Rowdy Bear’s Smoky Mountain Snowpark is a great family destination for a lively time. Conveniently located beside the Local Goat Restaurant and across from The Titanic Museum, this exciting park is home to some exhilarating rides. Whether you’re looking to experience the rush of outdoor downhill tubing, test your skills at axe throwing, or ride… Read more »
Soaky Mountain Waterpark in Sevierville is an expansive 50-acre destination offering water-filled adventures for visitors of all ages. Opened in 2020, the water park boasts a wide range of attractions, from heart-pounding thrill rides to relaxing, family-friendly experiences. Thrilling Attractions for Adventure Seekers For the adventurous, Soaky Mountain Waterpark features a variety of exhilarating slides… Read more »
New Year’s Eve festivities in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge provide two exciting locations, each offering a blend of free concerts, live and DJ music, restaurant and theater specials, lively crowds, millions of dazzling lights, and a grand fireworks display to usher in the New Year at midnight. Across the world, people gather outdoors late into… Read more »
The Smoky Mountains offer some great shopping, from unique specialty shops and craft studios to national and global brand outlet-mall venues (see our TIP below for guides to all the shopping in the area). But here are the two main outlet malls in the Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge area. Tanger Outlets Sevierville Located just a… Read more »
Shadrack’s Christmas Wonderland is a spectacular drive-through holiday light show located at Soaky Mountain Waterpark, on the north side of Sevierville. It’s a magical experience for the whole family, and it charges per vehicle, not person, so load up the whole crew and head over for a unique light show. The Shadrack’s Christmas Wonderland show… Read more »
Rocky Top Sports World is an acclaimed indoor/outdoor sports complex that spans 80 acres, featuring an impressive array of amenities designed to host a variety of sporting events and tournaments. On the edge of Gatlinburg in a magnificently scenic, Smoky Mountain setting, the complex is one of the largest sports facilities in the region. It’s… Read more »
With realism, comfort, competition and support – mixed with some of the grit and dedication of Cal Ripken, Jr., the Ripken Experience in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, is a premier youth baseball facility that offers a unique blend of sports and family entertainment. Established in 2016, this state-of-the-art complex features six youth turf fields designed to… Read more »
The Apple Barn is actually not in Pigeon Forge but in the closely neighboring town of Sevierville, the historic county seat. How close? Well, if you know how to throw a stone you know how to mark the dividing space between Pigeon Forge and Sevierville, as the city limits are divided by a bend in… Read more »
Escape rooms have become a popular trend, offering a mix of adventure, puzzle-solving, and teamwork. Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, boast a fantastic selection of these fun venues. Whether you’re looking for a family-friendly challenge or a thrilling escapade with friends, the escape rooms provide unique experiences for everyone. What is an Escape Room? Escape rooms… Read more »
Nestled on the border between North Carolina and Tennessee, the Smoky Mountains offer a breathtaking backdrop for those seeking adventure and nature in its purest form. One of the best ways to experience this natural wonder is through a Jeep tour. These open vehicle tours get you close to nature while letting someone else do… Read more »
Located just a little over a mile west of the Parkway in Pigeon Forge, the gravity propelled Smoky Mountain Alpine Coaster offers visitors a combination of big thrills, mountain views, family fun, and even a touch of romance for nighttime riders. It was the first mountain coaster in the Smokies in 2013, and is still… Read more »
Have 1.4 Million Gallons of Fun at Ripley’s Aquarium in Gatlinburg. Voted the #1 aquarium in America by TripAdvisor, Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies gets you close to sharks and stingrays as you wander its underwater tunnels. Mingle with penguins, visit different environments…Read more »
Beyond the Lens! in Pigeon Forge is a unique attraction that appeals to adults and kids alike. It’s a huge indoor environment with over 150 interactive exhibits, including a LOT of virtual reality. It’s total immersion from the beginning, from buckling in for the sensory FlyRide trip across America that feels like you ARE the… Read more »
Feel the rush of briefly flying through the air – and landing with a soft bounce. Top Jump Trampoline Park in Pigeon Forge takes that experience to its limits with numerous ways to jump and play to your heart’s content, and a variety of other attractions and features that make for a fun family excursion….Read more »
A trip to Dollywood is not complete without a tour of the Chasing Rainbows Museum. The largest museum of its kind, all its exhibits lead you through Dolly Parton’s rags-to-riches story, showing you just why the world finds her so endearing. To get there, you just have to follow the rainbow path through the Adventures… Read more »
Crave Golf Club in Pigeon Forge is a candy-themed adventure center perfect for families with children, if sweets are on the agenda. Crave features both indoor and outdoor miniature-golf courses – and the outdoor one is on the rooftop! There are also mini-bowling, two escape-room challenges, an ice-cream parlor, and a sweet shop full of… Read more »
Rocky Top Mountain Coaster is one of the newest attractions in Pigeon Forge, and it’s already creating legions of fans thanks to its immersive ride experience and exciting drops, twists, and turns. Learn why this coaster makes a great excursion for every member of your group, and get ready to embark on a thrilling ride… Read more »
For a special experience that is a blast for both kids and adults, consider a trip to the Rowdy Bear Mountain Adventure Park. Its two award-winning rides combine the thrill of an amusement park with the natural beauty of the Smoky Mountains. Rowdy Bear has the newest mountain coaster in the Gatlinburg, Tennessee, area. Kids… Read more »
