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I’ve spent the last two decades exploring Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and have become utterly fascinated by its duality. On the one hand, GSMNP is the epitome of a “drive through” park, with a scenic road and bevy of easy nature trails. On the other, it’s a rugged expanse of wilderness packed with steep cliffs, remote hollers, and wild trout streams. Some of the park’s gateway towns are packed with waterslides and chain restaurants, while others have quaint main streets. Over the years, I’ve sat in traffic jams inside the park, but also crawled through dense backcountry forests. I’ve fished streams and hugged massive old growth trees and spotted elk at dusk and climbed some of the tallest peaks in the eastern U.S. all within the borders of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

What I’ve discovered is that you need time to fully appreciate this landscape. You need to spend days on end here, fishing and hiking and picnicking your way through these impressive mountains. That means you’ll need a place to lay your head and recover from the day’s adventure. While camping inside GSMNP is great, sometimes you need a few more amenities, like a hot tub or game room, to truly round out your vacation.

For this sort of trip, I usually turn to Airbnb, which has hundreds of cabin options you can rent for a night or more, within a stone’s throw of the park. Here are eight properties I’d recommend that hit the sweet spot of perks, location, and high reviews from other travelers. Any one of these would make the perfect basecamp for exploring Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

✅ Know Before You Go: Last September, Western North Carolina was devastated by Hurricane Helene. I wrote about my experience in the storm at the time, but I want readers to know that the region is healing, and many communities are open to tourism again. Great Smoky Mountains National Park did not receive the brunt of the storm, and most gateway towns saw minimal damage compared to other communities. But keep the storm and its lasting impacts in mind when you’re traveling to the region. Some roads might still be closed, and some areas will still look scarred.

Creekside Chalet

💛 Why We Love It: The A-frame, ski-chalet vibes

💰 Price: From $190 per night

Built into the side of a mountain in the sixties, this kitschy A-frame chalet has been completely remodeled into a modern gem that sits just outside the hustle and bustle of downtown Gatlinburg. The two-bedroom cabin has a large living room that makes the most of the A-frame design with towering vaulted ceilings and floor to ceiling windows, but I also love the front porch, which has its own hot tub. The cabin feels secluded, thanks to the surrounding forest of hardwoods, but it’s actually on the edge of Ober Gatlinburg, a family-friendly ski resort that’s the perfect place to take your first turns. You’re also just ten minutes from the Gatlinburg entrance to the park, with quick access to the trails off of Newfound Gap Road, which cuts through the center of the park. Plus, it perfect for larger crews, as it sleeps up to six people with two bedrooms, a sleeper sofa, and has two baths.

Cabin in the Clouds

💛 Why We Love It: The epic view from the hot tub

💰 Price: From $250 per night

I like the quieter North Carolina side of the park and this new, two-bedroom mountain-top cabin near Bryson City makes the most of the area thanks to a wall of glass and expansive porch that takes in the surrounding mountains. The living room is the definition of “airy,” with vaulted ceilings and an exterior wall full of windows, which leads onto the expansive deck where a hot tub sits in the corner. Soaking in the tub while you enjoy mountain vistas by day, or starry skies by night, has to be the highlight here, although I also like the firepit complete with a built-in national park-style charcoal grill. From here, you’ll have quick access to Lake Fontana and the Deep Creek area of the park, which is packed with waterfalls and adventurous tubing. The home sleeps up to six people, with two bedrooms and two baths.

Riverfront Glass House

💛 Why We Love It: The fire pit right next to a world-class trout stream

💰 Price: From $299 a night, 2-night minimum

This large home sits on a peninsula at the confluence of a small creek and the Little River, with steps leading down to a grassy “beach” that’s perfect for lounging or casting for trout. There’s a shaded patio with a hot tub and a lounge area complete with an outdoor TV, not to mention an outdoor shower. Hardwoods throughout and big picture windows show off the surrounding forest and mountains from the inside of this updated home, but its location is the real draw. Not only will you have private access to the river, but the house, which sleeps up to six, is only two miles from the Foothills Parkway, a scenic two-lane road that wraps around the border of GSMNP, and the Airbnb is only 12 miles to the closest entrance to the park.

