If you’re looking for a fun and affordable family destination, the Great Smoky Mountains should be on your list. This mountain range is located along the border of Tennessee and North Carolina. An added bonus is that unlike other popular National Parks such as Yellowstone or the Grand Canyon, the Smoky Mountains does not have an entrance fee. In addition to being budget-friendly, it is a perfect park for families with young kids. In fact, our first trip with a baby was to the Smokies (and the first trip we took after Covid!) There are numerous hikes across all lengths and difficulties. So if you are looking to bring young kids along, here are the best hikes in the Smoky Mountains for families.
LAUREL FALLS
Laurel Falls is one of the most popular hikes in the Smokies and for good reason. Some quick facts about this hike:
- The trail is a very doable 2.6 mile round trip with just moderate elevation gain.
- It is paved, but has some rough areas that does not make it super stroller-friendly, so we recommend using a baby carrier instead. Children should be able to walk this trail with just a bit of guidance.
- Because of its popularity, this hike can get very crowded. Depending on the time of year, the parking lot will fill up by 9 a.m., but there’s plenty of room to park along the side of the road.
If you want to observe the waterfalls in peace and quiet, you’ll need to go very early in the day. By mid-morning, the large crowds can start to feel pretty overwhelming. However, the falls have an upper and lower section that can be explored. So while it may be impossible to avoid all other visitors, you can find areas to separate yourselves from other visitors. In fact, Karen found a spot to discreetly nurse our baby while David was taking photos of the falls. The trail itself also features some beautiful vantage points and photo opportunities as well.
CLINGMANS DOME
Clingmans Dome is the highest point in the Smoky Mountains at over 6,640 feet. The elevation makes the drive here an adventure in itself! What do you need to know about this hike?
- It’s only a mile round trip, but don’t let that fool you…
- The paved path is steep with over 300 feet of elevation gain! But don’t worry. There are benches along the way if you need a break.
- There’s an observation tower at the top of the hill with signs describing what you can see in each direction.
- A decent amount of parking is available, but can fill up on busy days. Bathrooms are also located here.
The highest point in the national park should provide the best views, right? Well, theoretically yes. But if you have bad luck with the weather like we did, all you will see is a whole lot of nothing… haha! It was a rainy, misty morning, so as we drove up into the clouds, we didn’t expect to see much more than fog. So plan this hike for a day with the best weather conditions possible. If it’s foggy, you’ll at least get a good workout!
CATARACT FALLS
Cataract Falls is one of the easiest hikes in the Smoky Mountains. Here are some fast facts about this extremely kid-friendly trail:
- The trail begins by the bathrooms at the Sugarlands Visitor Center, located by the Gatlinburg park entrance.
- Being located by the Visitor Center means there’s plenty of parking available.
- The trail is less than a mile round-trip with barely any elevation change.
This short hike goes by some beautiful creeks as you make your way to the waterfall. Like other popular trails, this one can get pretty crowded as well. Children will love playing around the base of the waterfall. So if you are planning to stop by the Sugarlands Visitor Center, stay a little longer and add Cataract Falls to your list.
BASKINS CREEK FALLS
Baskins Creek Falls is a hike on the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, an exciting mountain road. To get here, you won’t be taking the main parkway in Gatlinburg into the park. Instead, you’ll need to get to the Historic Nature Trail Road (still in Gatlinburg), which turns into Cherokee Orchard Road when you enter the National Park.
But there’s an important thing to remember when you take this entrance. Cherokee Orchard Road is a two-way street until it becomes a one-way loop at the end. On that loop is the turn onto Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, which is a one-way, extremely narrow and windy road. Once you get on this road, there is no turning around until you’re out of the park. It’s an incredibly beautiful road, but it is closed in the winter and large vehicles like buses, trailers and motor homes are not permitted.
The Baskins Creek Falls trailhead lies right after the turn onto the Roaring Fork road. There are some parking spaces by the trailhead, but it really only fits 2 or 3 cars. Since it’s a one-way road, your next chance at a parking spot may not be for a while. If you don’t want to risk it, we recommend parking at the second Rainbow Falls lot. This is on the loop portion of Cherokee Orchard Road and is a short walk from the trailhead. However, there’s no sidewalks or shoulders on Roaring Fork, so you’ll need to be careful walking to the trailhead. It’s not a fast road (10 mph), but you will still want to keep your eyes out for vehicles.
What else should you know about the Baskins Creek Falls hike?
- It is about a 3 mile round trip, but there are several elevation changes. You will be walking up and down inclines quite a bit.
- This is the least popular trail mentioned on this list. It’s a bit of a hidden gem, which is nice. But at the same time, it’s important to stay safe since you won’t see many other hikers and cell reception is spotty to non-existent.
- There is an area where you have to cross the creek. There are logs to get you across with dry feet, but this portion does require some balancing. And the logs aren’t very slip-resistant.
After being on heavily populated trails, the Baskins Creek Falls hike was almost eerie. In fact, we only saw 3 other people during our visit. This trail is probably best for families with children that are a bit older, as it has some moderately challenging areas. Also, confession time: we didn’t actually make it to the end. We got a mile in and had a half mile left to go, but the weather didn’t look promising and our baby was starting to get fussy after a long day. So rather than get stuck on the trail in a storm with an upset baby and no cell service, we decided to turn around early. (Of course, it didn’t even end up raining all that much…) Even though we didn’t finish the hike, we still highly recommend it.
MORE KID-FRIENDLY HIKES IN THE SMOKIES
Here are some additional great hikes for families that we didn’t get to:
- Gatlinburg Trail: This is an easy, relatively flat hike that also begins at the Sugarlands Visitor Center and goes to the edge of Gatlinburg. It is just under a 4-mile round trip. A bonus is that this is a trail that allows both dogs and bikes!
- Grotto Falls: This hike is also located on the one-way Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. The round trip is 2.6 miles with a trail that takes you behind the waterfall! There is also a large parking area available.
LET'S GO HIKING IN THE SMOKY MOUNTAINS!
While the Smokies has its share of difficult hikes to challenge even the most seasoned adventurers, it has plenty of great trails for people of all ages. Families with young ones will have an unforgettable trip with the hikes listed above.
If being budget-friendly and family-friendly were not reasons enough to visit the Smokies, it’s also right next to tourist towns like Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge with a variety of attractions including Dollywood, the SkyBridge and mountain coasters, just to name a few.
We hope this post helps you as you plan your family trip to the Great Smoky Mountains! If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments below. Be sure to check out our other posts on National Parks and guides to a variety of destinations in our Trips & Tips section. Thanks for reading!