The Ultimate 2 Day Great Smoky Mountain National Park Itinerary with Kids
Great Smoky Mountain National Park is such a wonderful place to visit with kids! There are so many things to do around the area, and you are surrounded by one of the most beautiful National Parks in the country. With so many options, it can be hard to narrow down what you want to see and do during your time here.
We spent a week road tripping through the great state of Tennessee this spring, and we spent 2 days exploring the Smokies. We found some great hikes, learned a lot about the park, and saw tons of wildlife along the way.
If you are planning a trip to Tennessee, here is my family-friendly 2-day Smoky Mountains itinerary with kids.
Why the Smoky Mountains Are So Perfect for Families
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited national park in the U.S., welcoming over 12 million visitors each year. And once you’re there, it’s easy to see why.
Not only is it beautiful, but it’s so accessible for families.
You don’t have to hike miles to see something incredible. Some of the best views are just steps from your car. And there’s this balance of adventure and ease that makes it feel doable, even with younger kids. Plus, it’s so close to really fun and kid-centered towns like Gatlinburg, which make it the perfect mix of nature, adventure and family-fun that kids will love.
Where to stay
We rented one of the tiny home cabins at Little Arrow Outdoor Resort, located in Townsend, which we used as our home base for the first night of our stay in Smoky Mountains National Park. Townsend is a great town on the quiet side of the Smokies, and we loved that it felt much less touristy than Gatlinburg. It was a quick drive to Cade’s Cove, and even had its own Visitor’s Center in town (which was much less busy than Sugarland Visitor’s center in the park).
We moved to Roamstead Outdoor Resort, which is just on the outskirts of Gatlinburg, for our 3rd night in the area so we could be closer to some of the things to do in Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge. If you are looking to do lots of the tourist spots in Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge, this would be a great spot to stay.
Both locations were great, and the amenities offered were top notch. If you are looking to explore the whole park while keeping your drive times down, I highly recommend splitting your stay.
Pro tip: Smoky Mountain is the #1 most visited park in the U.S., which means that accomodations fill up fast. Make sure to book early, especially if you’re traveling in peak season!
Day 1: Waterfalls, Lookouts & Cade’s Cove
We started our first morning by entering on the west side of the park and heading straight to Look Rock Tower trail. There is a parking lot with a picnic area and a lookout, and directly across the street is the trailhead. This is an easy, paved 0.8 mile hike to a viewing platform with stunning views, and without the huge crowd of Clingman’s dome. It does have a bit of an uphill climb, but nothing too strenuous. And the views from the top are stunning!
Note: we visited in March, and the road to Clingman’s Dome (now known as Kuwohi) was still closed for the season.
After we hiked back down from the lookout, we enjoyed a picnic lunch right next to the parking lot. We always bring this electric cooler on our road trips – it saves us so much money in food, and we never have to worry about our ice melting and food getting soggy!
After lunch, we headed to Spruce Flat Falls for a longer afternoon hike. This is a popular hike, and parking at this trailhead is limited, but it’s definitely worth waiting for a spot. We arrived in the mid afternoon and waited about 10 minutes for a spot to open up. This trail is 1.6 miles out and back, and moderately difficult, but has an incredible waterfall as the payoff. It is a bit steep and rocky, so make sure you bring plenty of water and good shoes. Our kids love hiking in these Keen sandals, because they can splash in the water at the end of the trail.
After we finished this trail, we were ready for some down time, so we headed to our cabin at Little Arrow Outdoor Resort. After checking in and exploring the resort a little, we grilled some hot dogs over our fire pit for dinner, and then head to Cades Cove to enjoy the scenic 11 mile drive as the sun is setting.
From what I hear, the traffic here can be miserable during peak daytime hours, so I recommend visiting either first thing in the morning, or at the very end of the day. We drove the entire loop in about 45 minutes with hardly any other cars on the road. We were too early in the season to see bears during our visit, but we did see wild turkeys and lots of deer.
Pro tip: bring binoculars for wildlife spotting! We love this pair for adults and this pair for kids.
