ā TOP 15 ā
Things to Do in Sevierville and the Smoky Mountains
Fifteen favorites on one page, with the free and kid friendly ones first. Scenic drives, playgrounds, waterfalls and the big attractions, all in one place.
FREE KIDS SCENIC DRIVE OUTDOORS RAINY DAY PAID
My heart is in the Smokies. I have learned one thing being in business in this area: we are all a team. I feel their business is my business. I want you to explore all we have to offer.
Will Cupp
SCENIC DRIVES AND THE NATIONAL PARK
Mountain drives and park favorites
No entrance fee to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. You just need a parking tag if you stop for more than 15 minutes ($5 a day, $15 a week, $40 a year).
1
Cades Cove Loop Road
FREE KIDS SCENIC DRIVE
Townsend side of the national park
Free (parking tag to stop)
Deer, turkeys, maybe a bear, log cabins and a working gristmill
An 11 mile, one way loop circles a wide mountain valley known for deer, wild turkeys and the occasional black bear. Along the way are old churches, log cabins and a working gristmill. Plan on two to four hours, and know the loop is closed to cars on Wednesdays from about May through September, which makes those days great for biking or walking.
2
Foothills Parkway
FREE SCENIC DRIVE
Wears Valley to Walland
Free (parking tag to stop)
Hop from overlook to overlook; there is even a seasonal roadside waterfall
This 14.75 mile stretch opened in 2018 and climbs to nearly 2,500 feet near Caylor Gap, riding the mountainside on long curving bridges. There are about ten overlooks and pull offs, including one that looks down on Townsend and others facing Mount Le Conte. You can get on from US 321 in Wears Valley.
3
Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail
FREE SCENIC DRIVE OUTDOORS
Gatlinburg, turn at traffic light #8
Free (buy your tag before you go)
Grotto Falls is the one waterfall in the Smokies you can walk behind
A narrow, winding 5.5 mile one way road past rushing streams, old growth forest and log cabins. About two miles in is the trailhead for Grotto Falls, and near the end you will pass a roadside waterfall called the Place of a Thousand Drips. It is open April 17 to November 29 in 2026, and buses, trailers and motor homes are not allowed.
4
Newfound Gap Road and Kuwohi
FREE SCENIC DRIVE
US 441 from Gatlinburg into the park
Free
Cool mountain air and a photo right on the state line
US 441 climbs out of Gatlinburg to Newfound Gap, 5,046 feet up on the Tennessee and North Carolina line and the lowest drivable pass across the park. A side road leads to Kuwohi (formerly Clingmans Dome) and its lookout tower, open April 1 to November 29 in 2026. Pack a jacket, because it can be raining in town and snowing at the gap.
5
Sugarlands Visitor Center and Junior Rangers
FREE KIDS RAINY DAY
Just south of Gatlinburg
Visitor center is free; the Junior Ranger book costs a little
Kids can earn a badge and get sworn in by a ranger
The park’s main Tennessee visitor center has rangers, maps, exhibits, restrooms and a bookstore, and you can buy your parking tag here. Kids can pick up the Junior Ranger activity book, finish five activities and five experiences, and get sworn in at any park visitor center. Ranger programs run most often June through October.
6
Gatlinburg Trail
FREE KIDS OUTDOORS
Sugarlands Visitor Center to Gatlinburg
Free (parking tag at the trailhead)
Mostly flat, river views, and old chimneys to find
A relatively flat 1.9 mile (one way) walk through the woods along the West Prong of the Little Pigeon River, with a footbridge and the stone foundations and chimneys of old homesites. It is one of only two trails in the park where dogs and bicycles are allowed.
FREE FAMILY FUN CLOSE TO HOME
Free fun for kids in and around Sevierville
Playgrounds, river walks, storytime and a few spots the grandparents will love too. All free.
7
Sevierville City Park and Northview Optimist Park
FREE KIDS
Sevierville
Free (the pool has its own admission in season)
Mt. Ton of Fun playground
City Park on Park Road has the Mt. Ton of Fun playground, a basketball court, the PetSafe dog park and the Family Aquatic Center in pool season. Part of the park is fenced off for an improvement project that began in August 2025, but the playground, courts and dog park are open. Northview Optimist Park is a one acre neighborhood park with a playground, basketball court and picnic shelter.
8
Sevierville Greenways
FREE KIDS OUTDOORS
Sevierville
Free
Bikes, scooters, strollers, ducks and geese
The West Prong Greenway runs about 2 miles along the river past Paine Memorial Park, with benches, a gazebo and lots of waterfowl. The Veterans Boulevard Greenway is a 10 foot wide paved path that goes 6 miles from Sevierville to Dollywood, and the Middle Creek Greenway adds about 2 more miles.
9
King Family Library Children’s Center
FREE KIDS RAINY DAY
Sevierville, with branches in Kodak and Seymour
Free
Storytimes and a whole floor of books
The children’s reading center is on the second floor of the King Family Library, with classic picture books, new favorites, movies and audiobooks. The library holds baby and toddler storytimes, preschool storytimes and PJ Storytime, so check the calendar for times. The Kodak and Seymour branches have children’s rooms too.
