The Best Hotels to Book Near Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Need a place in Pigeon Forge where you can hibernate after a long hike? Consider Wild Bear Inn your cave-away-from-home. A queen room should do the trick – or a double queen if you’ve got the cubs with you. When your stomach wakes you up with a fierce growl, the beast can be satiated down at Wild Bear Tavern with a burger slammed together with short ribs, brisket and smoked pork brats.

When you’re sitting around the riverside fire pit at Twin Mountain Inn and Suites, you’ll forget that you’re within walking distance of Dolly Parton’s Stampede. This laid-back lodging is centrally located in Pigeon Forge and has suites with balconies, a fireplace and whirlpools where you can give your feet the rest they need. And trust us, with Ripley’s Super Fun Park and TopJump Trampoline & Extreme Area close by, you’ll need all the relaxation you can get.

Kids not taking to nature like you hoped? Stay at Americana Inn and Suites so you can give them their fill of roadside attractions. Within a three-minute walk, you can bring them to the Rockin’ Raceway arcade, sift for gems and fossils at the Pigeon Forge Gem Mine and play laser tag at the LazerPort Fun Center. Budget getting tight despite the affordable rate for a queen room? Spend a few hours in the pool and soak up the sun for free.

It may not be a beach house on the moon, but Margaritaville Island Inn offers a relaxing space that’s out of this world. This island oasis, with breezy rooms with a wave of blue and white coastal decor, is right on Pigeon Forge’s main drag. Escape to the mountains with ease when the time is right, but since it’s always 5 o’clock in these parts, there’s a piña colada forever waiting for you at the Margaritaville bar.

Even on a balmy day in mid-July, the Inn at Christmas Place will fill you with a particular seasonal spirit. You’ll bypass the crackling fireplace and bubbling whirlpool tub in your suite, making a beeline to check for presents under the fully decorated Christmas trees. Looking a little empty? Verify your naughty or nice status when you see Santa and Mrs Claus down at the breakfast table. Fall asleep with complimentary cookies and milk in hopes that your stockings are full the next morning.

The name says it all: Alone at Last cabin is the getaway you and your partner have needed since your babymoon. You’ll find a king bed you won’t need to share with rugrats, a fully equipped kitchen to cook what you want and an indoor jetted tub that makes bathtime fun again in these semi-secluded cabins. Whether you’re stealing away in the sauna or putting on a show for the stars in the outdoor hot tub, these one-bedroom cabins give you all of the alone time you need.

With so much time spent between the Great Smoky Mountains and Blue Mountain Mist Inn and Spa, you’ll constantly be lost in fog and steam. Feel the hot river stones chart a trail of tranquility across your spine. Even the most sensitive of cheeks will be awakened with renewal after a gentle, hydrating Blue Mountain Mist Signature Facial. Go ahead and treat yourself to a little more after a spa session, allowing the red velvet cake, chocolate chip bars and other sweet treats at the Tempting Station to leave you lingering over every last crumb.

Close to Gatlinburg’s fun attractions yet far enough away to ensure your family time doesn’t get interrupted, Carr’s Northside Cottages & Motel are great for the whole gang. A level yard and playground are fields full of fun when the kids aren’t splashing in the wading pool. Grills and creekside picnic tables set the table for memorable afternoon lunches before hopping the trolley and heading into town for hours at Ripley’s Super Fun Zone.

Warning: the Historic Gatlinburg Inn will make sure the song Rocky Top is your earworm for the next few weeks. Room 388 of this near-century-old hotel was where the UT song was penned. If you can’t nab that room, you just may sleep in the same quarters as Liberace, Lady Bird Johnson or Dinah Shore did. Perhaps you’ll see a notable figure hanging out at the breakfast table, humming a certain tune that’ll surely be the soundtrack for your GSMNP visit.

Swim trunks and flip flops are necessary mountain clothes when you stay at the Gatlinburg River Inn. You’ll spot the riverfront from your balcony no matter which room you choose and it’s a sure bet that your little ones won’t overlook the dedicated kids’ pool beside the formal pool. Did you catch the hot tub bubbling in the corner? It’s almost as warm and inviting as the LED fireplace in your room.