How to Prepare for your Gatlinburg Trip
- Booking your cabinÂ
- Planning your stayÂ
- Grocery Lists and meals
- Packing list
- Essentials not to forget
- Weather expectations
Booking your Gatlinburg Cabin
If you’ve never been to the Smoky Mountains before, booking your cabin may be intimidating. Before you book, make sure to check out this blog on How to Save Money on your Cabin in The Smokies.Â
Secondly, create your list of requirements for your cabin.Â
Here are a few of our cabin must haves:
- Mountain Views
- Hot Tub
- Game room with Pool Table
- Fire PitÂ
- # of beds and baths
- Fully Equipped kitchen
- Lounge spaceÂ
- Yard space
Additional requirements you might have when booking your cabin include:
Parking spaces. A lot of cabins up on the mountain have very limited parking accommodations. If your cabin needs to sleep 10 but only has space for one car, that may be an issue.Â
Driving terrain. Many cabins are up in the mountains with some pretty scary, windy roads. If you prefer not to have your party driving on roads like these, especially in the winter, definitely take that into account when booking. I would recommend reaching out to the host to ask about the drive to the cabin.
Proximity to attractions. How far of a drive do you want to be from popular hikes and local attractions? Many cabins that look fairly close to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge on the map, are actually further away due to the drive up the mountain.Â
When preparing for your trip to Gatlinburg it’s important to consider the intention of the trip. Choosing your cabin according to the intention is key.
Some areas will offer more of a quiet, secluded retreat and many others offer the nonstop hype and excitement of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.Â
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If your intention is to have a fun, exciting trip and relaxing is not as important, you may want to be very close to Gatlinburg or the Parkway in Pigeon Forge. This will allow you to be at all the attractions daily without a commute. Keep in mind you’ll experience more traffic and crowds. Further, many cabins closer to the city are “cabin communities” with cabins lined up fairly close to one another.
Our personal preference when choosing a cabin is a location that is a bit more outskirts but still within 30 minutes to Gatlinburg for a day trip. Our intention is to enjoy the tranquility of the Smoky Mountains and have more of a refresh from the hustle and bustle with hiking, hot tubbing, fires and nature. If this is more your vibe then The Smoky Woods Lodge is for you!Â
We also love that The Smoky Woods Lodge is relatively flat terrain so we don’t have to worry about the snowy seasons but still get that amazing mountain view!Â
Travel Time from The Smoky Woods Lodge
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park 7 Minutes
- Dollywood Theme park 37 Minutes
- Gatinburg 30 Minutes
- Pittman Center 20 Minutes
- Cimb Works Ziplineing 14 minutes
- 5 Rivers Adventures River Rafting & Paintball 15 minutes
- Adventure Smokies UTV Tour 5 Minutes
- Mount Cammerer Trail 15 minutes
- Asheville NC 70 Minutes
Prepare for your Gatlinburg Trip: Planning your stay
Now that you have your cabin booked, it’s time to plan your stay! With so much to choose from and such limited time in the Smokies, we recommend deciding what adventures you want to partake in ahead of time.Â
Attractions to choose from:
- In Pigeon Forge there’s Dollywood, the adjoining water park, museums, Wonder Worx, and so many other rides, attractions, and restaurants.
- In Gatlinburg you have options such as Anakeesta Mountain, the Gatlinburg SkyLift Park and Sky Bridge, enjoying endless distilleries, whiskey and dining downtown.Â
Adventure Ideas:
- Take a hike for impeccable mountain views on some of the most popular Smoky Mountain trails.
- Zipline through the trees with Climb Works (just 15 minutes from Smoky Woods Lodge)
- Go white water rafting with 5 Rivers Adventures (eta 15 min)
- Take a UTV Tour in the Smokies with Adventure Smokies. (eta 5 min)
- Go fishing in a nearby stream
- Simply enjoy a picnic in the great outdoors
Ideas for Nights At The Cabin:
- Enjoy a fun game night at the cabin with your family and friends. Choose from many of our provided board games, arcade games, pool table, foosball table, or head outside for some yard games!Â
- Bonfire and S’mores night! Gather around the campfire in the yard with music and s’mores!
- Stargazing is a MUST. At the Smoky Woods Lodge, you’re away from the lights of Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg and able to see a clear night sky full of stars. Check your dates and see if there are any meteor showers happening while you visit!Â
- Plan at least one night for a cookout! Cabins often come with full kitchens, making them the perfect place to cook and dine together. Try new recipes, cook meals over an open fire, or enjoy a candlelit dinner in the cozy cabin atmosphere.
Prepare for your Gatlinburg Trip: Planning Your Meals
Cabins booked, adventures picked out, now it’s time to plan your meals! This is so much easier to do once you have a game plan with where you’ll be and when.
For example, the day that you’re out and about in Gatlinburg you’ll likely want to plan to eat out.Â
The hiking days might require bringing along some snacks. And the cookout night will require a grocery trip!Â
Also, many cabins are 15-30 minutes away from the nearest grocery store, so you’ll thank yourself for planning ahead!
Make sure to check out our Pinterest for some yummy Cabin food ideas!Â
Breakfast Ideas for at the cabin:
- Cinnamon rolls
- Eggs and bacon
- Pancakes with blueberries or chocolate chipsÂ
- Egg casseroleÂ
Snack and lunch Ideas for Hiking days:
- Granola Bars
- Trail MixÂ
- PB&J SandwichÂ
- JerkyÂ
- Apple
Lunch & Snack Ideas for at the cabin:
- Homemade turkey sandwiches or BLT’s
- Chips, Salsa and guac
- Veggies and Hummus
- Summer Sausage, cheese and crackersÂ
- Nachos
Dinner Ideas for at the cabin:
- Chilli and cornbread
- Burgers & hotdogs
- Steak, potatoes and saladÂ
- Veggie SoupÂ
- Spaghetti and garlic bread
- Hobo Meals cooked over the fire
- Chicken and steak skewers
- Lasagna (can pre-make and freeze to just pop in the oven at the cabin!)
Dessert Ideas for at the cabin:
- BrowniesÂ
- CookiesÂ
- Ice Cream
- S’mores
Grocery Store List:
Along with your food and drinks for the cabin, don’t forget these things when you go to the store! Most cabins do not provide any of the following:
- Charcoal for the grill (check and see what kind of grill the cabin is equipped with)
- Coffee grounds, creamer and filters OR Kcups (we have a Keurig)
- FirewoodÂ
- Food. Snacks. Breakfast. Lunch. Dinner.Â
- Water
- IceÂ
Prepare for your Gatlinburg Trip: Packing List
- Hiking boots or tennis shoesÂ
- Water bottleÂ
- Small backpack to take hiking or to Gatlinburg attractionsÂ
- Small to medium size cooler
- Portable phone charger
- SunglassesÂ
- Baseball Cap.
- SwimsuitÂ
- Sweatshirt. The weather is variable and the nights can be chilly!Â
- Toiletries: Toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, body-wash, toothbrush. Dry shampoo.
- Seasonal clothing. In the winter seasons it’s pretty cold. Don’t forget your hat and gloves. Pack extra layers, wool socks and a warm jacket. During the summer it’s t-shirt and shorts weather but the nights can be chilly so bring a hoodie and sweats for nights around the fire. There’s also higher chances for thunderstorms so bring a light rain-jacket. In the spring the weather is variable. One day it can be fairly warm and the next pretty brisk so prepare for both!Â
