Gatlinburg Travel Tips: Your Best Cabin Getaway Yet!

Before you know it, you’ll be leaning back in a rocking chair on the deck and inhaling deep breaths of crisp mountain air while looking beyond the rails to miles of rolling mountain skyline and beautiful forests. Your cabin’s kitchen is already stocked with all the appliances, dishes, cups, and cookware you will need. The living room and bedrooms are fully stocked with cozy linens and furnishings.

So with all the basics awaiting you at your Cabins for YOU cabin, what do you need to do to prepare for your perfect Smoky Mountain getaway? While all our cozy cabins are stocked with conveniences and comforts, what amenities would you prefer? Views? An indoor pool? Arcade games? Let our handy Options For YOU online search tool help you narrow your search to find the perfect fit!

We know Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and the Great Smoky Mountains inside and out, and we’re always here to answer your questions. Give us a call at 800.684.7865 to talk to one of our knowledgeable Vacation Planners or browse around our site. We’re constantly adding new info to help you get here safely, find the perfect Gatlinburg (or Pigeon Forge) cabin, and have a blast with family and friends! 

Get to Know Your Cabin
At Cabins for YOU, we work with our cabin owners to create unique cabin pages for all our properties. Browse the pages to find out the steepness of your driveway, the size of your indoor pool, what type of views you’ll have, availability of a washer/dryer or internet, and much more! Want to have a secluded honeymoon cabin escape? Be sure to check on how private your cabin’s location is! Looking for extra amenities like loaded rec rooms or indoor pools to keep your kids entertained while vacationing on a budget?

We list each amenity below the cabin descriptions, and cabins with pools have their own listing page! We want the whole family to enjoy a trip to the Smoky Mountains, so we even offer pet-friendly cabins! We want to help you find the perfect canvas for your dream Smoky Mountain vacation, and finding the right cabin is the start.

Getting to Your Cabin
Flying into Knoxville? When considering rental vehicles for your trip to and from your cabin, be sure to note your cabin’s location! Driving your own vehicle to your Smoky Mountain cabin? If your cabin is tucked high in the mountains, just be sure to drive a vehicle with 4-wheel-drive capability. Give us a call ahead of time if you’re not sure. We can help you be prepared and get to your Gatlinburg cabin safely! Don’t like to drive those mountain roads? Pick one of our Gatlinburg cabins that’s within walking distance of downtown. You won’t have to head up the mountain, and you’ll be minutes away from the best restaurants, attractions, and shops in the area!

Getting to Know the Area
You found your perfect cabin, and while you may have chosen to stay in a more secluded abode deeper in the forests or eye level with the clouds high on a mountain ridge, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg offer hundreds of must-see attractions and restaurants! Peruse our extensive list of pages detailing everything from whitewater rafting on the Pigeon River and wineries and wine tours in the Smokies to 4th of July fun and annual holiday events like Christmas in Dollywood.

You will find prices, hours, what you need before you head to your excursions, and much more! You may think you know what to do while visiting the Smoky Mountains, but you are sure to find something new to do this time around while clicking through our Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge Information for YOU web pages!

Fun for EVERYONE
Want some ideas for what to do? This will get you started…

For the Adventurer – Hiking and Biking in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park | Whitewater rafting down the Pigeon River | Ziplining through the trees | ATV and Llama Trek tours

For the Shopper – Tanger Outlets, Sevierville | Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community | downtown Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge

For the Romantic – Rocky Top Wine Trail | Scenic Helicopter Tours | movie nights in the cabin | dinner shows downtown | in-cabin massages with Cabins for YOU | riding the Great Smoky Mountain Wheel | Anakeesta

For the Fun Seekers – The Escape Game Pigeon Forge | Dollywood | Dollywood’s Splash Country | go karts and laser tag | Ober Gatlinburg

Top Tips for a Gatlinburg Getaway

Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge are packed with things to do, but what’s the best way to make the most of it all? Here are our top travel tips:

  • Ride the trolley (Gatlinburg Trolley or FunTime Trolley in Pigeon Forge) to avoid traffic – and save $.
  • Check our blog ahead of time to see what’s happening while you’re in town!
  • Plan a few activities in advance, but be flexible!
  • Pick a cabin with enough amenities to have fun when you don’t want to get out.
  • Stock the cabin with your favorite snacks, drinks, and meal ingredients for in-cabin dining.
  • Pack light and take advantage of the washer/dryer.
  • Bring your favorite movies and games for rainy days.
  • Watch the calendar. Some weekends are extra busy, particularly on holidays and during car shows!
  • Pack in light layers. Smoky Mountain weather changes quickly, so it’s nice to have light layers most of the year.
  • Book a cabin with plenty of space for everyone to spread out and relax. You don’t want to be cramped while on vacation!
  • Explore! From a FREE national park and thriving arts scene to moonshine distilleries and family fun, the Smokies has so much to offer!

Preparing for the Worst
One of the most dismal thoughts you may have while planning your Gatlinburg, Tennessee vacation is: what if something happens and I can’t go? Things like military responsibilities, poor weather, and unexpected deaths can cause vacationers to cancel their Smoky Mountain plans. Unfortunate circumstances happen to us all, and it is important to have a backup plan in the event of an illness or emergency. Cabins for YOU offers protection policies that may save you some serious cash and heartache if you cannot make it to your Gatlinburg cabin. Want more info? Check out our FAQs and what we offer for trip insurance.

Our Cancellation Policy
In our 1- to 3-bedroom cabin rentals, you can’t cancel or move dates within 3 months of your check-in date. In our 4-bedroom and larger cabin rentals, you cannot cancel or move dates within 6 months of your check-in date. If you cancel your reservation within 3 or 4 months, the cabin must rebook in order for you to receive a refund. If the cabin rebooks, we will refund you the amount the new reservation is made for.

If your cabin does not rebook, and you have purchased Red Sky travel insurance, Red Sky will refund your full amount minus your trip insurance fee if you’re canceling for a covered reason. Unfortunately, we are often unable to refund cabin reservations, as it is very difficult to rebook the cabin on short notice. This statement becomes very true and important around the holidays. For this reason, we highly suggest purchasing the Mountain Trip Preserver travel insurance through Red Sky for our Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg cabins. Your vacation is a big investment, and we want you to protect it!

Travel Insurance
The Mountain Trip Preserver travel insurance offered by Red Sky is just 7.2% of your total reservation cost. It offers things like $25,000 (each) in medical emergency coverage for you and your travel companions, $1,000 in emergency dental treatment, emergency roadside assistance, battery services, flat tire assistance, reimbursement for travel expenses due to travel delays, and reimbursement due to sickness or death of you, a family member, or a travel companion. Read more on our Travel Insurance page. Trip Insurance is non-refundable after 14 days from the policy purchase date.