17 Free Things to do With Kids in The Great Smoky Mountains
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Traveling with kiddos can get very expensive. That’s why I like to do some research for free activities to throw into our schedule to keep costs down. There are so many things to do in The Smoky Mountains and many of those activities can cost a pretty penny. Sometimes we spend a day “winging it” and eating and stopping to do things that catch our eye. The only problem is that our daily budget is all but gone by lunchtime. I like to find activities that are free that can burn up some of the kid’s energy without burning up all of my Benjamin’s (more like Washington’s.)
Most of the time these free museums or parks end up being the most memorable for the kiddos.
Clingman’s Dome
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Travel + Leisure named Clingmans Dome one of the World’s Coolest Observation Decks. It is located in the National Park and is the highest point in Tennessee. It has views of 7 states and for 100 miles, but sadly, is limited on most days because of air pollution. Even if you don’t catch a pollution-free day, it is still an amazing 22-mile view. The road leading to Clingmans Dome is closed from the first of December to the first of April, but you are allowed to hike or cross-country ski to the observation deck since it is open year-round.
Cade’s Cove
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Cades Cove is a picturesque scenic drive located in the national park. The 11-mile loop is full of gorgeous scenery and the occasional glimpse of wildlife (whitetail deer, coyote, elk, fox, and black bears). While enjoying the views, you can also check out the historical structures, including barns, a mill, 5 Cabins, and 3 Churches.
Newfound Gap Road
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Newfound Gap Road is a gorgeous drive and is considered a must-do by visitors to the Smoky Mountains. The road is 31 miles long and drives right through the center of the National Park. Many families recommend packing a picnic lunch and stopping when they find a spot they like.
Great Smoky Mountain Arts & Crafts Community
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There are over 120 Crafters and Artisans on an 8-mile loop road (think pottery, paintings, fine art photography, leather items, baskets, etc). There are also lots of interesting restaurants, tea rooms, candy shops, and cafes in this area. It is a great way to spend some time, enjoy the arts and crafts of the area, and talk to the artists themselves.
Admission and Parking are FREE at the shops. It is a great opportunity to enjoy local art, and you can purchase items you want.
There are also Special Even Craft Shows held in the Gatlinburg Convention Center. These events are held throughout the year and admission is FREE. You can read more information HERE.
Oconaluftee Mountain Farm Museum and Mingus Mill
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The Mountain Museum Farm is a collection of historic log buildings such as a smokehouse, barn, springhouse, and a working blacksmith shop. These buildings have been gathered from throughout the Smoky Mountains and kept here at this one location. There is also a bookstore and a few walking trails.
Hiking Trails
Hiking is a great way to get the kids out into nature for some fresh air and exercise.
There are so many hiking trails in The Smoky Mountains. There are short hikes, day hikes, hiking trails leading to waterfalls, hiking trails that lead to amazing views, hiking trails in lush forest areas, and so on and so on. The trails offer beautiful scenery and lovely views no matter what season you decide to go hiking.
List of great trails for family hikes HERE and HERE
Riding Bikes
Not all areas of The Smoky Mountains are suitable for bike riding, but you can read more about great bike riding areas HERE.
Little River Railroad & Lumber Company Museum
The Little River Railroad and Lumber Company Museum are located in Townsend, TN. The outdoor exhibit includes a wooden water tower and vintage trains. The museum showcases artifacts telling The Little River story.
Admission is FREE, but donations are accepted.
Drive River Road by the Little Pigeon River
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Drive Little River Road by the Little River. Feed the ducks and take a few photos in this lovely area. The road actually spans 18 miles, beginning at Sugarland’s Visitor Center and ending at Cades Cove. There are signs posted to let you know where to find picnic areas, overlooks, hiking trails, and waterfalls.
Greenbriar
Above photo of Pigeon River in Greenbriar via
Greenbriar is known as the local’s entrance into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It is a great spot to take your family swimming, tubing, and/or fishing. It is also the perfect place for a family picnic. Biking and hiking are also popular activities at Greenbriar. Ramsay Cascades, Porter’s Creek, and Injun Creek Trail Heads are also located here. March and April are great times to visit the Greenbriar area to see the spring wildflowers.
Sugarland’s Visitor Center
Sugarland’s Visitor Center is a great place to stop to learn all about The Great Smoky Mountain National Park. There is a Museum where there are small displays of all of the animals, plants, and birds from the area. There is also a small movie theatre that shows lots of information on the history of The Smoky Mountains. The center also has a gift shop. Kids enjoy the museum display and the short video (about 20 minutes). The employees are very friendly and knowledgeable if you have any questions about the National Park.
