Making A Winter Day Out at Ober Gatlinburg

There’s nothing quite like a cozy cabin getaway in November. The air is crisp, the trees are bursting with color, and the Smoky Mountains make the perfect backdrop for a relaxing retreat. Whether you’re planning a romantic weekend or a quiet escape with friends, here’s how to make the most of your cozy cabin stay this fall.

1. Settle In and Get Cozy

Start by creating that classic cabin atmosphere. Light a fire in the fireplace, curl up with a blanket, and enjoy a good book or conversation by the glow. Make use of the cabin’s amenities, play a round of pool or board games, watch a movie on the big screen, or soak in the private hot tub while taking in the cool autumn air. With a fully equipped kitchen and outdoor grill, you can cook up a hearty dinner and enjoy your meal on the deck surrounded by the beauty of fall.

2. Explore the Great Outdoors

When you’re ready to venture outside, take advantage of the season’s stunning scenery. Drive along scenic routes like Cades Cove Loop Road or the Blue Ridge Parkway for breathtaking views of fall foliage. Go for a hike in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, just start early to avoid crowds. You can also visit a local pumpkin patch, explore Gatlinburg’s charming downtown, or stop by the Smoky Mountain Harvest Festival for crafts and seasonal fun.

3. Plan Ahead for a Perfect Trip

November is a busy month in the Smokies, so book your cabin and activities early. For a quieter experience, try visiting midweek instead of the weekend. And don’t forget to plan your meals and stock up on groceries before you arrive so you can focus on relaxing and enjoying your autumn escape.

If you're ready to take the plunge or are just interested in where you should stay this fall click here for the best autumn cabins around.

A major theme of many of our blog articles here is all the incredible things you can do once you visit the Smokies. Hundreds of things? Thousands of things? It’s nearly impossible to know for sure, all we truly know if that you could take you months doing all the attractions here in the Smokies; even if you were to do them back-to-back, one after the other in a marathon of sorts. The width of variety is staggering and pretty much everyone of every reasonable taste will find something to do here.

But not everyone simply wants to go everywhere between the cities to find awesome rides, outdoor fun, shops and eateries one by one - many would like the chance to be able to go one place and get their fill for a variety of things all in one stop. Where do you go to get something like that? Well, there’s actually a few places in the Smokies here that can offer that to you, but for our recommendation, we’re going to suggest… *gasp* not Dollywood?... That’s right, we think Ober Gatlinburg would actually give you a bit more for your time than almost everywhere else here!

Ober Gatlinburg is a legacy here in East Tennessee. It actually predates much of everything else you can get to visit (even Dollywood!) and has provided whole generations of visitors with some of the best the Smokies has to offer all in one place: rides, mini-golf, arcade, views, a zoo, a maze, a carousel, a cafe, a full-on restaurant and even a few things you can’t quite get anywhere else in our area during the winter season.

You know what that is - the winter sports activities at Ober! Right now, Ober Gatlinburg is in its winter season where, up until April 1st, they turn their entire outdoor area (minus the zoo, thankfully) into the only place in the Smokies where you can ski, snowboard, snow tube and even ride the new Ski Mountain Coaster from light to dark and whether it’s snowed in town or not! Ober Gatlinburg has a world-class slope and a world-class snowmaker that provides full-on professional winter sports accommodations for those who seek it. They conglomerate the winter sports services as the “Ober Gatlinburg Freestyle Terrain”.

From Obergatlinburg.com: “Ober Gatlinburg Freestyle Terrain (OGFT) was founded during the 2009/2010 season. Since then we have grown every year, expanding snowmaking capabilities, improving building techniques, and increasing the number of available jobs. Our park crew are all dedicated skiers and riders who want to create and maintain the safest and most fun setups possible for our guests. OGFT strives to encourage progression and is committed to providing well built and maintained features for the public to enjoy. The goal of Ober Gatlinburg Freestyle Terrain is to provide a fun, safe, creative outlet for snowboarders and skiers. OGFT is here to nurture talents and give riders a place to have fun while providing the best product and customer experience.”