Time of year for Gatlinburg?

Hi we stayed in PF at creeksidervpark.com and we were there over the forth of july we came in on a Tuesday and left the following wensday on the weekends the traffic is bumper to bumper but talking with the locals we learn the back roads to advoid the traffic and to use the trollies all over and even over to Gatlinburg. For the 4th in PF we just watched from the strip and could see everything and was back to creekside pretty quickly. Creekside is a good sam park and ran us 33 a night when we were there and also had we known the trollies dropped off out in front of Dollywood we would have used that to go. also if you go to Dollywood the locals said to go during the week it will be crowded but not as bad as the weekend and we went on a Thursday and didn't stand in long lines. Happy trails

In my opinion, the best time to go is in the fall. But we know what you mean about kid still in school. We have the same issue.

We visit during our kids spring break in March. Days are usually 60-70° and nights in 40-50° range. This makes for very comfortable sight seeing and hiking. We have also visited in November, just to play on the snow and in late July, wow was it hot. Best time to arrive is Sunday afternoon and leave on Friday. Weekends are a nightmare for traffic. If you go on the weekend and stay in Pigeon Forger or Seveirville use the Gatlinburg bypass if you plan to go into the forest. Most people don't know about it and it will save upwards of thirty minutes of sitting in Gatlinburg traffic. Have fun, its an awesome place to visit.

2008Wildcat, if you will PM me and let me know where you are staying, I will give you some directions around all the traffic. Just depends on where you are going to stay, which way you should go.

"I have seen traffic so bad you have to wait in line to get off the interstate!"

That sounds like I-465 around Indianapolis every day between 4:30 and 5:00 pm! :)

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TNRIVERSIDE - Good point on my calling them BATHOUSEs... Their site map calls them RESTROOMS and I see around ten such buildings on the ELKMONT Camp map.

One trip we was within 30-40 feet of a RESTROOM BUILDING and I ran an 50-foot extension cord from the side door that had a large wash-up sink for cook ware. I covered up the extension cord with leaves that ran to my TENT site. Got away with it for about three days then there was a ranger guy standing there with my extension cord in his hands shaking his finger sideways at me hehe...

Roy Ken

schlep1967 - We have gone to Gatlinburg in groups a few times with three or four family's and rented a big log cabin. Had plenty of room for all and when the cost gets divided up it works out rather well...

We are going for the first time in June. Two families traveling 8 hours one way makes it cheaper for us to rent a condo from Dollywood. In doing research for prices of cabins we found the rental prices TRIPLE starting June 28th for the 4th holiday. So you might want to inquire with the campgrounds about their prices on the dates you want to go. FYI 2 families totaling 7 people ariving 6/20 and leaving 6/28 staying in a condo with room enough for all of us and passes to Dollywood for the entire stay .... $1700. Just for me to pull my camper there and back would be around $500. Figure about the same for the other family. So that is $1000 before even looking at paying for campsites and park passes. Sometimes it is just cheaper to rent a place and drive the 40 mpg car down.

Gatlinburg is always crowed but around the 4th its VERY bad.
My suggestion would be to get there a few days before the 4th to get settle in before most traffic arrives.
I have seen traffic so bad you have to wait in line to get off the interstate!