Whether it’s your first time to the Smoky Mountains or you are a long-time visitor to the excitement of Pigeon Forge, this magical mountain city constantly has new attractions and large events, and revamps and adds on all your age-old favorites. The Parkway can be an intimidating place for groups looking for fun everyone can settle on, the perfect date out on the town during a romantic weekend getaway, or family-friendly thrills that don’t cost the family’s whole vacation fund.
Use our detailed guide and linked info pages to find and plan your dream Smoky Mountain vacation without having to Google search multiple times and dig through numerous searches. So, after lazy mornings in the hot tub, coffee on the deck with mountain views, or energizing laps in your cabin’s indoor pool, find your perfect day in Pigeon Forge below!
Attractions
Family Fun
WonderWorks
Trick your kids into learning with a day of discoveries and out-of-this-world fun at WonderWorks! Inside the mind-boggling upside-down building, 6 featured exhibits lend your family hands-on experiences of the natural wonders of the world, incredible feats of humankind, and the tiniest phenomena that make life on earth possible. WonderWorks is a day’s worth of excitement, learning, and fun your kids will be talking about for weeks and knowledge they’ll carry with them for years.
The Island in Pigeon Forge
While there is a ton of shopping, cool attractions like The Escape Game and the giant Great Smoky Mountain Wheel, and delicious dining like Paula Deen’s Family Style Kitchen, The Island can fit any budget! The best free attraction in The Island is right at the entrance: the incredible Show Fountains. Snag a couple rocking chairs around the large pond because every half-hour the serene waters turn into a spectacular show of fountains choreographed to the popular radio hits. And at night, the multi-colored, state-of-the-art lights turn this show into an awe-inspiring evening event.
Dollywood and Splash Country
Arguably the South’s most iconic theme park, Dollywood is as big as the personality and voice of its creator, Dolly Parton. Winning numerous awards over the years, Dollywood boasts 40 rides, stunning entertainment, mouthwatering dining, and continuously hosts events throughout the year, including the magical Smoky Mountain Christmas festival filled with millions of lights and nightly parades! During the warmer seasons, cool off in Dollywood’s aquatic sister theme park, Splash Country, a 35-acre summer oasis with pool-side lounging, beautiful water and island features, impressive water slides and rides, and a scenic 1,500-foot lazy river to bob down while soaking up some sun.
LazerPort Fun Center
The best of the Parkway packed into one location, a visit to LazerPort Fun Center means go-kart racing, black light miniature golf, over 100 arcade games, and ducking and dodging during awesome rounds of laser tag!
Old Time Portraits
Do your little ones love playing dress up? They will get a huge kick out of Old Time Portraits where the whole family can disguise themselves as 1800s-style Smoky Mountain residents and old-West characters for a picture that you are sure to laugh at for years to come.
NASCAR SpeedPark
These go-karts are the real deal! 8 tracks provide a wide range of drivers an opportunity to speed down the tracks in the large selection of go-karts, including a 3/8-scale version of a Sprint Cup car. It’s time to screech down the tracks when you see that checkered flag wave!
Couples
Scenic Helicopter Tours
The Great Smoky Mountains are undoubtedly beautiful from the back deck of your mountain-view cabin, but surprise your special someone with the views of a lifetime from thousands of feet in the air on a romantic helicopter tour. Hand-in-hand, gaze across miles of rolling mountain peaks and the thousands of miles of waterways crawling throughout the land on one of Scenic Helicopter Tours’ variety of flights to fit any budget.
Mountain Valley Winery
The South has some wine country nestled among the mountains! Enjoy free tastings of the numerous award-winning wines and winery tours from noon to 5 p.m. daily for the perfect day-date along the Rocky Top Wine Trail.
Gatlinburg Golf Course
Whether golfing is a shared passion or you love trying new things as a couple, the Gatlinburg Golf Course is a breathtaking course great for visitors of all levels of play. With the majesty of the Great Smoky Mountains resting in the backdrop and serene babbling streams crawling throughout the sweeping, well-manicured course, you are in for a relaxing day at the tees.
