Gatlinburg & Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Where to Hike, Eat, & Drink

This post is the companion guide to Episode 23 of Marrying Your Passions: The DINK Travel and Adventure Podcast, where we cover Gatlinburg, the Smokies and more!

Some destinations you visit once and check off a list. Gatlinburg is not one of those places for us. We have been coming back to this corner of Tennessee for 19 years, starting with our honeymoon and continuing through more return trips than we can accurately count. We have watched this town survive wildfires and rebuild itself. Our pup, Peppermint Patty now also has her own tradition here. After all these years, we still find something new every single time. This is our complete guide to it.

Nathan and Alicia stopped on the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail for a selfie in front of the Smokies

Where It Started

Our first trip to Gatlinburg was our honeymoon back in 2007. We didn't know then that it would become the place we kept returning to more than anywhere else, but something about the mountains, the pace, and the mix of nature and small town indulgence pulled us back again and again over the years. We returned in 2014 and watched the town continue to change and grow around us, trip after trip, in small ways you only notice if you keep coming back.

Our Honeymoon Christmas Ornament from Gatlinburg

Then came the wildfires. If you were not paying attention to Gatlinburg specifically, you might not remember just how bad they were or how much of the town and surrounding area was affected. We were not there when it happened, but we came back not long after, and watching this community rebuild itself into something even better than before is a big part of why this place means what it does to us. We tell the full story, including exactly what changed and what stayed the same, on the episode.

Nineteen years later we are still coming back, and it still feels like our place.

Home Base: Westgate

One of the Westgate rooms with a peak of the gorgeous mountain views from right on the property.

We almost always base camp at Westgate Smoky Mountains Resort, and there is a simple reason why. It sits right outside the boundary of Great Smoky Mountains National Park itself, which means park access is effortless compared to fighting Gatlinburg's parkway traffic every time you want to get into the trees. We have hiked the immediate surrounding area straight across from the resort, and yes, we have seen bears on property. Building 111 is our favorite as it almost feels like a private cabin! Check out the water park, mini gold, great on property restaurants, spa, fitness center and more right on property. You'll see why it is our favorite!

Southern Comfort is the onsite restaurant at Westgate. It is delicious and a great space to grab a drink.

Gatlinburg Moonshine, Wine, and Whiskey Tasting Guide

If you know us, you know we do not skip a good tasting room, and Gatlinburg and the surrounding Smokies area might have the highest concentration of legal moonshine distilleries, wineries, and whiskey tasting rooms anywhere in the country. Nathan genuinely cannot relax on a trip here until we have hit at least one. We put together a full downloadable Gatlinburg moonshine, wine, and whiskey tasting guide covering our favorite stops, what to order, and what to skip, because trying to cover every single tasting room in one blog post would take all day. It is free for our newsletter subscribers if you want the complete breakdown. Grab it here!

Ole Smokey Sign on the Parkway

One quick correction while we are on the subject: if you ask a voice assistant or GPS for Old Mill Distillery, do not be surprised if it hears "Oatmeal Distillery." It happens constantly. It is actually Old Forge Distillery, and it is worth the visit. It is part of The Old Mill complex which includes moonshine tastings, a restaurant, and a general store all within walking distance of each other in Pigeon Forge.

The Gatlinburg Strip, Food, and the Arts and Crafts Loop

Looking down into Pancake Pantry

Walking the parkway strip never gets old, from the sign shops to Pancake Pantry, a breakfast institution! We try to go as often as we can. We have our go to spots by now, along with a couple of new discoveries each visit, and the Great Smoky Arts and Crafts Community Loop is a genuine must if you have not done it. See some of our favorite restaurants linked below. Alicia leads us through it every time and always finds something we did not expect, usually something that ends up coming home with us.

We will also just say this: Gatlinburg has a stretch of the strip that leans a little more adult than family friendly, and we have stories from that side of town too. Those are better told out loud than written down, so if you want the full picture, that one is on the episode.

Pigeon Forge and Sevierville

Nathan getting ready to run from Patriot Park in Pigeon Forge for some flat miles.

We spend less time here than in Gatlinburg proper, so we will be honest about that up front rather than pretending we have every corner of Pigeon Forge mapped out. That said, a few spots have earned a permanent place on our itinerary. The Pigeon Forge Greenway is a running and biking trail that starts near Old Mill and follows the river toward Pigeon Forge High School. It is one of the only stretches of flat ground in the entire area, and Nathan runs or bikes it nearly every trip. The Island in Pigeon Forge is worth a walk through, especially if you time it with a Hooch Hop tasting stamp stop. And the Apple Barn & Cider Mill was a newer discovery for us that immediately earned repeat visits. We also enjoy shopping at the Tanger Outlets in Sevierville.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

We are honest with our audience about this every time: we typically only give the park itself one or two focused days per trip, and that is perfectly fine. You do not need to hike every trail in the Smokies to have an incredible visit.

