Whether it’s the downtown shopping, moonshine tasting or the mountain views, there are plenty of reasons to visit Gatlinburg, Tennessee. It’s such a fun town with a great nightlife but the Ole Smoky Mountain views are something you just have to experience in person. I don’t know about you but when I hear Ole Smokies, I think of the moonshine. Which brings us to the first thing we did on our trip to Gatlinburg.
Moonshine Tasting
One of the most popular things to do in Gatlinburg is moonshine tasting. If moonshine is not your thing they also have wine tasting all around the downtown area, as well. Don’t let the name “moonshine” intimidate you. We’re not talking fire-breathing-eye-watering-burn-a-hole-in-your-chest moonshine (unless, of course, that’s the kind you’re into. We’re not here to judge.) Most of the stuff you’re going to try is more sweet flavored. Some are as low as 60 proof. Think watermelon, apple pie and blackberry flavors. There are usually a few they will let you try at the end for those who are a little braver. Blue flame, for example, is 128 proof! This is not a beginner moonshine! I would definitely recommend it if you need to clear your chest or if you’ve ever wondered what it might be like to eat a hot flame.
There are quite a few places to pop into and do a moonshine tasting but without a doubt the most popular is Ole Smokey, followed closely by (my personal favorite) Sugarlands. You just head into the shop and purchase a ticket (when we went it was around $5) and wait for your host. They will guide you through each sample. The flavors change depending on the season but I highly recommend trying it out. The wine samples work in a similar way and most places will let you trade each sample ticket in for credit on merch or and bottles of alcohol you purchase after your tour.
Walk Through Downtown
If you have a chance to visit Gatlinburg around the holidays, I highly recommend it. Downtown is covered in lights and its absolutely magical. If you can’t make it for the holidays, it’s still a beautiful experience any time of the year. Downtown Gatlinburg is where you’re going to find all of your touristy places, restaurants, and souvenir shops. Our older boys really enjoyed the magic shop and our younger two loved the fudge and candy shops. You’ll find all kinds of souvenir places from t-shirt shops to local wines to ice cream shops and more! There’s also a ton of things to do entertainment wise such as Ripley’s, escape games and museums. You will absolutely not run out of things to do in downtown. There’s a lot to take in!
Old Timey Photos
One of my favorite family traditions is the old timey photo. It’s just fun to get the kids dressed up and watch them get into character. Do we do anything with these photos? Absolutely not, but am I going to get an updated one next time we return? You can almost bet on it!
Plus look at how cute these behind the scene photos are!
Moonshine Mountain Coaster
There are many places throughout the southeast you’ll find where you can ride a mountain coaster. We chose Moonshine Mountain Coaster, and it’s definitely a unique experience. It’s an absolutely great way to see some breathtaking views of the mountain and it’s a fun ride to journey solo or with a small child. For the most part you can control your speed as you go down the coaster so you can ride as slowly or quickly as you please. The experience we chose let you take unlimited rides up and down the coaster. Get there early because the lines definitely do get long.
Hike Up A Mountain
We love a good hike and BONUS POINTS if there’s a waterfall at the end of it! I will say, this is a pretty easy to moderate hike. It’s not a bad hike, we managed to do it with 4 kids in tow but we also had no idea how narrow some of the paths were nor just how big of a drop there’d be in some areas. I’d absolutely recommend this hike but just be aware if you have small kids with you there are no guard rails. Although most of the path is well paved… it’s a freaking mountain! The waterfall at the end of the hike is absolutely worth the trip! The entire walk is about 2.6 miles and there is parking at the bottom of the trail. I will also warn you that while we didn’t personally see any, there are bears known to frequent the trail. If you make it to the waterfall you can continue the path and the trail continues towards the old fire tower, but this was enough for our littlest two so we decided to end it there.
There are so many more things to do in Gatlinburg that we didn’t get to on this trip that really make this such a great family vacation spot. Whether it’s visiting Dollywood in nearby Pigeon Forge or staying at Wilderness at the Smokies (a waterpark resort hotel), there is so much to do in and around this town. Plan a trip and see for yourself!