Gatlinburg Vacations

My wife Jean and I have been on several Gatlinburg vacations up around the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. That part of the United States is God's country. Well, all of the States are, but the Smokies are exceptionally beautiful. In fact, we went to the Smoky Mountains for our honeymoon. We actually stayed in Pigeon Forge TN instead of Gatlinburg, but many people consider these two towns almost the same location since they are only a few miles apart. Most people who visit Gatlinburg on vacation visit Pigeon Forge as well. In fact, we've always visited both towns on our vacations in the Smokies.

Gatlinburg Tennessee is one of the most popular destinations in the entire southeastern United States. The main draw is of course The Great Smoky Mountains National Park which gets more tham 10 million visitors a year. I don't think there is anyone who visits Gatlinburg that doesn't visit the National Park, except maybe the guys driving delivery trucks.

The most popular destination in the Smokies National park is Cades Cove TN. Cades Cove is one of the most picturesque locations in the world as it is completely free of any modern influences. You can take picture all around the cove and not have to worry about unwanted telephone lines or unnatural buildings messing up your photos. The Cove takes you back to the days of the early pioneers who settled the United States.

Besides the park, there are tons of things to do in Gatlinburg. However, Gatlinburg is a bit of a contrast to the natural beauty of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. In the downtown area you will experience a near carnival atmosphere with a lot of touristy shops, jewelry stores and lots of fudge and taffy type candy stores. However, if you look real hard you can find several nice shops that make being in downtown Gatlinburg quite fun and enjoyable. The Village Shops is a popular shopping area with less gaudy type merchandise. If you like, you can participate in one of my favorite pastimes which just consists of finding a great cup of coffee, a comfortable place to sit and just watch the people go by.

One of the more exciting attractions in the downtown area is Ripley's Aquarium of The Smokies featuring more than 2,000 species of fish.

Of course a Gatlinburg Vacation would be complete without staying in a Gatlinburg cabin rental. There really isn't any other way to spend your vacation. Having all the conveniences of home and the comfort of a large place to stay instead of a tiny hotel room just can't be beat.

I have a blog of tons of Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg cabins and vacation rentals (some that we've stayed in) and things to do over at Gatlinburg Vacations.

Some Of Our Favorite Cabin Rentals

Viewtopia At Gatlinburg Falls Resort: Beautiful mountain view cabin rental near Pigeon Forge TN
Black Bear Retreat At America's Cabins: A beautiful cabin with three bedrooms and three decks near Gatlinburg TN
Starr Crest Resort 2 Bedroom Cabin Rental: A 2 bedroom cabin rental at Starr Crest Resort high up in the mountains in Pigeon Forge
Mountain Dream Vacations In Pigeon Forge: One of the largest and most luxurious 4 bedroom cabins you will find anywhere in the Gatlinburg Pigeon Forge area.
Million Dollar Wears Valley Cabin Rental: Enjoy the incredible luxury and amenities of this million dollar cabin rental in Wears Valley.
Bearly Paradise At Timber Tops Cabin Rentals: One of the most beautifully decorated cabin rentals we have ever seen,
Indian Creek Rental At Park Side Cabins: New, swanky cabins are great with all the decked out amenities, but when you want to get back to what it was really like to live in a log cabin a rustic cabin is a bit mroe nostalgic. Indian Creek Rental is a beautiful rustic reminder of the old Tennessee.
Gatlinburg Cabin Rentals At Volunteer Cabin Rentals: A list of 10 cabins available at Volunteer Cabin Rentals from a 1 bedroom 2 bath to a 4 bedroom 4 bath vacation rental in and around the Smoky Mountains of Gatlinburg.

Gatlinburg Vacation Blurbs

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Cabin Rentals In Gatlinburg

Locations of various cabin rental companies around the Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge Smoky Mountains area.

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The Most Fun On Your Gatlinburg Vacations

What's the most popular thing people do while on a Gatlinburg Vacation?

If you said visit the Great Smoky Mountains National Park you were right. Almost the same amount of people that visit the Gatlinburg area every year, nearly 10 million, also visit the National Park.

It's no wonder with the more that 850 miles of hiking trails, the highest spot east of the Mississippi River, more than 1 dozen beautiful campgrounds and many other activities the Smokies are such a huge attraction for vacationers.

Now, the most popular destination once you get in the National Park is of course, Cades Cove. This 11 mile round trip loop around the picturesque valley of Cades Cove is a leisurely drive or bicycle ride back into the pioneering days of the early 1800's when life was simple and the work was hard.

Every time we go on a Gatlinburg vacation, we go to Cades Cove. It's just a great way to experience life at a little slower pace and enjoy a beautiful part of God's creation.

If you want to see wildlife in Cades Cove the best time to visit is in either the early morning or at duck right before the sun goes down.

Check out some pictures of Cades Cove over at my Gatlinburg Vacations blog.

Hiking On Your Gatlinburg Vacations

While on a Gatlinburg Vacation you should think about taking a hike in The Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The park offers 850 miles of hiking trails that feature everything from mild walks through nature to strenuous hikes and rock climbing.

My favorite hike in the park is a 4 mile round trip to what is known as Chimney Tops. These are twin peaks of rock outcroppings that you can get a spectacular view of the park from.

The hike is fairly steep on the last mile and even steeper on the last 50 to 100 yards. It is probably as steep a hike as you would want to take without any equipment and it is well worth the effort. Yes the last 50 or so yards are a challenge, but well worth the view when you get to the top.

You can get a map here of all the hiking trails in The Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Log Cabin Decor

One of the great things about staying in a log cabin in Gatlinburg is that you get to enjoy some beautiful log cabin decor. Most of these cabins are decked out to the fullest with incredible furniture, accessories and comforts that will make your Gatlinburg Vacation one of a kind.

Cabin owners know that people like you who love to stay in cabins want top of the line luxuries when they vacation. So there is growing demand for higher quality decor, games, TV's and other amenities.

Some cabins include things like antler chandeliers, hot tubs, pool tables, leather couches, high quality entertainment systems and more.

Check out more about log cabin decor over at my Gatlinburg Vacations blog.