Cades Cove is our favorite part of the park, hands down. It is an 11 mile, one way driving loop through a historic valley with some of the best wildlife viewing anywhere in the Southeast. Black bears, deer, wild turkeys, all of it. Give yourself at least two to three hours, longer during peak season. One thing to know if you are traveling with a dog: Cades Cove does not allow pets outside your vehicle.

Enjoying a beautiful day on the Cades Cove Loop (Nathan's sporting a Tennessee Smokies hat)

Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is another great stop, a shorter loop just outside Gatlinburg with waterfalls, historic cabins, and dense forest views. Unlike Cades Cove, dogs are welcome in the car the entire drive, which makes it the easier of the two loops if you are traveling with a pet.

Alicia stopping to snap a pic along the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail

Gatlinburg Dog Friendly Trail: Where Dogs Are Actually Allowed in the Smokies

Here is something most visitors do not realize: dogs are banned from nearly every trail inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park. If you are searching for a Gatlinburg dog friendly trail or wondering whether dogs are allowed on Great Smoky Mountains trails at all, the honest answer is almost nowhere, with one major exception.

We loved the Gatlinburg Trail. So will your dog!

The Gatlinburg Trail, starting at the Sugarlands Visitor Center, is one of the only trails inside the park where leashed dogs are welcome on foot. It is where our dog Peppermint Patty, P2, earned her Bark Ranger bandana. If you are traveling with a dog and want an actual on foot trail experience inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park rather than just a scenic drive, this is the one to prioritize.

We still have not made it over to the North Carolina side of the park, and hiking up to LeConte Lodge is on our list for a future trip, though P2 makes that one tricky for now. We will get there eventually.

Enjoying the Great Smoky Mountains National Park!

Not Someday. Today.

Nineteen years in, Gatlinburg is still one of our favorite places on earth, and we are already thinking about our next trip back. If you want the full tasting guide, the complete run of show from our episode on this destination, or you just want to start planning your own trip here, we have you covered. All the links and more are below! Happy Travels everyone!

Resources

Lodging:
Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort, Gatlinburg, TN

National Park:
Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Visitor Center, Trails and Scenic Drives:
Cades Cove Loop Road
Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail
The Gatlinburg Trail (dog friendly, starts at Sugarlands Visitor Center)
Sugarlands Visitor Center
Gatlinburg Welcome Center

Restaurants:
Best Italian Cafe and Pizzeria, Gatlinburg, TN
Gatlinburg Brewing Company, Gatlinburg, TN
Little House of Pancakes, Gatlinburg, TN
Loco Burro, Gatlinburg, TN
Mellow Mushroom, Gatlinburg, TN
Pancake Pantry, Gatlinburg, TN
Southern Comfort Restaurant at Westgate, Gatlinburg, TN
Split Rail Eats, Gatlinburg, TN
The Baht, Gatlinburg, TN
Old Mill Restaurant, Pigeon Forge, TN
Local Goat, Pigeon Forge, TN
Taco Ranch, Pigeon Forge, TN

Bars and Craft Beer:
Casual Pint (inside the Holiday Inn), Pigeon Forge, TN

Exclusive Moonshine, Wine, and Tasting Guide by signing up for our newsletter

Shopping and Attractions:
Great Smoky Arts and Crafts Community Loop, Gatlinburg, TN
The Island in Pigeon Forge
Tanger Outlets, Sevierville

Running and Biking:
Pigeon Forge Greenway Trail - river trail near Old Mill toward Pigeon Forge High School

Listen to the Episode

You can hear our full Gatlinburg and Great Smoky Mountains story on Episode 23 of Marrying Your Passions: The DINK Travel and Adventure Podcast. Find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms. Search Marrying Your Passions wherever you listen.

As always, we would love to hear how you are marrying your passions to your everyday life. Share your stories with us on social media or send us a message.

Find us on Facebook, Tik Tok, YouTube and Instagram at @MarryingYourPassions.

Stay tuned for our next episode on San Miguel de Allende, Mexico with our first international guest, Greg Gunter. The adventure continues!

Peppermint Patty, Alicia, and Nathan

Marrying Your Passions is hosted by Nathan and Alicia Adams, a married DINK couple (Dual Income, No Kids) who travel, run marathons, and eat and drink their way through life together. Whether you are a DINK couple, empty nester, or anyone ready to adventure now, this podcast is for you. New episodes every other week. Subscribe, leave us a review, and keep adventuring!