Drive 13.4 miles • 31 minutes

These three towns near the Great Smoky Mountains serve up heaping helpings of family-friendly fun. From museums devoted to pop culture to quirky rides and exhibits, you won’t run out of things to do in this wholesome slice of the Volunteer State.

1. Gatlinburg

Starting Point • Entertainment, Nature, Quirky, Shopping

Quirky attractions and down-home thrills greet visitors here. Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! opens the doors of its Odditorium along with the Ripleys Aquarium, which showcases a Shark Lagoon and Tropical Rainforest. Prime Time television comes alive at Cooter’s Place, where exhibits from the 1970s TV show, Dukes of Hazzard, are on display and Dukes memorabilia is on sale. Ride the Gatlinburg Sky Lift or tour the Smokies on the Ober Gatlinburg Aerial Tramway.

2. Pigeon Forge

7.1 miles, 17 minutes • Entertainment, Food, History, Outdoor Recreation

Not to be outdone, Pigeon Forge is packed-to-bursting with fun. You must see Dollywood—Dolly Parton’s Appalachian-themed fun park, with rides and rollicking entertainment. And did you know about the Elvis Museum & Hollywood Legends Museum? The Titanic Museum? The Baskin-Robbins Family Fun Center? The fun never seems to end. At Flyaway Indoor Skydiving, take a spin on the Great Smoky Mountain Wheel and take a whitewater rafting trip on the Pigeon River.

RECOMMENDED STOPOVERS

King’s Holly Haven RV Park – Pigeon Forge, TN – (888) 204-0247

3. Sevierville

6.3 miles, 14 minutes • Entertainment, Nature, Shopping

You can pretend to be the next Dale Earnhardt at NASCAR SpeedPark, a thrilling go-kart racecourse with nine individual tracks for the whole family. Get an unlimited ride wristband and hit the gas. Shop for official NASCAR gear, too. Sevierville’s extraordinary RainForest Adventures Zoo is home to over 400 animals from rainforests around the world, including mammals, reptiles, birds, bugs and amphibians. At Tangier Outlet, 100 stores offer big savings on big names like Tommy Hilfiger, Ann Taylor and the GAP.

RECOMMENDED STOPOVERS

Ripplin’ Waters Campground & Cabin Rental – Sevierville, TN – (865) 453-4169

River Plantation RV Resort – Sevierville, TN – (800) 758-5267

Riverside RV Park & Resort – Sevierville, TN – (865) 453-7299

Two Rivers Landing RV Resort – Sevierville, TN – (866) 727-5781