Top 5 Things to Do in the Smoky Mountains to Beat the Heat

The swimming area at one of our cabins in Gatlinburg with pool access.
July 16, 2018

Summer in Tennessee usually brings some of the hottest weather of the year. It also brings in a lot of tourists taking their families on a fun summer vacation during their breaks from work or school. Fortunately, when the temperature gauge is rising to record levels, you don’t have to suffer in the heat. That’s why we’ve decided to list the 5 things to do in the Smoky Mountains to beat the heat in the summer.

1. Take a Morning Hike

There are hundreds of miles of trails to explore, and since many of these trails can get populated, it makes sense to get started early on a nice cool morning mountain march. This is exactly why it’s one of the great things to do in the Smoky Mountains to beat the heat. Temperatures in this beautiful and heavily forested area can be quite cool in the morning despite the muggy morning mist that can feel miserable at times in town.

2. Cool off in a Mountain Stream

The vast amounts of water available make this one of the things to do in the Smoky Mountains for some nice cooling off before, during or after a hike. Many hikes in the Smoky Mountains are near a gentle stream or a spectacular waterfall that you can put your hands and feet in. That sweat you just worked up has a great chance of being cured in most places in the national park.

3. Take a Rafting Adventure

If you’re looking for something even more thrilling in the Smokies, a rafting adventure should be on your list of things to do in the Smoky Mountains. This will certainly do more than just cool you off! An instructor will give you a quick lesson on safety and will certainly explain how wet you’ll get on this exciting ride on a swift Smoky Mountain current. Try ​Smoky Mountain Outdoors​ if you’re willing to test your taste for adventure.

4. Grab an Ice Cream Cone

You may be wondering: If I’m searching for things to do in the Smoky Mountains to beat the hot summer heat — especially in the middle of the national park — where am I going to find ice cream? The 11-mile loop at Cades Cove isn’t just for magnificent views, it’s also a place for yummy ice cream. When you’re finished taking in the beautiful scenery, you can stop in and have a nice sweet cool-down treat at the ​Cades Cove Campground Store​.

5. Book a Cabin with Pool Access

While you can certainly go swimming in a stream as one of your cool things to do in the Smoky Mountains, we feel that we should give you the chance to see what we have to offer with our cabins with pool access. ​Silver Maple Chalet is one of our cabins that’s just a short walk to the clubhouse pool. This ensures that you’ll be too cool for all this mid-summer heat!

Those are our top 5 things to do in the Smoky Mountains to beat the heat. If you’re ready for a summer vacation that involves plenty of cool activities, book one of our cabins​, and then you’ll really feel some relief!

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