Taking a vacation in Gatlinburg, TN doesn’t have to be expensive. In fact, there are a number of excellent activities in the area that don’t cost a cent! To help you make the most of your getaway, we’ve put together a guide to five of the best free things to do in Gatlinburg:
1. Hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Gatlinburg boasts an incredible location at the doorstep of the most visited national park in the United States! One of the many reasons the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is so popular is the fact that it does not charge an entrance fee. With over 850 miles of beautiful scenery to explore, visitors to the park will find virtually endless entertainment that doesn’t require any money to enjoy. While there are dozens of hikes to choose from, we are particularly partial to these 5 Gatlinburg waterfall hikes.
2. Visiting the Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts
The Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts has been in Gatlinburg since 1912, when it was known as the Pi Beta Phi Settlement School. While the school was originally focused on bringing formal education to rural East Tennessee, today, Arrowmont offers workshops and classes that are exclusively dedicated to the arts.Visitors to Arrowmont will find five galleries that are filled with artwork created by local, national, and international artists.
3. Enjoying the Gatlinburg Wine Trail
Did you know that Gatlinburg has its own wine trail? This is one of the best free things to do in Gatlinburg because you get to sample local wines AND get a gift! After you complete the wine trail, you’ll receive a free mug and a free wine glass. The trail consists of 4 wineries in the Gatlinburg area that offer free wine tastings for everyone who visits. Each winery offers a different style of wine, so it’s definitely worth visiting all of them. The wineries included along the wine trail are Sugarland Cellars, Little Bear Winery, Bootleggers Homemade Wine and Cades Cove Cellars. Remember, the wine trail can be completed over the course of your vacation or multiple vacations, so don’t feel like you have to visit all of the wineries in one day!
4. Driving the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail
The Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is a 5.5 mile one-way loop road near downtown Gatlinburg that offers breathtaking scenery, historic buildings, and trailheads for a number of popular hikes. Highlights of the trail include the Noah “Bud” Ogle Place (a homestead built in the 1800s), beautiful views of the forest and the mountains, and the chance to spot some of the area’s famous wildlife. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for turkeys and black bears!
5. Using Free Attraction Tickets
All of the guests at Timber Tops receive a special Luxury Pass that they can redeem for one free adult admission to some of the Gatlinburg area’s best attractions and shows! Participating businesses include Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies, Rowdy Bear Mountain, Ripley’s Davy Crockett, Hatfield & McCoy Dinner Show, Smoky Mountain Opry, Darren Romeo: Magic Beyond Belief, Crave Golf Club, Comedy Barn Theater, TopJump Trampoline & Extreme Arena.
More Free Things to Do in Gatlinburg
These are some of the best free things to do in Gatlinburg! Other things you can enjoy for free include browsing The Village Shops, taking a self-guided tour of Ole Smoky Moonshine Distillery, and watching candy be made at Ole Smoky Candy Kitchen. Enjoying free things to do the area is one of the best ways to make your vacation more affordable. Check out these cheap and free things to do in Gatlinburg and the Smoky Mountains for even more ideas!
As you can see, there are plenty of wonderful free things to do in Gatlinburg when you stay with Timber Tops. To start planning your next vacation, browse our selection of Gatlinburg cabin rentals!
