somethings—for everyone!

• Dollywood: One of the most popular and well-known local attractions, Dollywood is an amusement park that caters to all ages and levels of adventurousness. “America’s Friendliest Park” lives up to its name with live demonstrations by master craftsmen (blacksmithing, candle making, glassblowing, and pottery making) in addition to roller coasters, kiddie rides, and shows.
  

  

• Anakeesta and Ober Mountain: Both adventure parks are similar, featuring attractions like ziplining, mountain coasters, and a gondola ride to the top. Anakeesta has more for younger children to do, while Ober Mountain has more high-action thrills and more attractions in general, including ice skating, ice bumper cars, alpine slides, and rock climbing.

 

 

• Outdoor Gravity Park: The only zorbing park in the country! Climb into what’s essentially a giant inflatable ball with some water inside and roll down a slope inside of it. The park also offers the Fishpipe experience, where the ball remains in one place while it rotates. Picture a giant hamster ball. (Ages 5+)
  

 

 

• Jayell Ranch: This is another adventure park, but with different types of activities to suit each member of the family. There are ATV rides, horseback rides, ziplining, animal encounters, and synthetic “snow” tubing.
• Offroad tours: From the cautious tourist to the thrill seeker, everyone can find Jeep and ATV tours to access the more remote areas of the mountains. Off Road Gatlinburg offers guided tours and rentals.
• Mountain coasters: This mountainous area is home to many roller coasters built right into the mountainside. Check out Rocky Top Mountain Coaster, Smoky Mountain Alpine Coaster, Moonshine Mountain Coaster, Lost Mine Mountain Coaster, and the Goat Coaster at Goats on the Roof (where there are indeed goats on the roof…and mini golf).

 

 

• Go-karts and mini golf: Route 441 is the main drag of Pigeon Forge, loaded with touristy fun. You’ll find go-karts, mini golf, arcades, boardwalk-like rides, the historic Old Mill District, museums, and quirky souvenir shops along its five-mile stretch. You can ride the trolley from one end to the other. For a more unique mini golf experience, head to the Appalachian-themed mountaintop Hillbilly Golf in Gatlinburg.

Rainy day entertainment

Want to stay indoors? The Smokies have got you covered.

• Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies: This huge, family-friendly aquarium features more than 10,000 sea creatures, including sharks, penguins, and stingrays, as well as interactive exhibits and an underwater tunnel where sharks glide overhead.
• Titanic Museum: Visit this ship-shaped museum—complete with an iceberg—where you can walk through many full-scale replicas of Titanic features like the Grand Staircase. It’s an interactive museum, so you can see real artifacts and touch freezing water. Visitors are given the name of a real passenger and learn “their” fate at the end of their tour.

 

 

• The Salt and Pepper Shaker Museum: Need a quick but entertaining stop? This little hidden gem houses 20,000 sets of salt and pepper shakers from around the world.
• WonderWorks: This upside-down building houses hands-on science exhibits, ropes courses, laser tag, and simulators so that you can have fun as you learn.

 

 

• Pigeon Forge Snow: Snow tubing in the summer? Yes, please! You can race down indoor tubing lanes and play in the snow. No winter gear needed; it’s 67°F in there.
• Smoky Mountain Knife Works: This is one of the world’s largest knife stores, but it’s also a destination. This outdoor-themed store has entertaining displays as well as historical and practical ones.

 

 

 

• Forbidden Caverns: Branded as the Greatest Attraction Under the Smokies, Forbidden Caverns offers guided tours of beautiful natural formations and an underground stream. (Not recommended for anyone with mobility or respiratory issues.)

Venturing further?

 

If you’ve managed to max out the local attractions, you can drive a little further to find more.

• Tuckaleechee Caverns, Townsend, TN (35 minutes): Another “greatest site under the Smokies,” Tuckaleechee features the highest underground waterfall in the country and other incredible views.
• The Lost Sea, Sweetwater, TN (1½ hours): Take a guided tour through the Craighead Caverns, ending in a boat ride on America’s largest underground lake.

 

 

• Cherohala Skyway, Gatlinburg to Robbinsville, NC: This is a two-hour scenic byway, similar to the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia.
• Mingo Falls, Cherokee, NC (1 hour, 15 minutes): Enjoy a short yet moderately strenuous hike to a 120-foot cascading waterfall.