OT: Smokey Mountain Cabins
- Thread starter catvet
- Start date
I have rented in Bryson City and Sylva, NC, just over the ridge from these guys and I would highly recommend: http://www.greatsmokyscabinrentals.com/
Bryson City is a lot quieter than Gatlinburg and there is still a lot of outdoors stuff to do. The Nantahala Brewery has a brewpub and taproom in Bryson City.
Bryson City is a lot quieter than Gatlinburg and there is still a lot of outdoors stuff to do. The Nantahala Brewery has a brewpub and taproom in Bryson City.
We rented from Jackson Mountain Homes...
Had a great experience with them. The website was easy to work with and the folks were nice. This was near Gatlinburg.
Here's the cabin I booked last year. There are a bunch more depending on how many bedrooms you need, etc.
http://www.jacksonmountainhomes.com/rental/house.html?ID=95&Avail=&Stay=&User=JAX5438
Had a great experience with them. The website was easy to work with and the folks were nice. This was near Gatlinburg.
Here's the cabin I booked last year. There are a bunch more depending on how many bedrooms you need, etc.
http://www.jacksonmountainhomes.com/rental/house.html?ID=95&Avail=&Stay=&User=JAX5438
We have always used Aunt Bugs and always been well pleased. They have cabins for every budget and you can enter what criteria you are looking for.
I live in the area.
Three basic types of experiences you can have here. 1 is the Pigeon Forge, crazy hillbilly schtick. That would be Dollywood (they are open through Christmas, and it is the only time I'm willing to go), the musical shows, all that kind of stuff. Some people love it, some don't. If you are going that route, Dollywood actually rents cabins and gives a discount for people wanting to do both, and there are many other cabin rentals in that general area. Traffic isn't so bad right now compared to summer, but expect to be around a lot of people, and expect to be doing most things by driving up to a parking lot. Some really nice resort type places here to stay, and there are cabins around
Second is the Gatlinburg experience. Gatlinburg is a lot less crowded than it used to be, because of the buildup of Pigeon Forge. It backs up to the park, so ease of getting access to trails etc. in the park is better than pigeon forge, and you can actually walk pretty much all of gatlinburg easily and pleasantly. I enjoy day trips up here with the girls now and again. Cabins are everywhere, including up the mountain by the ice rink/ ski slopes. Also has nice resorts if you are looking for more pampering.
Third, and my personal favorite is the "quiet side of the smokies" That would be the Townsend/Wears valley area. It's just down the road from me, but we still rent in this area several times a year (Wears valley in particular) You can expect to find more privacy with cabins if you are careful, less of the "cabin community" type of thing. You have immediate and extensive access to the park, the Llittle river and its various branches are right here, and the main things in the town are a few restaurants, and some local crafts vendors. There are also more local events that can be fun to go to, where it is actual locals hanging out and having a good time clogging or what have you. There are bike riding trails throughout the town, horse riding, a pretty good fly fishing store/guide service, etc. Wears Valley is just down highway 321 From Townsend. You also have quick access to the town of Maryville, which has hospital, restaurants, etc.
I'd figure out what kind of an experience you are looking for first, and then decide accordingly.
Three basic types of experiences you can have here. 1 is the Pigeon Forge, crazy hillbilly schtick. That would be Dollywood (they are open through Christmas, and it is the only time I'm willing to go), the musical shows, all that kind of stuff. Some people love it, some don't. If you are going that route, Dollywood actually rents cabins and gives a discount for people wanting to do both, and there are many other cabin rentals in that general area. Traffic isn't so bad right now compared to summer, but expect to be around a lot of people, and expect to be doing most things by driving up to a parking lot. Some really nice resort type places here to stay, and there are cabins around
Second is the Gatlinburg experience. Gatlinburg is a lot less crowded than it used to be, because of the buildup of Pigeon Forge. It backs up to the park, so ease of getting access to trails etc. in the park is better than pigeon forge, and you can actually walk pretty much all of gatlinburg easily and pleasantly. I enjoy day trips up here with the girls now and again. Cabins are everywhere, including up the mountain by the ice rink/ ski slopes. Also has nice resorts if you are looking for more pampering.
Third, and my personal favorite is the "quiet side of the smokies" That would be the Townsend/Wears valley area. It's just down the road from me, but we still rent in this area several times a year (Wears valley in particular) You can expect to find more privacy with cabins if you are careful, less of the "cabin community" type of thing. You have immediate and extensive access to the park, the Llittle river and its various branches are right here, and the main things in the town are a few restaurants, and some local crafts vendors. There are also more local events that can be fun to go to, where it is actual locals hanging out and having a good time clogging or what have you. There are bike riding trails throughout the town, horse riding, a pretty good fly fishing store/guide service, etc. Wears Valley is just down highway 321 From Townsend. You also have quick access to the town of Maryville, which has hospital, restaurants, etc.
I'd figure out what kind of an experience you are looking for first, and then decide accordingly.
In Gatlinburg, I'd recommend Mountain Laurel Chalets. Stayed there numerous times in a different chalet each time and always satisfied. They have a very good website with lots of pics and info making it easy to find what you want.