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The sign for Sugarland Cellars Winery in Gatlinburg.
June 17, 2023

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 4 of the best free things to do in Gatlinburg:

1. Visiting the Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts

A bear carved out of wood laying next to a knife.

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.

2. 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!

3. Driving the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail

roaring fork motor trail next to a river

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!

4. 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! You can watch a hilarious performance at The Comedy Barn Theater or sing along to your favorite country hits at Country Tonite Theatre, experience the thrills at Rowdy Bear Snowpark or Paula Deen’s Lumberjack Feud Adventure Park, or learn and have fun at the same time at the Titanic Museum or WonderWorks! You’ll love being able to enjoy these incredible attractions in the area for free when you stay in our Smoky Mountain cabins.

More Free Things to Do in Gatlinburg

ole smoky candy kitchen

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!

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