Lucky for you, when you’re in the Smoky Mountains, you’re spoiled for choice when it comes to kart racing venues in the Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge area. Read on to find your family’s best fit for rates, types of cars, type of venue (indoor/outdoor) and…Read more »
Dollywood is far and away the top attraction in Pigeon Forge, and it’s definitely one of the top amusement parks in the nation, if not the best. Extremely family-friendly and with rides catering to all ages, the park is known for its dedication to excellence. With several innovations and national firsts for the theme park… Read more »
Dollywood’s Splash Country is the perfect summer spot to escape the heat and dive into refreshing fun in the Smoky Mountains. During the summer months, the warmth and humidity in the foothills can drive you to seek ways to cool off on your vacation. Luckily, Dollywood’s Splash Country operates from Memorial Day to Labor Day… Read more »
There are several Ropes Courses in the Smoky Mountains area around Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. Many of them are part of larger networks of ziplines, sky bridges and play areas in the tree tops, with net tubes, swings and actual tree houses. Some of these are in the trees, some are on framework structures, and… Read more »
There’s more than one way to enjoy the mountain, and riding down it on a coaster is one of the most fun! If you crave a little adventure and excitement when you visit the Gatlinburg area, here’s a quick guide to the mountain coaster rides in the Smoky Mountains region that will satisfy your craving for fun…..Read more »
Ripley’s Mountain Coaster in Gatlinburg is a self-operated, gravity-propelled mountain coaster that offers a ride down the mountainside on a rail-mounted coaster cart, with a speed you can control. This was formerly the Rowdy Bear coaster, taken under Ripley’s management in 2022. Kids as young as three love riding the gravity-powered roller coaster that winds through… Read more »
Wild Bear Falls Water Park in Gatlinburg is an indoor water park that stays open year-round through all the seasons, a great place to splash even in the worst of weather. It features a retractable roof for maximum advantage of sunshine, and heated water that doesn’t care about cold temperatures outside. And during the summer,… Read more »
Rain or shine, we now have an attraction in Pigeon Forge that offers Snow Tubing indoors and all year round! Pigeon Forge Snow is America’s first indoor snow park, the first facility of its kind in the country, with real snow made from ordinary water, just as nature makes it. While the air temperature inside… Read more »
Ober Gatlinburg is more than a ski resort, it has year-round fun activities. One of these is ice-skating in the resort’s huge indoor ice arena – especially fun in the middle of the summer heat. The skating is affordable, and the atmosphere is vibrant. And if you don’t skate, try the Ice Bumper Cars…Read more »
This hidden gem is one of the finest small zoos in the country, an educational and entertaining visit with exotic, engaging and vividly multi-colored creatures from the tropics. Close to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, the zoo is excellent for families with children, a fascinating place keeping you spellbound for hours….Read more »
Both Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge are full of things to do, places to go, and definitely things to “see” like the creative mirror mazes where things aren’t always what they seem. Find out more about these attractions with a little “reflection” on what each maze has to offer. Each attraction is open daily. Amazing Mirror Maze… Read more »
Everyone loves llamas, especially if they’re tame and friendly, and even more so if the whole family can take them on a trail in the Smoky Mountains – and you guessed it, now you can! Llamas are sometimes used to carry supplies on trails in the Smokies, and many hikers hope to get a glimpse… Read more »
Parrot Mountain and Gardens is nestled above Pigeon Forge close to Dollywood and Splash Country, in four acres of landscaped gardens. It’s a bird sanctuary that’s home to hundreds of exotic birds, plants and flowers from around the world. But at Parrot Mountain, you can actually hold these birds and play with them. Think about… Read more »
The Pigeon Forge Community Center is a hidden gem in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park area, a relaxing place to chill out where you and the family can experience simple good family-friendly fun. In a town filled with prominent attractions, this well kept secret often falls under the radar of visitors. To learn more… Read more »
The Smoky Mountain Deer Farm & Exotic Petting Zoo in Sevierville is a 143-acre farm and petting zoo just a few miles north of Pigeon Forge, and perfect for families with kids. The petting zoo allows visitors to get up close and personal with some of the world’s most interesting animals while the riding farm… Read more »
While the Gatlinburg SkyLift has long been one of the town’s oldest and most popular attractions, the Gatlinburg SkyBridge is one of its newer offshoots. Featuring as an intrinsic part of the newly developed SkyPark (which was rebuilt following the wildfires of 2016), it was a hit from the beginning, when it opened in May… Read more »
Exploring the Tuckaleechee Caverns in Townsend, Tennessee, is a thrilling adventure for kids and adults. The mile-long guided tour of ancient underground caverns beneath the Smoky Mountains feels like another planet, with dramatic formations, vast areas, and the tallest underground waterfall in the U.S…Read more »
Mini Golf is a perfect family activity that mixes young and old energy in the same great fun, and the miniature golf courses in the Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg area of the Smoky Mountains are some of the wildest and cutest you’ll see. Here’s a guide to some of the local mini golf venues you may want… Read more »
