Visiting the Smokies with kids is an amazing adventure, but also a trip that requires intense planning to see all the best sights!
Great Smoky Mountains is the most visited National Park in the United States — by a lot! More than 11 million people visit the Smokiess each year.
The park even spans two states: Tennessee and North Carolina.
So a good plan is a must when visiting the Smokies with kids. You’ll want to see all the best sights without sitting in traffic for hours with screaming littles.
Here are my favorite things to do in Great Smoky Mountains National Park with kids.
Favorite hikes in the Smokies with kids
We hiked three great trails in the Smokies with kids that we loved!
That said, every other family loves them too. Whatever time you think you need to get to the trailhead, get there earlier.
We struggled with parking at nearly every hike despite getting to the trailheads before 8 a.m. each day.
Still, these hikes were absolutely worth it in the Smokies with kids!
Alum Cafe Bluffs (4.6 miles, moderate)
Our favorite hike in the Smokies — Alum Cave Bluffs — has all of the ingredients for a perfect hike with kids! It has more than enough adventure and fairytale magic to keep kids engaged, especially when hiking up the steep mountain.
The trail winds through the old growth forest along a creek, passing mossy boulders and twisted tree roots. Several wooden bridges cross the creek, which make the trail feel even more like you’re exploring a fairy land!
We even saw a salamander peeking out from between rocks! (Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the “Salamander Capital of the World.”)
Eventually, you get to a formation called Arch Rock!
At Arch Rock, the trail climbs under a giant natural stone canopy. It was our favorite part of the trail!
Up until Arch Rock, the Alum Cave Bluffs Trail is relatively easy and a great hike in the Smokys with kids. After this point, it grows much steeper.
That said, we hiked Alum Cave Bluffs with two 6-year-olds, an 8-year-old, and 9-year-old and they all did great, with occasional breaks. Our 3-year-old rode in the hiking backpack.
After Arch Rock is when you start to pop out above the tree line for beautiful views of the Smokies. Then, you reach Alum Cave Bluffs, the overhang that gives the trail its name.
We had a snack here and admired the gorgeous view before turning around. It is a bit steep here, so keep a close eye on littles.
(The trail continues up the mountain to the LeConte Lodge, but it isn’t kid-friendly past this point. In fact, a woman died falling off the slick trail just a few months before we visited the Smokies. Always keep a close eye on kids when hiking, and consider the conditions before setting out. We intentionally put this hike on the driest day of our trip so the trail would be as safe and dry as possible.)
Grotto Falls (2.7 miles, moderate)
Another favorite hike in the Smokies with kids is Grotto Falls.
The moderate trail leads to a waterfall that you can walk behind! The kids loved soaking their feet in the water and walking on the slippery walk behind the falls.
Pro tip: Parking is very tricky here.
Grotto Falls is on the one-way Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. Take the first parking spot you see as you near the trailhead.
We had to park about a mile past the trail and walk on the road uphill to the trailhead before actually beginning the hike itself.
Kuwohi Observation Tower (1.3 miles, moderate)
For the best views in the park, walk up to the Kuwohi Observation Tower, the highest point in the Smokies.
The path to the tower is short and paved but extremely steep! We saw several people taking breaks along the way.
It’s a must-do hike in the Smokies with kids!
Our kids loved racing up the windy tower ramp and back down. The views were exceptional.
Because this stop is all about the views, visit on the day with the least clouds in the forecast, and later in the day when the morning fog has burned off.
Pro tip: The parking lot for the Kuwohi Observation Tower also had great views if someone in your group isn’t able to or doesn’t want to walk the steep path.
Parking is busy here, but it turns over quickly. We visited mid-day and only had to wait a few minutes for a spot.
Explore historic buildings along Cades Cove Loop
You can’t visit the Smokies with kids without driving the Cades Cove Loop!
Cades Cove is a beautiful valley in the Smokies, and one of the largest open spaces in a region dominated by mountain peaks.
Historically, Cherokee people hunted in the valley. Then, in the 1820s, European settlers arrived and cleared land for farming, homes, churches, schoolhouses, and more. Nearly 700 people lived in Cades Cove by 1850.
When the Smokies became a national park, the residents of Cades Cove either sold their land to the park and moved, or signed life leases to stay on their land until their deaths, when the property then joined the park.
Today, Cades Cove features an 11-mile one-way road through the valley.
Visitors can peek inside several historic cabins, churches, graveyards, a schoolhouse, and a gristmill.
Plan to spend at least all morning at Cades Cove. (Yes, it’s another spot that requires an early start to your day.)
Stop wherever peaks your interest, but especially at:
- John Oliver Place, a cabin thought to be the oldest standing structure in the park
- Primitive Baptist Church
- Methodist Church, famous for its two entrances, one for women and one for men
- Historic Cable Mill and Visitor Center
- Tipton Place
The kids absolutely loved exploring the historic buildings. It felt like such an adventure!
Pro tip: Before your drive, purchase an informational booklet about the buildings in Cades Cove so you know what you’re seeing.
I purchased the booklets for Cades Cove, the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, and the Mountain Farm Museum before our trip and had them mailed to me, along with the Junior Ranger books.
You can buy them at various spots in Great Smoky Mountains too, but it was nice to have them already on hand.
Spot bears in Cades Cove
Cades Cove is a great spot to see black bears. We saw several on our drive, including cubs!
