Scenic Smoky Mountains Road Trip: Gatlinburg to Asheville

Shows – There are dozens of shows to pick from – including musicals, music, variety shows, and comedy. The Hatfield & McCoy Dinner Show and Dolly Parton’s Stampede are two of the most popular.

Distilleries & Wineries – There are dozens of distilleries, cideries and wineries in and around Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. The most popular is the Ole Smoky Moonshine Distillery. It is the most visited distillery in the U.S. and offers free moonshine tastings.

Dollywood – This amusement park is one of the most popular in America. The park extends over 160 acres and is owned by the famous country singer, Dolly Parton. Dollywood offers rides for those of all ages, including younger children. Festivals, shows and events occur throughout the year, so it’s a great stop in any season. This park helped establish Pigeon Forge as a family-friendly destination.

Old Mill – This National Register of Historic Places landmark is a center point for visitors to Pigeon Forge. Shops, restaurants and history combine to make this a fun destination.

The Island in Pigeon Forge – This affordable and family-friendly amusement park is packed with rides, museums, shops, and more. Some of the attractions include a high ropes course, a large Ferris Wheel and a carousel.

Hollywood Wax Museum Entertainment Center – Learn about Hollywood’s biggest stars through history and enjoy the Castle of Chaos 5D laser shooting ride, Hannah’s House of Mirrors, and Outbreak – Dread the Undead zombie experience.

Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokeys – This Gatlinburg attraction is great for all ages. You can learn about marine life through shows, presentations, self-guided tours, and interactive exhibits.

Gatlinburg Mountain Coaster – This alpine coaster is an exciting ride down the side of a mountain. It offers a unique experience for families and allows grown-ups and kids to ride together. The speed of your ride can be adjusted, allowing those preferring a calmer ride to enjoy views at a slower pace. This coaster is open day and night for visitors.

Titanic Pigeon Forge – This is the “world’s largest Titanic museum attraction.” With its replica ship and in-character staff, you can learn about the Titanic via interactive exhibits and artifacts.

Museums – Check out these fun museums: Hollywood Star Cars Museum and the Gatlinburg Pinball Museum.

Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail – This scenic drive takes you through the Smoky Mountains on a 5.5-mile road. It's a great option for those who don't want to hike or during rainy days. This route is closed in the winter.

The Gatlinburg Trail and Middle Prong Trail– These hiking trails are worth exploring and offer a variety of lengths and difficulty levels. The Gatlinburg Trail is an easy 1.9-mile route that allows bicycles and pets. The Middle Prong Trail is a strenuous, 8.3-mile trail, perfect for more avid hikers.

Gatlinburg Space Needle– Ascend 400 feet in a glass elevator for spectacular views of Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Mountains. Right next door Is Arcadia, a 25,000 square foot arcade and entertainment center.

Ole Smoky Candy Kitchen – one of the top family-friendly activities in Gatlinburg. This candy shop has been creating taffy and other confections since 1950. You can watch the shop workers make candy; get ready for a tasty and educational stop.

Visitor Centers – There are four visitors centers in the park: Sugarlands, Oconaluftee, Cades Cove, and Clingmans Dome. Each has friendly staff available to answer questions and help you plan your trip.

Cades Cove – This lush valley set between mountains offers excellent opportunities to see wildlife. Explore the cove on the 11-mile Cades Cove Loop Road. On Wednesdays, the road is closed to vehicles to allow hikers and bikers access. The Cades Cove area has the highest concentration of historic buildings in the park, including churches and barns.

Fishing – One of the park's most popular activities, with 2,900 miles of streams and many types of fish, makes the park a great place for anglers to practice their skills. You can fish year-round in the park.

Charlie’s Bunion Trail – this picturesque and moderately challenging 8-mile roundtrip hike (for the more fit hikers) leads to the breathtaking stone outcrop, Charlie’s Bunion.

Porters Creek Trail– One of the kid-friendly hikes available in the park. It's a moderately challenging two-mile hike leading to Porters Flat, and a barn, cabin, and springhouse. This area was once a community with multiple shops, corn mills, and small farms. The remnants of these buildings allow you and your kids to get a picture of what life was like in the 1800s.

Historic Buildings – Discover interesting, preserved cabins, churches, and ghost towns from the 1800’s around the park.

Oconoluftee Indian Village – On your drive to Asheville near the southern border of the park in Cherokee, North Carolina, is a wonderful living history museum showcasing what life was like for the 18th Century Cherokee Indians of the mountains of North Carolina.

Biltmore House – With more than 150,000 square feet of living space, this Chateau- style grand mansion is the largest privately owned house in the U.S. Built by George Washington Vanderbilt II in 1895 as his “little mountain escape” – his descendants still occupy and use parts of the home. Vanderbilt furnished it with priceless furniture and art. The self-guided tours take you back in time and help visitors understand the astounding way the estate was built over six years. The Estate has fabulous gardens, hiking trails, shops, restaurants, a winery and much more. Plan to spend 4-6 hours to take it all in.

Downtown Asheville– Downtown Asheville is vibrant with its thriving art, music, craft beer, dining, and cultural scenes. Check out the Asheville Art Museum, Thomas Wolfe Memorial, Lexington Glassworks, South Slope Brewing District, Asheville Urban Trail, minor league baseball (the Asheville Tourists), Drum Circle (Fridays at 6pm), and the Mast General Store. There are more than 100 restaurants, 200 shops, and 30 galleries downtown.

River Arts District – Next to the Broad River, this arts district features nearly 200 working artist studios and galleries. There are also places to eat and drink.

North Carolina Arboretum – Just south of Asheville, this arboretum offers acres of cultivated gardens and groomed trails with some of the most beautiful botanically diverse plants in the area. It has indoor and outdoor exhibits and many special events.

Western North Carolina Nature Center – This 42-acre zoo is operated by the City of Asheville’s Parks and Recreation Department. It has more than 60 species common to the region – all have either been injured or are unable to survive in the wild.

Adventure Center of Asheville – This privately owned park allows the young or young at heart to zip, swing, rappel, jump, climb and walk above the treetops, all safely suspended by 30 towering trees.

Pisgah National Forest – This USDA operated forest, located a stone’s throw from Asheville, has 500,000 stunning acres of waterfalls, forests, and mountains. Parts of the Blue Ridge Parkway actually go through Pisgah. Consider hiking, driving or mountain biking here.

Outdoor Pursuits – Asheville is rich in opportunities for so many ways to enjoy the outdoors – hiking, climbing, kayaking, biking, fishing, golfing, and on and on!

Asheville Urban Trail – This outdoor trail uniquely explains the history of Asheville. A scavenger hunt takes you along the 1.7-mile trail to 30 stations. Each station explains an important event in Asheville's history. This is a great way for kids and adults to learn about Asheville in a fun, interactive way.

Sliding Rock – One of the most unique natural attractions in Asheville. Sliding rock is a natural waterslide that takes riders 60 feet into an eight-foot pool at the bottom. Lifeguards are only on duty from Memorial Day to Labor Day, when riding down the waterfall is safest.

Grandfather Mountain Nature Park– This park offers an array of activities, from hiking trails to unique rock formations, animal experiences, gift shops, restaurants, and more. It’s the location of the famed Forest Gump Curve, featured in the movie. This nature park is excellent for people of all ages.

Mile High Swinging Bridge – Found in the Grandfather Mountain Nature Park, this 1952 bridge is the highest suspension footbridge in the U.S., with an elevation of over a mile. You’ll need to drive along a two-mile scenic route to reach the access point for this bridge.