Catch up with your best girls with a girls trip to the Smokies.
When it’s time to get away with the girls, the Great Smoky Mountains has everything you might want – from great food and unique restaurants to spas, amazing hikes, shopping, and cabins with great amenities for all the laughs and luxury. With Mother’s Day coming up – May 14 – take mom (or send her) with her girlfriends to the mountains!
Check out all these fun options for getting the most of your girls-only get together!
Hiking
With more than 800 miles and more than 150 individual trails, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park offers hikes for all ages and ability levels. From paved nature trails to miles-long mountain summits, every woman in the group will enjoy seeing the beauty of the Smokies.
It’s easy to get information about hiking in the national parks. The Sugarland’s Visitor Center is located only a few short miles from stoplight #10 in Gatlinburg and is staffed by friendly volunteers. A paper map is $1 and will offer up plenty of options for a great day in nature.
Thinking of taking a hike but don’t want to go it alone? Check out a few of the hiking guide companies in the Smokies to get a more personal experience! Have a private local guide meet you and your girlfriends for a personalized trip into the forest.
If taking a hike isn’t exactly your group’s idea of a great time, don’t worry! The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is an incredible place for an auto tour, too! With plenty of scenic drives to take all around the park, visiting local water falls, scenic views, and mountain tops are easy and accessible.
If you and your ladies are like me, you take your running shoes everywhere. Check out some local races and make it part of your adventure!Big Foot 5K in Townsend May 6
Pigeon Forge 8K Aug. 5
Great Smoky Mountain Half Marathon and 5K Sept. 8 in Townsend
Cades Cove Loop Lope Nov. 12
Follow up your hiking and running with some yoga and a spa visit.
Goat Yoga
Take some time to relax and just breathe when you attend a group class or book a private session at your American Patriot Getaways cabin. Mountain Zen Yoga offers a wide variety of yoga, including GOAT YOGA, meditation, and coaching services. The Sevierville-based teachers also will help create unique retreat experiences in the Smokies.
Get pampered by professionals when you book a spa day.
A local favorite spa in Gatlinburg includes Fox Place Spa, is a smaller and more private spa. You can book a facial, massage, or any variety of add-ons. The Serenity Spa at Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort & Spa offers a fitness center for those who prefer a little bit of sweat therapy with a great selection of cardio and weight training equipment. For more traditional relaxation, check out their extensive list of services, including package deals where lunch can be served with an advance notice. Their manicure and pedicure services also come with wine service!
In Pigeon Forge, check out Riverstone Resort & Spa for massage therapy, waxing, make-up, and even manicures or pedicures. They even offer spa packages with any of the above or add ons. A bonus? They’re centrally located on Dollywood Lane in Pigeon Forge for easy access to either town!
What’s a girls’ trip without some shopping? Is that even possible?
Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville are home to malls, outlets, and hundreds of stores. Designer clothing and accessories, antiques, quirky locally owned shops, gift and souvenir stores, art, hand-made crafts, candles, preserves and specialty foods traditional to this mountain area.
Where to go:
Glades Arts & Crafts Community
From expertly thrown handcrafted pottery to hand-forged knives, to blown glass there will be a prized item for any member of the family.
The 8-mile loop features more than 100 locally owned shops with artisans using centuries-old traditions. Learn more about the history of this incredible community here.
The Gatlinburg Mountain Mall, dubbed as a “premier indoor shopping experience.”
Each shop has a unique theme such as hand-crafted candy and local foods, hand-made jewelry, custom-blended tobacco products, quilts, dolls, magic tricks, sports, clothing for your dog, collectible toys and locally made artwork.
Walk around the two indoor fountains, one of which is 30-feet tall. Check out the now-and-then photos as you stroll around the mall. The photos are of the general store that once stood on the same spot – Ogle’s General Store. The Ogle family still owns the Mall.
Check out all the merchants.
Mountain Mall is located at Traffic Light #6 across from Ripley’s Aquarium. 611 Parkway, Ste F15, Gatlinburg.
The Village
A few steps off Gatlinburg’s bustling main street, is The Village . Here a collection of 27 unique boutiques, eateries and galleries make for a pleasant shopping experience.