Admission is FREE, but donations are accepted.
Sugarland’s Valley Nature Trail is located nearby. It is only 1/2 mile long and is paved. It is a great hike for families with small children.
Old Mill Square
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The kids will love seeing the Old Mill which is right on the Little Pigeon River. This area is also a complex with various shops. You and the kiddos can watch candy or bread being made. Or swing by a pottery shop to see pottery being made as well. There are two restaurants and places to shop, but visiting the area and the mill itself is free.
Laurel Falls & Trail
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Laurel Falls is one of the most popular spots to visit in The Smoky Mountains. The hike is fairly easy and visitors love taking photos at the 80-foot falls. The Laurel Falls trail is about 2 1/2 miles round trip and is mostly paved, but isn’t recommended for very small children. The hike takes about 2 hours, so it’s recommended to bring water and snacks.
Wears Valley Road
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Wears Valley is on the quiet side of The Great Smoky Mountains and it is the perfect place to relax. Wears Valley Road is a 15-mile road that winds from Pigeon Forge to Townsend. It is a beautiful drive. The kids actually look up from their tablets to see the beautiful mountains, meadows, and farmland.
In the Wears Valley area, you can hike Metcalf Bottoms, an easy hike only 1 mile long. The trail goes from the picnic area at Metcalf Bottoms to the Little Greenbrier School. This school is a nice way to see some history of the Smoky Mountains.
Laurel Falls trail is also located in this area.
**While traveling Wears Valley Road, stop at Moonshine Ridge Country Store and Café for some free samples of pickle relish, corn salsa, and/or chow-chow.
Moonshine Ridge Country Store // 2005 Wears Valley Road // Sevierville, TN 37862
Roaring Fork Motor Trail
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This is a really beautiful, scenic drive and a great way to spend the day. It is an 11-mile loop. The drive itself takes about an hour, but there are several places to stop for a hike or see the historical building (or just stretch your legs or take photos). The actual road is one lane and only goes one way. It is very windy in some spots.
Gatlinburg Scenic Overlook
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Such a simple activity but -wow- what a spectacular view! Definitely worth the visit! It’s a view your family will never forget.
Wear Farm City Park
We stumbled upon this nice city park with a great playground. It is on Wears Valley Road just off of the main road in Pigeon Forge. It’s a great place for the kiddos to climb and play and swing. The playground and parking are free. You can see a 360 Virtual tour HERE.
Wear Valley City Park // 623 Wears Valley Rd, Pigeon Forge, TN 37863 // 856.617.8831
I hope this list helps you and your wallet the next time you are visiting The Great Smoky Mountains. Do you have any suggestions for free things to do with kids there? I’d love to hear about it in the comments!
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KristyB
Wife. Mom. Graphic Designer. Photographer. Professional Nap Taker. Part-time Traveler (with kids in tow, of course!)
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So many great things to do – very much fun and useful! And being free – it’s even better!
Wow what a beautiful place to explore wth children. I bet they love being out in all that gorgeous nature! I like the sound of the mill – that would be interesting to me.
It’s so great to be able to have free things to do! As a family those ticket prices can add up. And I love the views at some of the places!
I know – taking a family on vacation can get pricey. Usually the free things are our family’s favorite part of the trip!
The place looks amazing and it’s very useful to look for activities that are free for kids as indeed travelling with them can get very expensive! Thank you for sharing your ideas!
Girl, you ain’t kidding! Kids are expensive! I always try to find free things to do to entertain them while we are on vacation! Thanks, Corina!
This looks like a perfect location for a family day out and you had really great weather for it too! I love that the ideas you provided were all free too, that is going to be so helpful for anyone visiting who is on a budget!
Yes! The Smoky Mountain National Park is awesome! And I love all of the free activities. Those are the place we visited when I was a kid with my family and I have some great memories from those trips.
What a fun and great experience you had. This is such a great place to visit. Will be saving this! Next trip here.
I’m glad, Preet! You’ll have a great time here!
This is a great list. My kids love to take out their bikes when we go outdoors. The Wear Farm City Park looks like a fun place too. Thank you for sharing.
Yes, we love to bring our bikes and razor scooters when we go on vacation. We find a good spot and let the kids go all they want. Thanks, Clarice!
This looks so mystical and my kids would love to go here. It must be a great experience.