Day 2: Visitor’s Center, waterfalls and epic hiking
On day 2, we headed to Sugarland Visitor’s Center first thing in the morning. This is one of the most popular places in the park and gets busy, so make sure to get here early so you can find parking. We grabbed a Junior Ranger book for our kiddos to work on (which does cost $5 at this national park) and explored the exhibits a bit.
After we were done inside, we headed behind the building to join the trail to Cataract Falls. This is an easy, 1 mile hike that is very popular, mainly due to its length and proximity to the visitor’s center. Expect to see lots of other people on the trail with you, but it’s still a lovely trail that is totally worth doing.
Note: since we visited in early spring, the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail was closed still, but if you visit during peak times, make sure to take a drive on this scenic road and hike to Grotto Falls. It’s a short drive from the Visitor’s Center.
After we finished at the visitor’s center, we took a scenic drive along Newfound Gap road towards the Oconaluftee Visitor’s center. There are several scenic lookouts and viewpoints along that way that I highly recommend stopping at. The drive took us about 45 minutes with stops.
When we arrived at Oconaluftee Visitor’s Center, we ate a picnic lunch on the lawn with a stunning view of the mountains. One of the park rangers told us this is one of the best spot to see the herd of elk, as they like to graze in this pasture, typically early in the morning or later in the evening. We didn’t catch them here during our midday visit, but we did see them later that afternoon!
After lunch, we spent some time exploring the Mountain Farm Museum, a collection of one of the oldest historic log structures in the National Park system. You can spend as much or as little time here as you want. I had a longer hike I wanted to complete this afternoon, so we just did a quick wander through some of the buildings.
Then we headed to Mingo Falls — which is a short, 10 minute drive from the visitors center. This waterfall is a short but steep 0.3 mile hike from the parking lot and it is absolutely stunning. There are a decent amount of stairs to access this waterfall, but it is definitely worth the climb!
We headed back to the Newfound Gap road, and made a stop at the Alum Cave Bluff trail. This was absolutely our favorite hike in the Smokies, and is the perfect adventure for kids who like some fun features in a hike. It is a popular trail, and the parking lot is small, so if you visit during peak hours you will have a hard time finding parking. We tried to find parking here mid-afternoon but didn’t have any luck, so we kept going and came back to it later in the day. We had no trouble finding parking around 4:00.
The entire trail is 11 miles roundtrip, but I recommend at least going the first 1.3 miles in to see Arch rock before you turn around. If you are up for a little more of a challenge, continue on to the Alum cave, which is 4.6 miles roundtrip. It is a beautiful hike, with the perfect amount of challenge to keep kids interested- so many fun bridges and spots to stop and soak your feet.
We finished our day by heading to our cabin at Roamstead Outdoor Resort, which is such a fun spot to stay at! We roasted brats and s’mores over the campfire and let our kids get the last of their wiggles out. This put us in a great spot to explore Gatlinburg the next morning.
Tips for Visiting Great Smoky Mountains National Park with Kids
Here’s what made the biggest difference for us:
- Bring layers, as temperatures change quickly, especially at higher elevations
- Download maps (both road & trail) ahead of time, as cell service is spotty and limited in the park
- Pack water + snacks, as there aren’t many places to grab food once you’re inside the park.
- Make sure to stock up on all the road trip essentials before you go. Here are our 10 must have road trip items.
- Expect crowds, and bring your patience. Popular spots get busy, so plan to see any must-do’s first thing in the morning.
- Don’t get FOMO. Sure, the popular spots are popular for a reason. But literally everywhere in the park is beautiful, so don’t get too caught up on one thing and be open to exploring lesser known areas (especially if you want to avoid crowds!).
My Final Thoughts
After spending a few days exploring Smoky Mountain National Park, it’s easy to see why it’s the most popular National Park in the U.S.. It’s full of nature, wildlife and beauty, and is an amazing destination for families with kids of all ages. Whether you are spending an afternoon here or an entire week, you will certainly find plenty of things to fill your schedule and camera roll.