10
Downtown Sevierville and the Dolly Statue
FREE KIDS
Sevier County Courthouse, downtown
Free
Colorful murals and a photo stop
The bronze statue of a young Dolly Parton with her guitar has stood on the courthouse lawn since 1987. After Dolly passed away in August 2026, people came from all over to leave flowers there, and it is still where folks stop to remember her. A short walk away on Bruce Street are the Red’s Cafe mural and the Wings of Wander butterfly mural, inspired by her song “Love Is Like a Butterfly.”
11
Seven Islands State Birding Park
FREE KIDS OUTDOORS
Kodak
Free
Playground, flat stroller friendly trails and lots of birds
A 416 acre state park along the French Broad River with grassland, wetland and forest trails. The Bobwhite Trail and Island Loop Trail are flat and stroller friendly, and there is a playground and a wheelchair accessible deck over Upland Pond. Keep little ones away from the river edge, since the current can be swift.
12
Old Mill Square and Patriot Park
FREE KIDS
Pigeon Forge
Free to stroll (Old Mill tour is about $8)
Feed the ducks, watch the wheel turn, find your state’s flag
The Old Mill was built in 1830, still grinds grain with water power and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Next door, Patriot Park has a half mile walking path along the river lined with flags of all 50 states and veterans memorials, and it lights up for Winterfest. Watching the mill wheel and feeding the ducks costs nothing.
Free mountains, free rivers, free memories.
THE BIG ATTRACTIONS
The ones the kids will beg for
These cost money, but they are the reason a lot of families come. Check each calendar before you go.
13
Dollywood
PAID KIDS
Pigeon Forge
Paid
Wildwood Grove was built for families with younger kids
Dolly’s theme park covers 160 acres with more than 50 rides, live entertainment and plenty of Smoky Mountain cooking. In 2026 the park added Nightflight Expedition, a coaster and river ride, in Wildwood Grove. The park does not open every day, so check the calendar first.
14
Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies
PAID KIDS RAINY DAY
Downtown Gatlinburg
Paid
Shark tunnel, penguins and touch pools
Walk under sharks and a giant sea turtle in the underwater tunnels, watch the penguins, and touch horseshoe crabs and stingrays. It is open 365 days a year, which makes it the go to rainy day plan. It sits on River Road, where all the free Gatlinburg trolleys stop.
15
Horseback Riding in the Park
PAID KIDS OUTDOORS
Cades Cove near Townsend, and Sugarlands near Gatlinburg
Paid
Age and weight limits apply, so call ahead
Stables inside the national park offer guided rides on park trails from mid March through late November, from about 45 minutes to several hours. Cades Cove Riding Stables also runs hayrides and carriage rides.
Seasonal tips
Every season has its own Smokies. Here is what to know before you go.
Spring
Kuwohi Road reopens April 1 and Roaring Fork in mid April (2026 dates). Wildflowers start blooming in late winter and keep going all season, and the waterfalls are at their fullest.
Summer
Cades Cove is car free on Wednesdays from about May to September, ranger programs peak June through October, and the synchronous fireflies light up Elkmont in June. Splash Country is open May 16 to September 20 in 2026.
Fall
Color usually peaks in the second half of October, starting up high. No parking tag is needed on the fee free days, October 27 and November 11, 2026. Roaring Fork and Kuwohi Road close after November 29.
Winter
Patriot Park glows for Winterfest, and Ober Mountain turns into Tennessee’s only ski area after Thanksgiving. Cades Cove and Newfound Gap Road stay open, weather permitting, and library storytimes keep going.
Good to know The national park has no entrance fee, but you need a parking tag to stop more than 15 minutes ($5 a day, $15 a week, $40 a year), and most trailheads do not sell them, so grab one at Sugarlands or online first. Sevierville City Park is partly closed for an improvement project, but the playground and dog park are open. Hours, fees and road openings change, so check the official link on each card before you go.
Thinking about calling Sevier County home?
Will Cupp has helped folks buy and sell homes, cabins and land in Sevierville and the Smoky Mountains for more than 30 years. If you have questions about living here, give him a call.
Will Cupp, Realtor and Real Estate Broker, Realty Executives Associates
Photos: Public domain and CC0: Kuwohi autumn view (Warren Bielenberg, NPS), Cades Cove meadow (Warren Bielenberg, NPS), Foothills Parkway (Joye Ardyn Durham, NPS), Sugarlands Visitor Center (Warren Bielenberg, NPS), Sevier County Courthouse (Roc0ast3r), Great Smoky Mountains in autumn (Benjiho), Dollywood (Roc0ast3r). Roaring Fork (Missvain, CC BY 4.0), Newfound Gap Road (Andrew Heneen, CC BY 4.0), West Prong of the Little Pigeon River (Scott Basford, CC BY-SA 3.0), Seven Islands (David Ratledge, CC BY 4.0), Old Mill dam (Brian Stansberry, CC BY 3.0), Morning mist (Gary Millar, CC BY 2.0). All via Wikimedia Commons, resized. Licenses: CC BY 4.0, CC BY-SA 3.0, CC BY 3.0, CC BY 2.0.