Large Groups
River Rage Tubing
Floating the river is a favorite among summer pastimes for good reasons: the cool waters under the warm sunshine make for a match made in heaven, it’s fun for the young and young at heart, and it’s an incredibly affordable way to spend your afternoon in the beauty of the Smoky Mountains. With their own shuttles and tons of tubes, this is a great activity for any group staying in one of our impressive large group cabins.
Mini Golf in Pigeon Forge
With so many unique courses throughout Pigeon Forge, this is an easy way to get your youth group or kids out of the cabin during a family reunion in the Smokies! Putt-putt your way through a hilarious hillbilly-themed course nestled on a mountainside or putt through a barnyard with the mountains in full view!
Country Tonite Theater
Singing, dancing, state-of-the-art theatrical stage displays, gorgeous costuming, and shows for every age group – need we say more? For over 25 years, since its birth in Las Vegas to its final resting place in Pigeon Forge, Country Tonite Theater has mass appeal and the awards to show for it!
Indoor Skydiving
Want a team-building activity that is way cooler than corny games? Cheer each other on as you take turns body surfing in a giant vertical wind tunnel!
Outdoor Adventures
Fishing in the Great Smoky Mountains
Pack your lawn chairs and tackle boxes, because the Smokies are not only home to almost 2,000 miles of streams, but also remains close to full capacity in trout as one of the last natural habitats to these fish in the eastern United States! You can even opt to take a guided tour with some local fishing experts at Smoky Mountain Angler and fish in some of the best fishing holes, keep a few of your catches, and all the gear you need included in the ticket price.
Bike Trails in Pigeon Forge
With so many trails to experience, hop on a bike and enjoy the fresh mountain air on a bicycle! Bring your own or rent from Cades Cove General Store and peddle through one of the most stunning areas of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Exercise is easy when it’s this beautiful!
Hiking in the Smokies
800 miles of hiking trails creep along the forest floors and scale majestic mountains in the GSMNP, including a section of the Eastern Coast’s most infamous path, the Appalachian Trail. Pack your hiking boots or walking shoes, because nothing does the soul some good like the incredible therapy of the great outdoors. Plus, it’s free! The Great Smoky Mountains National Park does not require an entrance fee like most other national parks.
Wild Water Rafting
Explore the beauty of the Smokies while conquering the class III and IV rapids of the Pigeon River on a thrilling whitewater rafting trip! Cool, well-trained guides, all the gear and direction you need to stay safe, and most importantly, a wild ride along a gorgeous river!
Walden’s Creek Riding Stables
Sightsee the way the original settlers traversed the majestic mountains on the back of a beautiful, well-trained, and friendly steed. Kids and adults both love this enduring pastime, and it’s a great way to experience the land the way it was first gazed upon. Walden’s Creek also hosts big bonfire dinners, hayrides, and more!
The Forbidden Caverns
As inspiring as the mountains are above, so are the deep, giant Tennessee caves below! Get a glimpse into the past along the tour of the Forbidden Caverns and learn how the bootleggin’ moonshiners and Native Americans used the quiet, foreboding caves and underground streams to hide or travel unseen.
Dining
Southern Cuisine
The Old Mill Restaurant
Corky’s Ribs & BBQ
Dinner and a Show
Dolly Parton’s Stampede
Great Smoky Mountain Murder Mystery Show
All-American
Smoky Mountain Brewery
Old-Fashioned Fudge in Pigeon Forge
Pizza in Pigeon Forge
Events
Holiday Events
Smoky Mountain Winterfest
Fourth of July Patriot Festival
LumiNights at Dollywood
Homages to Nature
Springfest and Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage
Wilderness Wildlife Week
Smoky Mountain Biannual Trout Tournament
Arts and Artisans
Quiltfest
Special Interest Events
Pigeon Forge Biannual Rod Run
Saddle Up!