4+ days in Gatlinburg & Pigeon Forge with Kids

Jan 11

Written By Kristel

Your 4 Day [or more] Itinerary in the Smoky Mountains.

There is so much to do in Gatlinburg & Pigeon Forge Tennessee, you will never run out of activities for your family! I have a 4 day itinerary for you, filled with some of the best family-friendly attractions that the Smoky Mountains has to offer. Take some, leave some, spread it out over more days, or look up other attractions that I missed listing! Either way, you’re guaranteed to have an adventurous vacation with your kids.

*Photo owned by Kristel at onthegowith4kidsintow.com*

Day 1: Explore downtown Gatlinburg.

Gatlinburg is one of those towns that is flashing with tourist traps… and you just have to EMBRACE IT! I would recommend spending your first day in town, just walking up and down the main strip. There are a lot of different kinds of shops to stop in and really good restaurants and dessert places to choose from.

This map of Gatlinburg is a really great guide to look at and reference before planning your trip, so you can get a good sense of what’s around!

Map of Gatlinburg

So what were some of our favorite places we hit up?

Gatlinburg Space Needle

Ok. The Gatlinburg Space Needle is definitely a touristy thing, but I have a thing with always wanting to ride something that goes up in elevation! My kids also love being up that high in the air and having a beautiful view of the town from above.

It’s a little awkward getting to the ticket admission desk and the entrance to the Gatlinburg Space Needle. The Needle is actually housed at Arcadia— a 25,000 sq ft arcade place. You can follow the signs to get to the entrance, but even when you’re inside, you have to find the desk that actually sells the tickets. But the workers are very nice there and you can easily ask someone if you’re having trouble finding it.

After you get your tickets, you will be directed to the glass elevators that will take you up over 400 ft to the observation deck. Once you are you up on the deck, walk around and take in the breathtaking 360° views of Gatlinburg and the Smoky Mountains.

Gatlinburg SkyPark

Alright guys, this place is definitely not for the faint of heart. If you are even remotely afraid of heights, then definitely skip this. But if you love being high up in the air like I do, then you have to check this place out!

Gatlinburg SkyPark is another attraction that offers panaoramic views over Gatlinburg, but unlike the Gatlinburg Space Needle, SkyPark is an open air attraction with various walking bridges to experience.

The only way to get to the top of SkyPark, is to ride the SkyLift, which starts at ground level and takes you up 1,800 ft above sea-level to the top of Crockett Mountain.

Once you reach the top, it’s best to just jump right in [but not literally!] and start your walk across the Gatlinburg SkyBridge. The SkyBridge is the longest pedestrian cable bridge in North America, stretching almost 700 ft across and at a height of 500 ft above Gatlinburg.

After you’ve conquered the SkyBridge, the SkyTrail will seem like a piece of cake! This elevated boardwalk is 1/3 of a mile and can be more easily enjoyed by all ages. The SkyTrail will also get you access to the Tulip Tower, which is a 70’ steel tower that has 4 viewing platforms. If the SkyBridge seems too intimidating of an experience, the SkyTrail is a great alternative.

However, if both the SkyBridge and the SkyTrail are too daunting for you, if you can at least make it up the SkyLift, you can still enjoy the beautiful view just walking around on the SkyDeck or relaxing on one of the outdoor chairs. You can also grab a bite to eat at the SkyCafe in the SkyCenter, where there are additional panoramic views to enjoy on the outside deck or inside the cafe.

Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies

Ripley’s Aquarium in Gatlinburg is probably one of the best aquariums we’ve ever visited, and that includes the Shedd! The flow to view the attractions is actually great for kids to navigate as you start at the coral reef and then past the shark lagoon with the 12 ft sharks, exotic sea creatures, one of the best Penguin Playhouse exhibits in the country and an underwater tunnel with a moving walkway. There’s also the Discovery Center exhibit that encourages hands-on exploration.

But your kids will absolutely love the 3-story Discovery Tree House Center, which is an actual indoor playground in the center of the aquarium that spans all 3 floors. PRO TIP: there are entrances and exits onto each floor, so you really need to keep an eye on [and follow alongside] your children because they can end up exiting on a different floor than you are on.

