The Great Smoky Mountains National Park has almost everything one would want from a family vacation or retreat. It allows people to spend quality time in the great outdoors, while also enabling them to enjoy numerous entertainment and dining options in nearby tourist towns Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. People can easily plan a trip to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park with Capital Vacations to enjoy a fun-filled weekend with their little ones.
Capital Vacations underlines what to do in Great Smoky Mountains National Park with Kids
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the highest visited park in the United States. Around 11 million people explore this park annually. It additionally is the 19th largest U.S. National Park coming in at about 522,426 acres. Across the park there are many wonderful things to do and places to visit with kids, such as:
- Sugarlands Visitor Center: Located near the Gatlinburg entrance of the park, the Sugarlands Visitor Center is among its main visitors entrance. Families should plan to come here right at the start of their trip, in order to pick up maps and get any information that might be needed later on. At the Sugarlands Visitor Center, one can find nature exhibits, animal exhibits, a book store, a gift shop, a movie about the park and lots more, making it a perfect kid-friendly spot. There also is a fun and easy hiking trail located behind this visitor center.
- Junior Ranger activity: A fun activity is available at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park for kids ages 5-12 that involve completing the junior ranger booklet and earning a junior ranger badge. This booklet can be picked up from just about any of the visitor centers of the park and the campgrounds at Cades Cove and Elkmont. It can be the perfect souvenir for the kids to take home, and they would surely love to show off the badges to their friends.
- Kid friendly hikes: Hiking is among the most popular activities in the Great Smoky Mountains for all age groups. It would be a great way to encourage the kids to take part in a fun-filled physical activity, get some fresh air and appreciate what the mountains are all about. There are many kid-friendly hikes in the Smoky Mountains, Cataract Falls Trail being one of the most popular ones. This simple 0.7-mile hike is located behind the Sugarlands Visitor Center, and takes the hikers to the beautiful 40-foot Cataract Falls. This hike is ideal for families with toddlers and young children who want to see a waterfall but do not want to hike a long distance.
When going on a trip to the Smoky Mountains with Capital Vacations, one can also drive down to Cades Cove with their kids. There are several spots to pull over in the region, and subsequently admire the beautiful scenery and historic buildings. People can spot a variety of wildlife here, including bears, wild turkeys and white-tailed deer. About halfway around the loop road, people can find the Cable Mill historic area and a beautiful river.
