Smoky Mountain Travel Blog

The world's only Scooby-Doo mini golf — 18 holes through Coolsville Cemetery with a second Mine course on the way, gem mining, LED night lighting, and the Mystery Machine for photos.

Blake Shelton's honky-tonk, Guy Fieri's 43,000 sq ft entertainment complex, Jason Aldean's rooftop bar, and more — the celebrity restaurant lineup that's making the Smokies a dining destination.

Zombie battles, tactical laser tag, a custom car build, three-story ropes course, and a 200-foot Ferris wheel — nine reasons The Island is Pigeon Forge's best family destination.

The 4 best taco spots in Pigeon Forge — Taco Ranch's fusion menu, Gorilla Taco, Azul Cantina's rooftop bar, and El Ranchero Loco's authentic street tacos.

Biblical history through MX4D® motion seats and VR headsets, plus the only planetarium in the Smokies — what to expect at Truth Traveler on Pigeon Forge's Parkway.

Nightly karaoke at a locally owned Irish pub, mountain-view firepits, Jason Aldean's live music, and nearly 100 tequilas over the Smokies — four Gatlinburg rooftop bars worth the climb.

Fresh-churned soft serve from grass-fed cows, daily rotating flavors, dipped cones, s'mores churns, and ice cream pies to take back to the cabin — Cruze Farm on the Sevierville Parkway.

Mountaintop sunrise services, free egg hunts at city parks, handcrafted spring goods from local artisans, and Easter breakfast above the clouds — five Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge Easter traditions.

Sunrise from the deck, a waterfall hike, moonshine tastings, stargazing above the national park, and Anakeesta at dusk — eight anniversary ideas in the Smokies that go beyond the obvious.

Three days in Gatlinburg: a national park morning, Anakeesta's Crystal Express gondola and dueling ziplines, rooftop margaritas with mountain views, and a cabin hot tub under the stars.

From a 65-year-old pancake institution to a Celtic pub in The Village Shops, hickory-smoked BBQ on River Road, and the best steakhouse in the Smokies — nine Gatlinburg restaurants worth finding.

Book the cabin early, build in a cabin day, hit Dollywood on a weekday morning, pre-book dinner shows, and leave one day loose — the framework for a spring break that actually relaxes everyone.

More than 80 working studios on an eight-mile loop, two Celtic pubs, a 16-tap self-pour beer wall, and an old-fashioned soda fountain — the case for visiting Gatlinburg's Arts and Crafts Community in winter.

Black bears with cubs, scarlet tanagers in full spring color, turkey gobblers on display, salamanders in the creek, and synchronous fireflies after dark — what spring wildlife looks like from a Smoky Mountain cabin.

Waterfall hikes through wildflower season, a racing coaster with bragging rights at stake, The Melting Pot for dinner, and a mountain hot tub after dark — eight ways to make a Pigeon Forge spring break genuinely romantic.

SkyBridge at 140 feet, Anakeesta's all-glass gondola and dueling ziplines, whitewater on snowmelt-fed rivers, waterfall hikes through wildflower season — eight outdoor adventures that make Gatlinburg the right spring destination.

Zorbing in the only U.S. inflatable ball park, the longest continuous zipline in America, spring wildflower hikes, whitewater rafting on snowmelt rivers, and a mountain golf hole with a 200-foot drop — seven outdoor adventures near Pigeon Forge.

The national park's wildflower peak, a mountaintop dinner at Anakeesta, fine dining at The Greenbrier, and a private cabin deck under a star-filled Smoky Mountain sky — why spring is the right season for a Smokies honeymoon.

Zorbing, real construction equipment at Dig'N Zone, Pirates Voyage, Dollywood coasters, and a national park salamander hunt — spring break in the Smokies with kids.

Skip the 45-minute wait — The Peddler, Greenbrier, Gaucho Urbano, Ember & Elm, and nine more Smokies restaurants that take reservations.