Ripley’s Aquarium also has experiences such as the Glass Bottom Boat Adventure, feeding Sally the Sea Turtle, and a Penguin Encounter and the Penguin Painting Experience, which involves a penguin making art with their feet!

Runner-Up Attractions

Ripley's Believe It or Not! Odditorium
800 Parkway, Gatlinburg TN 37738

Ripley’s Mountain Coaster
386 Parkway, Gatlinburg TN 37738

Amazing Mirror Maze & Circus Golf
919 Parkway, Gatlinburg TN 37738

Moonshine Mountain Coaster
306 Parkway, Gatlinburg TN 37738

Parking

I don’t know about you, but coming from a city like Chicago, I am constantly anxious about what parking will be like when we visit different cities and towns. But the parking in downtown Gatlinburg is definitely nothing you need to be worried about. There is plenty of [paid] parking lots throughout the area to park at.

Map of Gatlinburg

Day 2: Explore Pigeon Forge.

Unlike Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge doesn’t have a walkable downtown strip, but the main road that runs through Pigeon Forge is still filled with fun attractions that the whole family can enjoy.

Three Bears General Store

A general store that boasts clothes, jewelry, candy, funnel cakes, ice cream and so much more. Three Bears General Store is a 40,000 sq ft shop that also has a Make-UR-Bear Factory, an arcade and an Old Time Photo Studio.

But the main attraction at the General Store is the Bear Habitat. Three Bears rescued their bears from a nearby hunting farm and has been taking care of them for over 25 years. Their 5,000 sq ft habitat has a waterfall and pond, and each bear has their own individual den.

The Island in Pigeon Forge

The Island is one of the most popular destinations in Pigeon Forge, offering the best shopping, dining & entertainment options in the area. The outdoor center has over 40 retail shops- our favorite being the Ole Smoky Moonshine Barn. Eat lunch or dinner [or both!] at any of the bar & grills, or grab a pizza at the Mellow Mushroom. If you love fresh squeezed lemonade as much as I do, hit up Bob’s Lemonade stand, located right in front of the Island Show Fountain.

Speaking of the Island Show Fountain, make sure you stop by to watch the water dance & light performance, synchronized to music. The show starts about every 30 mins on the top of each hour and the half hour, and lasts the duration of 2 full songs.

But the fun doesn’t stop there at The Island. You can easily spend a couple more hours here, enjoying all the different entertainment attractions: from the carnival rides to the The Great Smoky Mountain Wheel to ropes courses and everything in between! And if you think you need more time to enjoy all the fun that The Island has to offer, there are even 2 lodging options on The Island: Margaritaville Island Hotel and Margaritaville Island Inn.

The Track Family Fun Parks

There are a lot of small amusement parks in Pigeon Forge that have go carts, rides and an arcade, so I honestly don’t think you can go wrong with visiting any of them. But my family and I enjoyed our short time at The Track. Older kids will have a great time on the 3 level go cart track and playing at the arcade, but my kids were much younger at the time of our visit, so we spent our time at “Kids Country”.

Kids Country is a small section of the park that has rides for the younger crowd, and all of them do have a maximum height requirement. There are rides such as the mini ferris wheel, the carousel, spinning Tea Cups, a train and so much more! It was a great place to stop at if you need to burn through 1-1.5 hrs.

Goats on the Roof of the Smoky Mountains

My family & I love this little gem and ended up visiting here multiple times during our vacation! The main attraction of Goats on the Roof is exactly that: the live goats that are grazing on the top of their roof! For those who are familiar with Al Johnson's Swedish Restaurant in Door County WI, this concept of the goats on the roof, came exactly from that restaurant! In fact, Goats on the Roof of the Smoky Mountains has a licensing agreement with the Swedish Restaurant in Door County, so that they can share the same unique attraction.