It’s one of our favorite vacation spots, Pooja! We live about 4 hours south of the Smokies. We love it there!
Oconaluftee Mountain Farm Museum and Mingus Mill looks so lovely. Would love to try all 17 things one day 🙂
I hope you do Khushboo! You’ll love it!
This is a place I intend to visit someday. I’ve heard so many wonderful things about it. My son is grown, but it looks like the grandkids could tag along 🙂
Oh yeah, Tina! Your grandkids would love the Great Smoky Mountains. We’ve been going there since childhood and we still love it!
I’d find so much enjoyment in the mountains starting with the Old Mill Square and then the museums. The Wear Farm City Park would have the grandchildren amused.
Yes! You would definitely find plenty to do, Gladys!
Such a great guide for the future. Thank you. I always was under the perception that the Smokies were boring, thanks for changing that.
Goodness NO! The Smoky Mountains are anything but boring. You can rent a cabin and just relax if you want to – it can be very peaceful. But, there are a million fun things to do in Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Sevierville. I’ve been there about 100 times (my dad used to build cabins up there and we kids would help) and I still haven’t seen and done all there is to do there!
What a great resource to have if we ever find ourselves in the Smoky Mountain region!
Hope this list helps, Steph. You can save money on activities so that you can eat more fudge!
My family is planning a road trip so we’re looking for a ton of free stuff to do along the way, this was great!
You guys will have a great time, Taylor!
Thank you for sharing fun things to do at the Great Smoky Mountain attractions in Tennessee.
You’re Welcome, Pat! I hope you get to visit soon!
Thanks for sharing. I’m planning a trip to the mountains soon. These ideas will be great!
Oh man! You will have so much fun, Angie! I hope you have a great trip (even though I know you will)!
Considering how beautiful the mountains and surrounding forests look, I’d be happy to go for walks all around. Biking would also be amazing as I love biking!
You would love Cades Cove, Corinne! It is absolutely gorgeous and you can bike through it. I have to warn you that it is an 11 mile loop!
My son will definitely enjoy these activities. He loves museums as much as I do, and it’s great to know that there are quite a few in the Smoky Mountains. 🙂
Yes, there is so many fun things to do in The Smokies. Your kiddos (and you) will love it there!
Mingus Mill sounds like the kind of place I’d love to visit. There are a million things I want to do in the Smoky’s but I’ll have to be certain I carve out time for that.
You’re so right, Ashley! You really need quite a few days to do everything you want to do in the Smokies. We live about 4 hours away and have made many, many trips throughout my life and I still haven’t done everything there is to do there. You can always made multiple trips.
Thanks for sharing this info. I was thinking on doing a road trip this summer and this really makes me think about making this a potential stop. Super helpful info!!
You won’t regret stopping at the Great Smoky Mountains, Jo! I promise! It is beautiful there and there is tons of activities for the whole family.
Amazing list. People underestimate just how much children love being outdoors and you provided so many outdoor option that any kid or adult would love. But best off all these are all free, so it’s a win win.
Yes! I agree, Cia! I like to get my kids outdoors and there are plenty of places to do just that at the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.
There is so much beauty that lies in the Smoky Mountains. While our kids are all grown up, I would love to take our grand-kids to explore the sites!
The Smoky Mountains would be a great place to take the grandkids! There is so much to do there with the whole family!
Wow this place looks so beautiful! I would love to take my family here one day! We love nature!
This would be a great vacation for your family then, Danielle!
There are so many fun things to do in that area! I used to live in Asheville and we would do so much in the mountains. One of my favorites was going up the Parkway or all the hiking trails.
Growing up in Asheville sounds amazing! We were there recently and visited the Biltmore Estate. It is beautiful up there!
The waterfall pic on wears balmy rd belongs to Friendly Falls! It’s a cute, fun, and neat little stop! They also do waterfall light shows in the evening during the summer, nice place to stop for lunch and see a couple if waterfalls without the hike! Fun couple of ppl that work there. They also do weddings, This was where I got married!
Thank you, Autumn! What a great idea. I’m doing this the next time we are in the Smokies! The kids would love this!
Thank you Tom! I hope this list helps!
Thank you so much I am saving this page! We love to do small road trips in the summer! I always just speed through the south on the way to somewhere else and now i can stop and see the beautiful free things to do!
Thank you,Elishia! I hope you have a great trip!
Thank you for sharing. I plan on taking my daughter to the Smokies and appreciate this blog.
You and your daughter will have a great time, Tom!