Please, respect the animals and stay far away from the bears. We watched several people park their cars on the one-way road, get out of their vehicles, and walk closer to a mom and baby bear to take photos. Give them space, people!
Drive the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail
For more historic buildings, drive the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail.
You’ll drive this mostly one-way road to hike Grotto Falls. After your hike, stop at whatever places interest you.
We especially enjoyed Ephraim Bales’ Place and Alfred Reagan’s Place.
Exploring historic cabins, climbing creeks staircases, imaging life on the farm is such an adventure in the Smokies with kids!
To understand what you’re seeing on the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, purchase an informational booklet that explains the different sites. You can buy a booklet online before your trip or in person at various gift shops and information centers.
Learn about Cherokee traditions and heritage
One of our favorite activities in the Smokies with kids was the Oconaluftee Indian Village, a Cherokee living history museum.
The museum celebrates the history and culture of the Cherokee people. It’s located in the town of Cherokee, on the North Carolina side of the Smokies.
The Smokies are the ancestral lands of the Cherokee. In 1838, the United States government forced thousands of Cherokee people to leave their homes and march to Oklahoma and Arkansas, known as the “Trail of Tears.”
The living history museum honors and explores Cherokee traditions, history, and culture before and after European encounters, colonization, and land theft.
A Cherokee guide will lead you through the outdoor museum, sharing and explaining the different tools, crafts, and artistry the Cherokee have used throughout history.
I especially enjoyed seeing the different houses and buildings built in the styles of different eras, from before encounters with Europeans to after.
Your visit includes traditional dance performances, which were a joy to witness!
Pro tip: A border of sand around the dance area defines the sacred space and mustn’t be touched. Keep an eye on littles who might be intrigued by the sand.
Wander through the Mountain Farm Museum
Also on the North Carolina side of the Smokies is the Mountain Farm Museum. It’s another great place to learn about life in the Smokies with kids.
We danced to traditional Appalachian songs and explored the historic buildings.
The kids loved following the chickens and peeking into the apple orchard.
This is another spot in the Smokies that has a helpful informational booklet, though there are also signs throughout.
Splash in the creek in the Smokies with kids
We stayed at Elkmont Campgrounds for most of our visit to the Smokies with kids.
We loved walking down to the Little River that bisects the campground to cool off!
Our favorite spot to play in the water was right near the ranger station and bridge near the entrance to the campground.
Bring toy pots and pans, bug spray, towels, and get ready to have a blast!
Creep into a ghost town at Elkmont
One truly unique thing to do in the Smokies with kids is to explore the Elkmont Ghost Town!
The ghost town is also called Daisy Town. It’s located near the Elkmont Campground.
The cabins were built between 1910 and 1935 and belonged to wealthier Knoxville families who vacated in the Smokies before it became a national park.
The National Parks Service renovated 16 cabins in Daisy Town. And now visitors can walk inside them!
The cabins are all wildly unique. They have no furniture, though many of the bathrooms and kitchens are somewhat intact.
Exploring vacant cabins under the mist of the Smokies is a great adventure!
Become Junior Rangers in the Smokies with kids
You can’t visit the Smokies with kids without swearing in as Junior Rangers!
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is unique in that there is a fee for the Junior Ranger activity book. That said, it’s only $4.50, and everyone in your group can share one book.
A trusted itinerary for visiting the Smokies
We used the Dirt In My Shoes hour-by-hour itinerary to visit the Smokies with kids this summer, and I highly recommend it.
I was overwhelmed planning a first-time visit to such a busy park, especially knowing my parents, my aunt, and her family were joining us too. It was a lot of pressure to figure out where to take a big group of people and when!
Enter, Dirt In My Shoes.
Ash is a former park ranger with great National Parks itineraries on her website, Dirt In My Shoes. We followed her hour-by-hour itineraries for Zion, Arches, and Canyonlands, too.
Ash’s itineraries help you know when to get to each must-see location, as well as suggestions for less-visited spots too.
That said, they can be jam-packed for littles. We stick to the timing of the itineraries but nix what doesn’t serve us. Our kids are great travelers, but driving an hour on a scenic drive only to drive an hour back is a nope for us right now. So we skip suggestions that don’t work for us in favor of nap time, playgrounds, or free play time instead.
Where to stay in the Smokies with kids
During our visit to the Smokies with kids, we camped in Elkmont Campground — until we got rained out.
We loved the campground. It was beautiful and a great place to let the kids play and just enjoy being outside together.
Then, it rained hard two of the days we visited. So, I booked a last-minute AirBnB in Gatlinburg for two of our nights.
Gatlinburg was a great spot for accessing the park too, and the town is bursting with all kinds of activities. (We saved those for a future trip and focused just on the park this time.)
A note about fees & weather in the Smokies
Great Smoky Mountains National Park doesn’t have an entrance fee. But it does have a parking fee.
You must have a parking tag displayed on your dashboard if you are parking anywhere for more than 15 minutes.
If you’ll be in the park for more than two days, get the weekly parking tag. It’s only $15. One day is $5.
You can purchase the parking tag online in advance if you know the license plate of the car you’ll be driving. Otherwise, there are several kiosks around the park to buy a parking tag.
Also, it rains in the Smokies … a lot! Come prepared with rain jackets, rain boots, umbrellas, and gear if you’ll be camping.
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