With beautiful scenery and plenty of holiday activities, the Great Smoky Mountains are the perfect place to celebrate Thanksgiving! To help you make the most of your getaway, we have put together a guide to the top five things to do while enjoying a traditional Smoky Mountains Thanksgiving with your family:

1. Enjoy Thanksgiving Dinner

No matter where you celebrate it, food is always a major part of Thanksgiving! When you spend the holiday at a Smoky Mountain cabin rental, you have the option of preparing your own meal right in your cabin or eating out at one of the region’s excellent local restaurants. Our fully equipped kitchens provide everything you need to whip up a delicious holiday feast. On the other hand, if you want to give yourself a break from cooking, many area restaurants are open on Thanksgiving.

2. Take the Winterfest Trolley Tour of Lights

Every year, the Smoky Mountains celebrate the holiday season with over five million brilliant LED lights. The very best way to see the displays is to take a special “Trolley Tour of Lights”. The trolley’s knowledgeable guides will entertain you with folk stories and local history as you kick back and enjoy the technicolor holiday lights. Trolley tours in Pigeon Forge begin on November 10 and leave from Patriot Park at 6 p.m. The Gatlinburg trolley tours begin on November 12 and leave from the Mass Transit Center near Traffic Light #5 at 6:30, 7:30, and 8:30 p.m. While the Pigeon Forge trolley tour is free, the Gatlinburg tour costs $5 per guest.

3. Attend the Smoky Mountains Thanksgiving Craft Show

Another activity that should be part of your Smoky Mountains Thanksgiving is a visit to the Thanksgiving Craft Show at the Gatlinburg Convention Center in late November. Sponsored by the Great Smoky Arts and Crafts Community, this event gives you a chance to see the work of some of the area’s finest artists. It’s also a good chance to get some Christmas shopping done! If you’re going to be in the area the following week, you can also catch the Christmas Craft Show.

4. Get a Head Start on Winter Sports at Ober Gatlinburg

While it’s not quite winter yet, you can still participate in some of your favorite winter sports at Ober Gatlinburg during your Thanksgiving vacation. The ski season doesn’t get started until December, but you can go snow tubing starting November 21. Guests can also enjoy Ober’s year round ice skating rink and amusement park. For a breathtaking ride to the ski resort, take Ober’s Aerial Tramway and see the Smoky Mountains from a whole new perspective!

5. Experience the Smoky Mountain Christmas Festival at Dollywood

From November 7 to January 3, the Dollywood theme park hosts a special Smoky Mountain Christmas celebration that includes spectacular lights, live performances, and appearances by Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and all of his friends. Guests can watch holiday shows like A Christmas Carol and Christmas in the Smokies and also enjoy all of the rides and other activities that are always going on at Dollywood. Dollywood will be open from 4 to 9 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day.

Now that you know about all the fun things to do during Thanksgiving in the Smokies, you can begin planning your holiday getaway. To start planning your Smoky Mountains Thanksgiving vacation, browse our complete selection of Smoky Mountain cabins!