With over 800 square miles of unspoiled mountains, forests, and streams, the Great Smoky Mountains are a must see on your Gatlinburg vacation. To help you experience it all, we've made this guide of the best places to find cabins near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park!
These resort areas are perfect for visitors hoping to see as much of the Great Smoky Mountains as possible! Whether you're looking for cabins near hiking trails, waterfalls, or scenic drives, these rentals keep you close to all the incredible sights of the Smokies!
While there's no lodging inside the national park, apart from camping, these beautiful cabin resorts keep you so close to the Great Smoky Mountains it will hardly make a difference!
1. Chalet Village
Closest National Park Entrance: Sugarlands on Newfound Gap Road
Nearby Destinations: The Chimneys, Newfound Gap, Mt. LeConte, and Clingman's Dome
The Chalet Village Resort area is located in the beautiful mountains above Gatlinburg. Since these resort rentals are only a short drive from downtown attractions, they're a natural choice for many vacationers. As an added perk, guests staying at these Gatlinburg resort cabins can also easily access the Sugarlands entrance to the national park.
From here, you can stop by the Visitor's Center for maps and information before you set out on your day of adventure. This part of the park is famous for the Newfound Gap Road that winds its way high into the mountains. Along the way, you'll see beautiful views and trailheads for great hiking trails like Alum Cave, The Chimney Tops, and the Appalachian Trail.
This national park entrance is the way to reach some of the highest elevation points on the park like Newfound Gap and Clingman's Dome where you'll find some of the most jaw-dropping views in the Smokies. Visitors can also access Elkmont, Tremont, and Cades Cove by taking the Little River Road. On their way, you can find popular hiking trails like Laurel Falls and Little Greenbier.
Another place to find cabins close to this popular part of the Smokies is the Smoky Mountain Village area that features excellent cabins with awesome mountain views.
2. Glades Road Cabins
Closest National Park Entrance: Greenbrier
Nearby Destinations: Ramsey Cascades and Historic Cabins
These lovely cabins are located in the Glades Road area just off of the East Parkway in Gatlinburg. Not only are cabins in the Glades close to the famous Gatlinburg Arts and Crafts Loop, but they also provide quick access to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park!
The closest park entrance is the Greenbrier area where visitors can enjoy a beautiful mountain river, a picnic area, and several popular hiking trails. Better yet, this part of the park is off the beaten path, so you can truly enjoy peace and seclusion when you visit the mountains.
At the same time, Glades Road cabins are only a few miles from Downtown Gatlinburg that's also home to two other gateways to the national park: The Roaring Fork Motor Trail and the Sugarlands Entrance.
Mountain Shadows has other cabin rentals that are especially close to this part of the Smokies.
3. Sky Harbor
Closest National Park Entrance: Roaring Fork Motor Trail
Nearby Destinations: Historic Cabins, Grotto Falls, and the Place of 1,000 Drips
Sky Harbor cabin rentals can be found just off of the Spur Road that connects Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, TN. From here, it's easy to reach the heart of Gatlinburg and the Historic Nature Trail Rd that marks the beginning of the Roaring Fork Motor Trail.
This popular loop road in the national park passes by some of the most beautiful landscapes in the Great Smoky Mountains. In addition to bringing hikers to trailheads like the Rainbow Falls Trail and Trillium Gap, this road passes by historic home sites like the Ephraim Bales Place. Some top sights to look for in this part of the park are popular waterfall hikes like Grotto Falls and Rainbow Falls.
4. Wears Valley
Closest National Park Entrance: Metcalf Bottoms
Nearby Destinations: Elkmont, Tremont, and Cades Cove
While Wears Valley is a bit further away from Gatlinburg, it’s a great place for vacationers who want to experience the Smoky Mountains. For visitors who want to explore Cades Cove, cabins in Wears Valley are some of the closest rentals to the Southwestern part of the Smokies.
Guests staying in Wears Valley can access the national park through the Metcalf Bottoms Picnic area. By turning left on the Little River Road, vacationers can easily reach Elkmont and Gatlinburg on an exceptionally scenic drive. By turning right, visitors can enjoy sights like the waterfalls at The Sinks, The swimming hole at the Wye, and find hiking trails in Tremont and Cades Cove.
Map of Cabins Near The Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Final Thoughts
All in all, booking any cabin in Gatlinburg will place you only a short drive away from the natural wonders of the Southern Appalachian Mountains so it's hard to go wrong. This guide is simply to help guests find cabins close to certain gateways to different areas of the park.
What are your favorite national park sights to see when you visit Gatlinburg? We'd love to hear about it in our site's comment section!
Written by Hayden Brown