Gatlinburg Girls Trip: 9 Things to Do on Your Weekend Getaway

Last fall, I took a Gatlinburg girls’ trip, and it was just what my soul needed.

With hiking, beautiful mountain views, good food, great friends and a cozy villa fireplace to come “home” to each night, I couldn’t have asked for more from what was my very first travel experience—and first time flying during COVID-19.

(The wine and belly laughs helped, too!)

I typically travel at least once a month, so after being strictly at home for 9+ months, even just being in the same room with my girlfriends—doing absolutely nothing—would have been a perfect change of pace and scenery.


^{Angie, Michelle and Jennifer on their girls’ trip}

And while we did spend a good bit of time around the dining room table at our Smoky Mountain Resort villa, we did so much more! And all in just a quick ~36 hours or so escape.

(Plus, since I was already there for work, I also tacked on a few solo adventures.)

If you’re looking for some fresh air, nature-filled and beautiful “friends trip” destination inspiration, here are 9 things to do during a Smoky Mountains weekend in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

1. Hiking in the Smoky Mountains

Lots of families enjoy Gatlinburg for its downtown area and many nearby daytrips, but the biggest draw in my opinion is its super-close proximity to Great Smoky Mountains National Park and tons of hiking trails and nature paths.

And our resort is nestled right at the base of the gorgeous Tennessee mountain range.



I could see Ober Gatlinburg’s lights and ski lifts running to the top of the mountain from my villa balcony and better yet: it only took about 5 minutes to drive to the Historic Nature Trail “loop” of several national park trailheads.

Before my friends arrived for our girls’ trip, my work group enjoyed the beginning portion of Rainbow Falls Trail.



It was a gentle, much more of a beautiful nature walk than a “hike,” but it does get more strenuous if you do the entire 2.7 miles.

And it even connects to Mt. LeConte Trail, which offers an additional 6.6 miles to a summit.

We had a family of four with young kiddos with us, and they loved exploring the Trillium Gap Trail and Rainbow Falls path, while collecting red, orange and yellow fall leaves, and relishing in the sights and sounds of the waterfall and streams.



Once the weekend—and my friends—arrived, we were (much) more ambitious and hiked the Ramsey Cascades Trail. It was a further drive out, about 20 minutes each way, and listen: it was HARD.

Not so much for my marathon-running friend, but for the average, somewhat-fit person, it’s certainly a challenge.

(I know I’ve been more sedentary, and a little more inclined to eat Tate’s cookies, while working from home and quarantining, so it definitely kicked my butt.)

However, I HIGHLY recommend tackling it if you can—the entire hike was GORGEOUS, but the summit and its waterfall were SO, SO WORTH IT.


^{Michelle & Jennifer enjoying the summit!}

There were times I didn’t think I’d make it to the top, but we pushed through, encouraged each other and made it for some amazing moments of awe, wonder and, yes, photos at the top.

At 8 miles total, four up and four down, it was about a 4.5-hour trek (including a few breaks), full of steep inclines, rocks and several skinny log bridges over rushing water.



Just bring lots of water, a snack and a raincoat—all things we underestimated in our rush out the door.

2. Ordering Pizza from Mellow Mushroom

After our hike, we were STARVING, sweaty, and, honestly, pretty dirty and probably stinky.

We didn’t feel like showering and getting ready to dine out, so we ordered take-out from Mellow Mushroom on our drive back from our Ramsey Cascades hike.

If you’ve never been, you’re in for a treat. Mellow Mushroom is a relatively small chain, located in just 20 states. So, while it’s not unique to Gatlinburg perse, it’s SO delicious.



I try to eat locally and avoid chains on vacation, but hot, carby, cheesy pizza was calling our names after all the calories we’d burned.

Centrally located right in downtown Gatlinburg on the main 903 Parkway across from the Gatlinburg Convention Center, it was a two-story establishment with a partially open-air bar downstairs and a dining room and second bar upstairs.

Our order was ready right on time, and it felt pretty safe, with all servers and bartenders wearing masks and several hand sanitizer stations.

(If you’re looking for places to eat in Pigeon Forge, there are Mellow Mushroom locations over there, too!)



We all got individual pizzas and salads to bring back to and enjoy in our villa. The villa has a full kitchen, so we had all the plates and utensils we needed.

I luckily got to keep all the leftovers in my fridge when my friends headed back home from our little Gatlinburg girls’ trip.

3. Visiting Anakeesta by Gondola

I’ll be honest: I personally find areas of downtown Gatlinburg to be a bit too touristy. (No offense to Ripley’s Believe It or Not or Sir Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville.)

It was just more crowded than I expected during COVID-19, and I’m not interested in taffy or t-shirt shops.

But Anakeesta? It’s the total opposite of a crowded tourist trap. I LOVED it! (So much so, I visited Anakeesta three times during my stay.)



And it’s the perfect Gatlinburg girls’ trip (and family fun) activity that everyone will enjoy.

