Top 10 Things to Do on a Rainy Day in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge

Published Oct 17, 2023

Whether you cuddle up in your cozy vacation cabin, head for indoor attractions or hike in the rain, you can make a gray day into a delight. Try these 10 ideas for rainy days in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.

1. Hold a game tournament

Many Smokies cabins feature great game rooms, so pick one with pool, air hockey, foosball, arcade games or board games. Challenge each other to see who rules on Pac-Man, or who’s the foosball champ!

2. Swim in an indoor pool

Whatever the weather, an indoor pool gives you hours of exercise and fun. Don’t let the rustic exterior of a Smokies rental cabin fool you. Some have great pools inside! 

3. Hold a movie marathon

Rent a cabin with its own movie theater and you’ve got the ideal retreat. Butter the popcorn and watch all the flicks you want, guilt-free! 

4. Catch up on reading or listening to podcasts

A cabin’s covered deck, out of the rain but still in the fresh air, is a quiet spot for curling up with a book or your headphones. 

5. Meet penguins and sharks at Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies

Visit the 10,000 sea creatures who call this spectacular aquarium home. A little water doesn’t bother them! 

6. Time-travel back to 1912 at the Titanic Museum Attraction

Become a passenger aboard the ill-fated Titanic. See how passengers and crew lived. Touch a real iceberg, sit in a lifeboat and walk up the Grand Staircase. 

7. Tap your toes at a live stage show

Watch beautiful horses perform at Dolly Parton’s Stampede. Guffaw at clean humor and music at The Comedy Barn. Gasp at acrobatic feats in Pirates Voyage

8. Go for a hike in the rain

Trails can get crowded on sunny days, but a rainy day means more solitude without all the foot traffic. The national park’s serene Quiet Walkways make wonderful rainy-day hikes.

9. Burn off energy at an indoor trampoline park

Work out the wiggles with high-adrenaline fun on trampolines, a climbing course, an obstacle course and more at Top Jump Trampoline and Extreme Arena.

10. Forge your own knife

For as little as $20, anyone (even kids as young as five) can forge a souvenir that’s also a handy tool. Use this Guide to Knife Making to find the right blacksmithing experience. 

Rain or shine, Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge always keeps you busy! Browse Smokies cabins now and plan your next vacation.

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