Clever Cubs Cabin

💛 Why We Love It: The built-in game room and close proximity to family fun

💰 Price: From $233 per night; 3-night minimum

You never know how your kids will respond to that five-mile hike you have planned, but I guarantee they’ll love the full-sized arcade games, pool table, and karaoke machine that occupy the bonus room in this three-story cabin. Older kids will appreciate the photogenic murals crafted inside and outside of this home, and as an extra perk, the cabin is located near Sevierville, which is packed with family adventures, from zip line courses to gem mines. The wraparound porch has a putting green, and there’s a lower deck with a fire pit and a tiki bar for the adults. As for the cabin’s proximity to the park, you’re about 30 minutes from Sugarlands Visitor Center, where you can pick up the scenic Newfound Gap Road, which cuts through the heart of the Smokies, or break off to Cades Cove, a former farming community with historic buildings scattered throughout the valley. This cabin sleeps up to eight people.

The Smoky Mountain Treehouse

💛 Why We Love It: The 40-foot swinging bridge

💰 Price: From $275 per night

This custom-built tree house has story-book weekend written all over it, from the 40-foot long swinging bridge you need to cross to enter the home, to the architectural details that make the cabin one-of-a-kind. The kitchen is compact, but a rolling ladder leads to a loft, live edge countertops grace the bathroom and kitchenette, and you get views of the surrounding mountain from your king bed. The outside living space is even better, with an outdoor shower, cedar hot tub, and a hammock built into the floor of the deck. The location is prime, as this treehouse sits just off the Foothills Parkway on the western border of the park, close to the Abrams Falls and Goldmine Trailhead. It can sleep up to four, but this perch is best for a romantic couple’s getaway.

Eagle’s Landing

💛 Why We Love It: The view from the porch of the lake below

💰 Price: From $225 per night

Is it crazy to rent a cabin just for the view? Depends on what you’re looking at. Eagles Landing is a two-bedroom cabin that sleeps up to six perched on a bluff overlooking a quiet corner of Lake Fontana, a finger-lake body of water that forms the southern border of GSMNP. The firepit and front porch have the best views of the vistas below, showing off green slopes that rise directly from the water. Head down the mountain to paddle Fontana in search of rope swings, jumping rocks, and waterfalls (all of which can be found nearby). If you’re looking for land-based activities, the Appalachian Trail crosses Fontana Dam and climbs to Shuckstack Tower, a decommissioned fire lookout with views of Lake Fontana.

Secluded Cabin

💛 Why We Love It: The remote setting and quick access to the park.

💰 Price: From $145 per night

Tucked into Pisgah National Forest, near the north-eastern border of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, this small, one-bedroom cabin is surrounded by Pisgah National Forest, with nothing but dense hardwoods for neighbors. There are no frills in this remote outpost, which has two beds and sleeps up to four, but the interior is nicely finished and has a wood stove to keep you warm at night, while a covered porch and fire pit give you the outdoor space you need for soaking in the surrounding wilderness. The location is prime for exploring the eastern side of the park, where the Mount Sterling fire tower looms tall and swimming holes like Midnight Hole beckon during the summer. It’s dog-friendly too, and is accessible by unmaintained forest roads, so if you visit during a winter snow storm, you’ll need a four-wheel drive vehicle.

Vista Heights Lodge

💛 Why We Love It: The private pool and outdoor living space

💰 Price: From $441 per night

Big groups need room to spread out, and not only does this large cabin near the western border of the park have plenty of space (it sleeps up to 12 with 5 bedrooms and 5.5 baths), it has a gorgeous screened-in porch complete with a wood-burning fireplace, an indoor/outdoor heated pool, and a game room with a pool table. Enjoy expansive views of the Smokies from many of the bedrooms, or spend your time hopping between the hot tub and the pool. There’s even a Peloton bike if you feel the need to burn calories. The cabin sits on the edge of the park, near the Little River Gorge and Elkmont Campground, with a dozen trailheads under 30 minutes from the front door.

Graham Averill is ���ϳԹ��� magazine’s national parks columnist. He’s been exploring Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the surrounding area since he was a kid. In those days, his family camped, which is great, but he definitely appreciates a cabin with a hot tub and pool table. He has recently written about the best national parks for spring break, and the ones that you can enter for free this year.