I’d been to Ober Gatlinburg before, but I hadn’t heard of Anakeesta until this trip. It’s hard to miss; you can’t get in or out of town without seeing its chair lifts and enclosed gondolas (or “Chondolas”) taking families up the mountain.

The ride up and down is half the fun as you look out on the entire town and the Smokies. (I especially loved spotting our resort on the way down!)


^{Jennifer and her production partner, Edwin, enjoying the Anakeesta chair lift ride}

It’s $25 per adult, $18 per child and $22 for seniors admission (and extra if you choose the Express Pass option to avoid waiting in line).

You can choose to ride up over 600 feet to the top on an open-air chair lift with a lap bar or enclosed gondola.

I did both and preferred the openness of the chair lift, but parents with young ones might like the added safety of the Chondolas.

(Huge thank you to the team at Anakeesta for comp’ing our admission for both our marketing videos and blog/social content.)

My advice? Go during the daytime and enjoy the picture-perfect mountain views, the Treetop SkyWalk (wow!), lunch venues and shops.


^{Jennifer exploring one of several amazing Treetop SkyWalk bridges}

While we didn’t do everything (next time!) they also offer zip lining, an Observation Tower, a challenge course, gem mining, play areas and even a mountain coaster.

And then go back at nighttime. We got a super special treat during our visit as it was all lit up for Christmas with thousands of lights.

It was a really magical feeling to walk around under twinkle lights on a mountaintop with Christmas music playing and a nip in the air.

But even year-round, it’s just got a cool, different vibe after sundown with firepits and places to (safely) gather in Adirondack chairs, and it offers great dining options.

Speaking of which...

4. Dining Out

I only had two nights where I dined out for dinner instead of cooking in my villa kitchen and ... both of those dinners were at Anakeesta’s Cliff Top restaurant in their Black Bear Village.

It was that good and that cute, with floor-to-ceiling windows with gorgeous mountain views! (Note: You do need admission to dine here.)



At Cliff Top, we were disappointed that they had outdoor seating but weren’t serving out there (at the time, they were understaffed).

As my very first indoor dining experience since COVID-19, I felt pretty good safety-wise; all the servers wore masks, they spaced out parties with empty tables in between, and guests were good about wearing masks to and from their tables.



The dining room was gorgeous, as were the views, and everyone really enjoyed their meals on both occasions.

My girlfriends and I split a bottle of Meiomi Pinot Noir and appreciated that it wasn’t completely overpriced.

I personally loved the hot French Onion Soup and Greenbrier Salad (filled with greens, apples, caramelized pecans, cranberries, lemon vinaigrette and GOAT CHEESE).



Pro tip: Just know that after dinner, you may have to wait in a long line to either take a shuttle bus or the lifts/gondolas back down. We didn’t mind, but we were surprised to see the long line when we left the restaurant.

If you’d hate that kind of claustrophobic “get me off this mountaintop” feeling though, you might want to start heading down earlier than closing time.

I cooked most of my meals, but my work team dined out for breakfast at the Log Cabin Pancake House, which is right across from the resort.

They said it was very good, as we had expected after seeing very long lines out the door every single morning.

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Need more hiking tips?

• Hiking with Kids: 10 Easy Tips
  
• National Take a Hike Day: 9 Member-Favorite Hiking Trails
  
• Hikes & Bites: 6 Favorite Vacation Treks & Post-Hike Places to Eat

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5. Spotting Wildlife

While we were waiting for our turn to head down and out of Anakeesta, we encountered ... a BLACK BEAR!!!

Yes, a real bear went RIGHT by us, scrambling up a tall tree and then literally hanging out for quite a long time as we enjoyed this up close and personal encounter (with lots of photos, of course).



The Anakeesta staff informed us that they often come out at night as the crowds leave, foraging for food and lumbering around.

We were kind of surprised by how casual they seemed about it, but we LOVED our bear encounter (especially since it turned out well for us—you know—safety and not getting eaten-wise).

On another occasion, my work colleague and I saw more black bears on the hillside while we rode the chair lift up during broad daylight. They were just eating berries and enjoying the sunshine, doing bear stuff.

Gatlinburg visitors can also expect to spot white-tailed deer, chipmunks, wild turkeys and other animals in the Smoky Mountains.


^{Look closely for one of Bambi’s friends!}

On a previous Tennessee trip to the popular Cades Cove section of the national park, I also saw lots of wild horses.

Just be aware, alert and careful: Never ever try to pet or get too close to a wild animal and read up on what to do if you come across a bear before you head out into nature.

6. Relaxing in Our Cozy Mountain Villa

After our bear encounter, we headed back to the resort and enjoyed some downtime. After working remotely and staying put in our houses for months, it was really fun just being somewhere else.

Our villa had two bedrooms (one with a king and one with two full beds), two full bathrooms, a full kitchen, dining room, living room with a fireplace, our own washer and dryer, and a gorgeous mountain view balcony.

The decor and design made you REALLY feel like you were in the Smoky Mountains, which is something I love and look for when I book accommodations.