Thanksgiving is one of our favorite holidays in the Smoky Mountains. It is the one time of year where you are able to sit back with the ones we love and reflect on the many blessings that life has brought us this year. You will be in the middle of some of the country’s most breathtaking scenery.
Here are five tips to help you have the best possible Thanksgiving in Gatlinburg:
1. Take Time to Explore the Great Smoky Mountains
Exploring the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will create memories to last a lifetime! There are so many unique things to see throughout the national park and the surrounding area. Bears in the park are wild and their behavior can be unpredictable. Treat bear encounters with extreme caution!
Wildlife viewing, historic homes and churches, and beautiful mountain scenery make Cades Cove the most popular destination in the park. From the earliest hepaticas in late winter to the last asters in late fall, blooming flowers can be found nearly year-round in the park. Feel the cool spray of a waterfall. Camp under the stars. Explore a historic mill. There’s plenty to see and do in the park!
2. Relieve Stress by Connecting with Nature
There’s no better way to make stress a thing of the past than by strapping on your hiking boots and hitting the trails! Whether you’re a hiking pro or you love to stroll, there are Smoky Mountain hiking trails to suit everybody’s needs. Fall is the perfect season for hiking because the weather is cool but not cold, the colors on the trees are absolutely breathtaking and the visibility is higher, meaning you have a better chance of seeing wild animals in their natural habitat. All of these things making hiking the perfect Thanksgiving activity! Plus, hiking is a great way to work off that Thanksgiving dinner!
3. Sightsee…From High in the Sky!
The Smoky Mountains are a popular place for sightseeing for tourists from around the world. People come from every corner to experience the breathtaking scenery, especially in the fall when the trees burn golden yellow and red. But sightseeing doesn’t just have to mean hiking or driving mountain roads. This Thanksgiving, consider spending the holiday in Gatlinburg TN sightseeing like never before…from high in the sky!
For those of you who love adventure and adrenaline, ziplining is an awesome way to get a whole new view of the mountains. You’ll love feeling the wind in your hair as you rush through the trees and over the mountains at high speeds! Most ziplining tours also include getting to walk over a sky bridge, which will test your bravery!
4. Visit Nearby Attractions
Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville all offer unique Smoky Mountain attractions that will quickly become family favorites. The main parkway is lined with more than 75 family fun Smoky Mountain attractions including Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies, Wonderworks, Dixie Stampede, Zorb, miniature golf courses, NASCAR SpeedPark, go-cart race tracks, a jungle boat ride, movie theaters, indoor skydiving, plus museums, souvenir shops and places to eat.
Family entertainment theaters showcase acrobats, comedians, cowboys, musical entertainment and magic. Lots of fun attractions and family entertainment for all ages make Sevier County one of the best vacation spots in America for weekend getaways, family vacations and group outings.
5. Enjoy Your Thanksgiving Feast at a Local Restaurant
This year instead of stressing about cleaning your house, shopping for groceries and planning for your house to be filled with aunts, uncles, cousins and other family members, plan a trip to the Great Smoky Mountains to enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday in a new and relaxing way.
There are dozens of restaurants that offer a classically delicious Thanksgiving dinner in Gatlinburg TN, guaranteed to keep your holiday relaxing and stress free. Check out our list of the top 5 places to enjoy your upcoming holiday meal!
- Seasons of Ober
- Smoky Mountain Brewery
- The Park Grill
- Big Daddy’s Pizzeria