But our favorite part of Goats on the Roof is actually their mountain coaster! The Gatlinburg & Pigeon Forge area is full of different mountain coaster attractions but the Goat Coaster is the best one in my opinion. We rode 2 other ones in the area and we just felt the Goat Coaster was a lot smoother of a ride and not as jerky as the others. Also, the line was always short and fast moving, which of course is a huge plus when you have kids!

Goats on the Roof also has gem mining, a souvenir shop and sweet treats like homemade fudge & ice cream.

Dolly Parton’s Stampede

For something unique and if you love a dinner & extravagant show performance [and you have a horse-obsessed child like I do], then Dolly Parton’s Stampede is the experience for you! With a similar concept as Medieval Times, Dolly Parton’s Stampede is an entertaining show with equestrian performances and aerial acrobats. Immerse yourself in the whole production, while feasting on their 4 course meal comprised of vegetable soup, rotisserie chicken, bbq pork loin and so much more! Vegetarian and gluten-free options are also available.

Try to get to the show a little earlier so you can stroll down the Horse Walk, where you can get up close to and meet the 32 star horses of the show.

Runner-Up Dinner & Show Entertainment

Pirates Voyage
2713 Parkway, Pigeon Forge TN 37863

The Comedy Barn Theater
2775 Parkway, Pigeon Forge, TN 37863
[there are no dinner courses, but there is a concession stand]

Hatfield & McCoy Dinner Feud
119 Music Rd, Pigeon Forge TN 37863

Paula Deen’s Lumberjack Feud
2530 Parkway, Pigeon Forge TN 37863

Runner-Up Attractions

MagiQuest
2491 Parkway, Pigeon Forge TN 37863
Home to 4 great attractions: MagiQuest game, Adventure
Arcade, Special FX Pirate Golf and Odyssey Mirror Maze

Pigeon Forge Snow
2533 Teaster Ln, Pigeon Forge TN 37863
America’s first indoor snow park

WonderWorks
100 Music Rd, Pigeon Forge TN 37863

Alcatraz East
2775 Parkway, Pigeon Forge, TN 37863

Titanic
2134 Parkway, Pigeon Forge TN 37863

Day 3: Spend the day at a theme or adventure park.

There are three main theme & adventure parks in the Gatlinburg & Pigeon Forge areas. Ober Mountain [originally called Ober Gatlinburg] is the one we chose to go to and we felt it was the perfect choice for young kids.

Ober Mountain

Ober Mountain seems to get a bad rep because of how dated it is. I don’t know if it’s just because we have nothing to compare it to or maybe we’re not as picky, but the “older” atmosphere of Ober Mountain didn’t bother us at all and I think it’s what gives it its charm. Even more importantly, it was not over crowded and the grounds were spacious and easy to navigate, which is very important to me when traveling with kids.

*It is important to note that when we traveled to the Smoky Mountains in 2022, this theme park was still called Ober Gatlinburg; now, under their new ownership, I am sure there will be future updates and more attractions to come! Please confirm with the theme park on any possible outdated information I may be writing.*

There are 2 ways to get to the top of of Ober Mountain where the adventure park and ski area is. The easiest way is to drive up Ski Mountain Road and park at their lot near the entrance. But the more fun way is to take the Aerial Tramway! It will take some advance planning to make sure the departure times fit your schedule, but your kids will love taking the 2.1 mile ride up the mountain in a cable car.

Once you get into Ober Mountain, you will immediately see just how many fun family-friendly attractions are at your fingertips! Viewing a map of the adventure park might be helpful to know what you’re stepping into.

Ober Mountain Adventure Park Map

There’s a rock climbing wall, large jump pillow, carousel and other small rides. The indoor area also has ice bumper cars and a year-round ice skating rink. Take a peaceful ride up the Scenic Chairlift or try out the Tennessee Flyer Mountain Coaster. For more of a thrill ride, there is now summer tubing down the mountain and also the popular Alpine Slide. When your kids need to decompress from all the fun, take a leisurely stroll through the Wildlife Encounter.

I’m really excited to see what the theme park has in store for the near future!

Runner-Up Theme & Adventure Parks

I wish I had personal experience at the other 2 main parks in the Gatlinburg / Pigeon Forge area, but both are very popular and family-friendly; you really can’t go wrong with any of these 3 options!

