I thought It’d be most helpful to share 6 favorite experiences from our first family trip to the Great Smoky Mountains! I’ve included a ton of photos in this post because they just bring things to life. A trip to the Smoky Mountains is a great escape for any stage of family life, but we found it to be very “doable” with our two small kiddos (ages 1.5 and 3.5).
Many of the sights are drivable, which allows for car naps en route to our next destination – parenting win! I also thought it was a great place to visit because we could do things at our own pace. This is especially helpful when you have children that are pretty little still and don’t always cooperate as we want/need them to. #parenthood
You can also find other posts regarding our Smoky Mountains Trip here:
- A First-Timer’s Guide to Planning a Family Road Trip to the Great Smoky Mountains (with Toddlers)
- Travel Essentials for Toddlers – Build a Travel Bin!
Let’s start exploring…enjoy the photos!
#1 – Clingman’s Dome
There are many reviews that suggest going to Clingman’s Dome first when you get to the Smoky Mountains. I’d have to agree. Climbing to Clingman’s Dome is no small feat (even though it’s not a very long hike), but it’s a great introduction to experience the jaw-dropping scope of the Smoky Mountains.
Clingman’s Dome is the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains at 6,643ft. The “Dome” refers to the actual mountain top, not the lookout tower. It’s the highest point in Tennessee and the third-highest mountain east of the Mississippi. The trail is paved and .5 mile long.
Do not underestimate these two seemingly easy features of the trail – you will gain 332ft on this short, but very steep trail. Plan on stopping to take breaks on your way up, especially if you have small children, are elderly or are out of shape.
We actually climbed this twice on our trip. The first day wasn’t very clear, so we thought we’d give it another shot to get better views. We weren’t disappointed.
Foggy Days in the Smokies are still pretty cool! 
But the views on clear days can’t be beaten!
I also love the camaraderie of those making the climb. Often times people will cheer you on, or you’ll do the cheering and offer words of encouragement yourself. It is busy, but people are very respectful.
#2 – Oconaluftee Visitor’s Center
We absolutely loved our experience at the Oconaluftee Visitor’s Center! This is on the North Carolina side of the GSMNP. We got there by way of the Newfound Gap Road, which crosses through the park. It’s a wonderful drive with a ton of scenic stops along the way.
We didn’t spend much time in the Visitor’s Center, but there was plenty of cool stuff to see right outside! The Mountain Farm Museum is located here, along with expansive open fields where elk, bears, and other wildlife roam freely. We got lucky and experienced seeing an entire herd of elk the day we went. No bears, though, bummer!
Side Note: One of my favorite things about our Smoky Mountains trip is that “seeing the sights” is as simple as getting in the car, rolling the windows down, turning off the radio, and driving through the park.
Nearly every road you take through the GSMNP is a “motor tour”. This is especially nice with little kids in tow! We didn’t feel like we (as parents) missed out on a whole lot because we saw so much of the park from the comfort of our car.
Danger: Stay back 50 yards! 
Observing the elk on the trail. 
Always something to explore…waiting for elk to come out!
#3 – Appalachian Trail Hike
We made a stop at the Newfound Gap Overlook on our way to other places one day of our trip. It was fun to knock off a bucket list item I’ve had – be in two places at once. The North Carolina/Tennessee border line sits at this site, so I thought I better make it happen!
This was also where our little family took one of our very first hikes together, on the Appalachian Trail! We had so much fun teaching the kids some basic hiking skills – stepping over tree roots, balancing on uneven ground, and jumping off of rocks and other trail obstacles. They enjoyed it, too. They thought they were pretty big stuff the more confident they got with their hiking skills! ☺️
#4 – Cades Cove Motor Tour
We made a last-minute decision to drive the Cades Cove Loop on the last day of our family trip to the Great Smoky Mountains. I am so glad we did!
We’d tried to make this happen on Wednesday when we were there because they block off the loop to all vehicles for the entire day. We thought it would be fun to walk a portion of it or see about renting bikes to bike it.
Unfortunately, it was a complete zoo by the time we got there (you should get there as early as possible on Wednesday mornings!). We had trouble finding a place to park, and then the bike rental place isn’t allowed to rent out any child bike carriers or bike trailers. It would have been a lot to walk this with two kids in tow, even with a stroller. So, we gave up in the midst of the congestion and had a picnic before moving on for the day! ha
One of the best places for a picnic in GSMNP!
Cades Cove is an 11-mile one-way motor tour loop through a portion of the park. It sits down at the foothills of the mountains where around 120 early settlers lived at one time. In hindsight, I am so thankful we ended up driving this loop so we could see the entire thing.
The views were gorgeous and it was awesome to drive and stop when we wanted to get a better view, walk along a path, and/or take photos. This is also another hot-spot for spotting black bears/wildlife.
I definitely think biking this loop would so much fun! If you’ve got bikes and carriers/trailers of your own to take or older kids who can ride bikes independently, this would be something I’d put on my trip bucket list!
#5 – Laurel Falls Hike
Another item on our bucket list for this trip was to do a short hike as a family to a waterfall. We barely made this happen on the very last day before we headed out of town, but I’m glad that we did. I’d love to go back and make waterfall hikes more of a priority.
We drove the Roaring Forks Motor Tour, and from here you can go and do the Grotto Falls hike. But, the kids were sleeping, so we ended up just driving the loop and moving on. It’s a 3-mile hike and the trail goes behind the waterfall. Pretty neat and will have to do in the future!
Anyway, we managed to sneak in a quick hike to Laurel Falls. I say quick, but it took us about an hour and a half (maybe more?!) to get up and back down… it was busy so we didn’t really linger at the waterfall for lack of space.
I really enjoyed doing this hike with the kids, even though it’s oftentimes a slow-moving train. It’s just good for the soul to slow down and take things in at a child’s pace. Laurel Falls is one of the most popular hikes in GSMNP. We hiked with pretty steady traffic all the way up and back down.
#6 – Dolly Parton’s Stampede Dinner Show
The Dolly Parton Stampede Dinner Show was one experience we splurged on for this trip. We knew that the kids would absolutely love seeing this show, and we had never been before, either. Even though COVID-19 restrictions hampered a bit of the experience for us (no pre-show), it was still so much fun!
Watching M and G’s faces light up as the show began was priceless. M is currently in a cowboy phase so this was right up his alley. G was so tickled during some parts of the show that she did a little dance and giggled with the biggest smile. So fun!
From an adult/parent’s perspective, it’s a really great show and the food served was impressive and delicious. I especially loved the narrative shared about our country’s rich history. If you get a chance to go to one of these shows, we’d highly recommend it!
It’s been so fun going back through photos and reminiscing on our favorite moments from our first family trip to the Great Smoky Mountains! I hope this post is helpful to you for planning and having realistic expectations for your trip to the Great Smoky Mountains!
Please let me know what you enjoyed the most if you’ve already been. I love to hear from my readers!
-MG
Pin for Later…
Leave a Reply