Walk and shop through the quaint village of Old World-style buildings and brick paths. It’s like stepping back in time.
Check out letter art at The Best Gift Idea Ever. At Celtic Heritage, find fine gifts imported from Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Shop for collectible art and hand-crafted frames at Lamplight Gallery. Need some PJs? Check out The Lazy One of Gatlinburg. God’s Corner is a locally owned Christian Bookstore. Other shops include Life is Good; The Day Hiker – for your adventures in the national park; The Candle Cottage; and The Honey Pot and Tervis, among many more.
Located just past Traffic Light #6, The Village address is 634 Parkway, Gatlinburg.
Tanger Outlets
Tanger Outlets is a nationally known outlet mall enterprise based in Greensboro, NC. The Sevierville location is at 1645 Parkway.
Here, you’ll find hundreds of our favorite shops with sales and deals galore – kids, adults, men, women, shoes of all kinds! Coach, Christopher & Banks, Harry & David (I could live on their chocolate covered blueberries!), Kate Spade New York, Michael Kors, Pink by Victoria, Tommy Hilfiger. There’s a Disney Outlet, Eddie Bauer, Brooks Brothers, Columbia, The North Face, Under Armour – and so much more. Check out the list of shops.
For more shopping ideas, check our blog post.
Eventually you are going to want to eat. There are so many wonderful options – from barbecue to country fried steak, homemade soup to fried green tomatoes, pizza to burgers.
Check out our blog posts for all the best places: Health restaurants, outdoor dining, Cheap eats and Southern meals.
Don’t miss the unique beverage options in the Smokies, including moonshine and wine!
In addition to local wineries, there also is Tennessee Cider Company, Ole Smoky Whiskey Distillery, Smoky Mountain Brewery and many more places to taste the local libations.
Vino & Trains
Uncorked: Wine & Rails Great Smoky Mountains Railroad (GSMR) in Bryson City, North Carolina, offers a unique experience pairing a railroad adventure with good wine and a great meal on the Nantahala Gorge Excursion departing on Passengers enjoy a full service All-Adult First-Class ride in the First-Class cars. This comes with a private attendant and “plush, well-appointed dining seating”. A narrator will accompany the ride to present each pour to guests.
Passengers on this specialty car will enjoy an exclusive sampling of cheeses and a surf and turf meal prepared fresh with carefully selected wine samples to accompany. All passengers will receive a GSMR souvenir stemless wine glass, four samples of selected wine, and a seasonal dessert.
Uncorked is offered on the Nantahala Gorge Excursion departing on select dates. See schedule for departures. The next Uncorked trips are May 12 and 13 – perfect for a Mother’s Day girls’ weekend! Tickets are $149 per person (Adults 21+ only).
Purchase tickets online or call (800) 872-4681.
Just 46 miles from Gatlinburg, GSMRis a memorable and TK experience.
Find more ideas for fun in the Smokies here.
Book Your Stay and start planning your girls’ trip!
https://patriotgetaways.com/cabins/in-pigeon-forge/black-bears-biscuits-lodge.html
No matter which fun activity you choose on your girls’ weekend in Gatlinburg, you’re sure to need some down time to unwind. What better place to unwind than in your very own private cabin? Grab a bottle of your spirits you purchased out in town and enjoy sitting in a rocking chair on a porch with an INCREDIBLE mountain view. A soak in the hot tub will help soothe tired muscles. If you cabin has a home theater, queue up all your favorite films for a movie night in. Speaking of “cue”, many Smoky Mountain Cabins come with pool tables and arcade machines to keep the fun going all night long. Check out our cabins with pools and theaters.
Whether it’s just you and your best friend or your entire extended group of girlfriends, we have a cabin for you. From groups of 2 to groups of 42, you’re sure to find the best fit for your weekend. Give our talented Reservationists a call at 800-204-5169 or visit our website.
For more vacation planning ideas, be sure to check out all our Smoky Mountain Travel Guides. You can also follow us on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook for all the latest area happenings. We can’t wait to see you on your trip to the Smoky Mounta
