We recently came back from ringing in the new year in Gatlinburg, Tennessee and had the best time! My in-laws were visiting and we were looking for a quick winter getaway to do something different. Since we had never been to Gatlinburg before, we decided it would be the perfect spot to visit. Plus we had heard it was very dog friendly which we found to be true. Although this trip was fairly low key, I’m highlighting below a few of the best dog friendly places we visited while in Gatlinburg.
Day 1
Our first day of the trip was primarily the travel day– AKA road trip! It took us just under 6 hours to arrive from Raleigh. It went by pretty fast as the scenery was beautiful. Sunny did a great job as always! We booked our rental through Marriott Homes & Villas. Although we did discover a few issues upon check in, we appreciated that Marriott and the rental agency resolved them in a timely manner. Nevertheless, the rental was very cute and had enough space for all of us. Plus it was only a few minutes from downtown Gatlinburg. After getting settled into the home, we immediately went to look at the beautiful decorations downtown and ate dinner at Howard’s Restaurant. They have a huge dog friendly outdoor patio (with heaters) so it was perfect!
Day 2
The 2nd day of our Gatlinburg getaway was New Year’s Eve. We went out again to see all that the town had to offer. I will say it was more crowded than I expected, however given that it was the holidays it is understandable. We stopped by many shops while walking the main street. Our favorite thing we did this day was definitely the moonshine tasting at Sugarlands Distilling Company! You were able to sample 12 flavors of moonshine for only $5 each. Our guide was fantastic and the overall vibes were excellent. Plus they were dog friendy! Despite the large crowd, we didn’t have to wait long. I definitely recommend! We also stopped by Loco Burro for some quick appetizers before heading back to the rental to prepare for New Year’s Eve festivities. They also had a heated, dog friendly rooftop patio.
Day 3
Our 3rd day in Gatlinburg was definitely the most relaxing day. It was New Year’s Day so we mainly just took it easy at the rental for most of the morning. I enjoyed some coffee while using my new favorite eye patches from True Botanicals. We took Sunny for a walk and stumbled upon the cutest dog park– Mills Dog Park. There were separate areas for big and small dogs to play off leash, although Sunny didn’t meet any new friends because it was so cold! That evening we bundled up and drove a short distance to Pigeon Forge’s Winterfest. It was so beautiful to walk around here, and there were tons of shops, restaurants, and entertainment options to explore.
Day 4
Our last full day in Gatlinburg was definitely my favorite! We started the day by going to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We went to the Sugarlands Visitor Center where we learned that we can drive up to the top of the mountain for scenic views. As we were driving further up, we began to see icicles and snow. There were several places to stop and take pictures– it was so beautiful! We continued driving a bit further to the Cataloochee area where we were able to observe elk. This was so neat and was not something I was expecting to see on this trip!
After the National Park visit, we headed back to downtown Gatlinburg as we had made reservations for Gatlinburg SkyPark. I was so impressed that this location was dog friendly! I will admit it was a bit scary brining Sunny on the SkyLift, but we held onto her tight and she did great! Once at the top we were also able to walk over the SkyBridge and see so many panoramic views. We enjoyed walking through some trails as well as having a drink while watching the sun go down. The location was truly stunning and I’m so glad Sunny got to be with us!
If you’re looking for a dog friendly winter getaway I definitely recommend Gatlinburg, Tennessee. We had a great time despite the colder temperatures. I’m sure the location is also lovely in the summer as well! If you do plan a visit, you definitely can’t skip Sugarlands Distilling Company, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, or Gatlinburg SkyPark! If you enjoyed this overview, check out some of my other travel guides HERE!