Anakeesta

Anakeesta is in the heart of downtown Gatlinburg. It’s on the newer side, having opened its doors in September of 2017. In addition to the mountain coasters, Anakeesta is well known for their treetop adventures, including the skywalk, treehouse play area and Treeventure Challenge Course. There is also a zipline and lots of shopping & dining options.

Dollywood Theme Park

Dolly Parton’s motto “Go Big or Go Home”, pretty much sums up the entirety of Dollywood. This theme park can easily be enjoyed over the course of 2 or 3 days and in fact, there are multi-day ticket options for just that! In addition to dining, shopping and award-winning theme park rides, there are also a variety of exclusive shows and daily demonstrations by master craftsmen, such as blacksmiths, glass blowers, leathercrafters and so much more.

And not to add on more overwhelming options, but adjacent to the Dollywood Theme Park is Splash Country, Dollywood’s own water park.

Day 4: Take a hike.

*Photo of Laura Falls via tripadvisor.com*

My family is by no means a hiking family. I mean, my husband & I do like to explore and walk trails and all of us absolutely love being outside, but my kids are so lazy! My list of hiking trails below are for the lazy kids like mine! But if hiking is something your family really enjoys, I highly encourage you to look up some trails on your own, because the Smoky Mountains offer some really beautiful, long and moderate-to-difficult hikes that your whole family can enjoy.

Otherwise, here are some easy kid-friendly trails and paths that will be fun to explore:

Gatlinburg Trail

Round Trip: 3.9 miles
Starting point: at the SW edge of Gatlinburg or from the Sugarlands Visitor Center
Features: a relatively flat trail that follows along and gives access to the river, and passes the remnants of an old homestead.
More info: Hiking the Gatlinburg Trail

Cove Mountain Trail to Cataract Falls

Round Trip: 0.75 miles
Starting point: at the Sugarlands Visitor Center
Features: a short distance and mostly gravel trail that goes over bridges and leads to a 25ft waterfall.
More info: Hiking Cove Mountain Trail to Cataract Falls

Sugarland Valley Nature Trail Head

Round Trip: 0.5 mile loop
Starting point: Newfound Gap Road [US hwy 441]
Features: Wheelchair & stroller friendly, with remains of structures built before the area became part of the National Park.
More info: Hiking the Sugarland Valley Nature Trail Head

Laurel Falls Trail

Round Trip: 2.3 miles
Starting point: Fighting Creek Gap on Little River Road
Features: Popular trail that leads to an 80ft waterfall. Beware of black bears and steep dropoffs.
More info: Hiking Laurel Falls Trail

Elkmont Nature Trail

Round Trip: 0.8 mile loop
Starting point: on Elkmont Road in the Elkmont Campground
Features: Starts on a small footbridge that goes over a creek. Sightings of native foliage, unique mushrooms and wildflowers.
More info: Hiking Elkmont Nature Trail

Bonus: Sevierville- Dolly Parton’s hometown.

*Photo by Phil Rodgers via goatsontheroofofthesmokies.com blog*

We unfortunately were not able to spend any time in Sevierville, but it’s definitely worth noting and adding to your itinerary if time permits on your trip. Here is just a small handful of things to see and do in Dolly Parton’s hometown.

Downtown Sevierville
Stay, eat & play in Downtown Sevierville, and be sure to visit the landmarks connected to Dolly Parton: The Dolly Parton Statue, the “Wings of Wander” mural, “Red’s Cafe” mural, Jolene’s boutique shop, The Pines theater, Old Kilpatrick’s Drug Store and Emery’s 5 & 10.

SkyLand Ranch
1620 Parkway Sevierville, TN 37862
100 acre farm with rides, shops & restaurants, live entertainment, animals and much more.

RainForest Adventures Discovery Zoo
109 Nascar Dr, Sevierville TN 37862

Tennessee Museum of Aviation
135 Air Museum Way, Sevierville TN 37862

Soaky Mountain Waterpark
175 Gists Creek Rd, Sevierville TN 37876