Located just north of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Sevierville, TN is a gorgeous mountain valley town that is anything but sleepy. This is the type of community that will surprise you every time you visit, even if you do so once, twice, or fourteen times a year! And that’s true whether you’re traveling solo or with your family.
Of course, when you are traveling with the family, especially with children, there are different types of goals you probably are going to have. Parents often want to choose vacations that will build lasting memories with children who will grow up all too fast; to build great bonding experiences. The following is a look at some (but certainly not all!) of the exciting family-bonding activities your family might partake in on your next vacation to Sevierville, TN:
1. Going on a Hike
Undoubtedly, the number one outdoor activity in Sevierville and its surrounding towns is taking a hike. This part of the country is incredibly beautiful with misty mountains and gurgling creeks complete with waterfalls. These trails are a great way to experience the outdoors with your family and enjoy some adventurous bonding time. Plus, no matter how long your vacation to Sevierville is, we’d reckon you could take a new hike every day and still leave with plenty to visit next time. Some of our favorite hiking trails include the Sevierville Greenway Trails, Cades Cove, and Laurel Falls.
2. Forbidden Caverns
455 Blowing Cave Rd, Sevierville, TN 37876
(865) 453-5972
** Forbidden Caverns is temporarily closed for the winter season until April 1, 2024 **
The Forbidden Caverns are a series of accessible caverns located just outside town that have been in use by civilizations for as long as there were people in this part of the country. Remnants of arrowheads and knives show the use of these caverns by the Eastern Woodland Indians long before Tennessee statehood. In more recent times, these caverns were used by locals to make and store moonshine for illegal distribution. That operation was busted in 1943, but remnants of old stills can still be seen.
Today, a local business operation maintains the caverns and provides guided tours throughout their depths. While this company does advise that the tour isn’t well-suited for those with mobility or respiratory issues due to some of the narrower hallways and stretches of stairwells, we think most will find this a unique and exciting experience that’s perfect for some family memory-making!
3. Ripley’s Old MacDonald Mini Golf
1639 Parkway, Sevierville, TN 37862
(865) 428-1699
Get Tickets Here
Good mini-golfing can be hard to find as there are a lot of cheap, tourist trap type of places that are little more than a patch of green and some wooden cut-outs. But, when a company puts real work into the theme, the result can be amazing. Such is the case with Ripley’s Old MacDonald’s Farm Mini Golf.
Located right in the bustling heart of Sevierville at the Tanger Outlets Sevierville shopping center, Ripley’s Old MacDonald Mini Golf is a fantastic farmyard-themed putting course. They’ve truly gone all out with the theme with beautiful red barns and fun singing animatronics, including a bright chicken coop full of animatronic chickens, which makes playing here a sort of magical, whimsical experience.
4. Adventure Park at Five Oaks
1628 Parkway, Sevierville, TN 37862
(877) 345-3781
Get Tickets Here
Photo Credit by @jessmweatherford on Instagram
If your family is interested in a touch more action, then consider a visit to Adventure Park at Five Oaks. This Sevierville attraction specializes in two types of woodsy adventures on their sprawling property: Ziplining and horseback riding. Adventure Park at Five Oaks features their own series of seven unique zip lines, several of which span nearly 2,000 feet long and take guests soaring over a beautiful mountain valley. You can partner this adventure with a horseback trail ride along mountain streams and up hills that open up to vistas of the Great Smoky Mountains themselves.
5. Smoky Mountain Deer Farm and Exotic Petting Zoo
478 Happy Hollow Ln, Sevierville, TN 37876
(865) 428-3337
Get Tickets Here
For even more animal experiences, choose instead the Smoky Mountain Deer Farm and Exotic Petting Zoo. This Sevierville attraction sits on over 140 acres, with its centerpiece being a large petting zoo and wildlife sanctuary. Young children are especially sure to love just how close and personal they can get with animals like zebras, goats, camels, pot-bellied pigs, and more.
Smoky Mountain Deer Farm and Exotic Petting Zoo also specialize in horseback trail rides for children and their families. Here, they have ponies as well as smaller stature horses that are perfect for those riding for the very first time.
6. SkyLand Ranch
1620 Parkway, Sevierville, TN 37862
(865) 737-2624
Get Tickets Here
Photo Credit by @sara.hunt04 on Instagram
SkyLand Ranch is a unique mountain attraction that sits quite literally on top of a mountain. The attraction has taken full advantage of its elevated height and, in fact, you have to take a mountain chair lift from the parking lot at the bottom of the mountain to the top where all of the activities are. Once at the top of the mountain, guests can enjoy activities like riding the Wild Stallion, the longest mountain coaster in the region, and feeding adorable miniature animals.
7. Tanger Outlets
1645 Parkway #960, Sevierville, TN 37862
(865) 453-1053
Look, we know that money can’t buy happiness, but it can buy some pretty good times and travel souvenirs! Sometimes, a good ole family shopping spree is just what the loved ones are looking for. And if so, then we have to recommend the Tanger Outlets. As noted above, this is the same shopping center area that Ripley’s Old MacDonald’s Farm Mini Golf is located at. So why not combine the two for a fun afternoon in town?
Learn More About All Sevierville Has to Offer
We hope this list of great family-bonding activities in Sevierville, TN has you inspired and scheming for where to go and what to do during your travels. Of course, while we did point out some of our big favorites, this is by no means an end-all, be-all list of the best of Sevierville. Be sure to check out our other pages and articles on this mountain town to learn more about great places to go, restaurants to dine at, and even special seasonal events to partake in.
