Travel and Vacation in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg in the State of Tennessee

♦ Routes (free): Detailed travel itineraries in USA

The most popular resort towns in the Eastern USA: Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg in the state of Tennessee:

Another article about the area: Great Smoky Mountains Park near these towns.

 

United States enthusiasts who have already traveled to all the "classic" destinations in the East, such as Florida, New York, Niagara Falls, and Washington, and are looking for new destinations suitable for every age and style, are invited to visit two wonderful towns, close to each other and located in southeast Tennessee near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, close to the border with North Carolina and Georgia. These towns are not yet famous among Israeli travelers, but they are among the most popular destinations in the Eastern USA! Every year, millions of people visit them!

 

 

Pigeon Forge

This is a highly touristy resort town teeming with many diverse family attractions, restaurants, shows, shopping, and plenty of accommodation options of all types and budgets. You can spend several days among its attractions and never be bored for a moment! The town first became famous thanks to the country singer Dolly Parton who grew up there. Many attractions in the town belong to the admired singer. The largest family attraction in the town is the "Dollywood" theme park Dollywood located in the center of the town, featuring a wealth of amusement rides for all ages, plus an impressive selection of shows and a large craftsmen's fair where you can watch various artists during their work. Throughout the year, many festivals are held in the town, with the "KidFest" children's festival taking place from mid-June to early August. Open from early April to the end of December. Operating hours and days vary depending on the month of the year. Adjacent to the amusement park is Dollywood’s Splash Country water park, which has over 20 water slides and many other water attractions. Open from early June to late August and on weekends in September.

The town has many mini-golf facilities, go-kart tracks of all levels, "laser tag" adventures, simulators, small and unique museums such as a dinosaur museum or an Elvis museum, and a host of other attractions.

Along the town's main street, there are over 40 attractions! Also, the number of factory outlet centers in the town would put even the largest US cities to shame. All major chains have respectable representation in the city, and wherever you turn, you will encounter an outlet center, shopping centers, or large souvenir and gift shops. The town features many dinner shows. The largest and most famous of all is "Dixie Stampede" Dixie Stampede. A grandiose show where you will witness rodeo performances, artistic horse riding, ostrich riding, chicken chasing, and plenty of other surprises and competitions accompanied by stunts and special effects. During the show, you will be served a typical southern meal.

♦ Booking off-road tours from Pigeon Forge through Viator:

♦ Booking from GetYourGuide.com:

Gatlinburg

An additional drive of about 10 minutes south will lead you to Gatlinburg, a wonderful picturesque town nestled between green mountains at the entrance to the "Great Smoky Mountains" National Park. This fancy town is more reminiscent of a European town due to its construction style. It is highly recommended to live there for a few days and use it as a base for star trips in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Pigeon Forge, and the Indian town of Cherokee.

♦ Booking tours in Gatlinburg from Viator:

Gatlinburg is home to 3,300 permanent residents, but because it is a popular resort both in winter for ski enthusiasts and in summer for active recreation and nature lovers (you will find everything from bike tours, fishing, and golf to sailing and rafting), millions of tourists arrive every year. The town is also considered one of the most popular destinations for honeymooners. The main street of the town spans a total length of about 3 km, but it is full of family attractions, diverse restaurants, and hotels. The rest of the town's houses are spread over the green mountains around. The town has charming small museums such as: the Guinness World Records Museum, the Museum of Illusions, a celebrity car museum, and Ripley's "Believe It or Not" museum. For Ripley's: Ripley's

Ripley's Believe It or Not museum; Jellyfish in the Gatlinburg Aquarium

 

A large number of attractions in the town (more than anywhere else in the US), the most recommended of which is the impressive Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies with over 8,000 marine animals including a long shark tunnel, giant octopuses, tropical fish, sea turtles, and plenty of attractions and activities for children, including an entire area dedicated to pirates. Additional attractions from the company are the "Ripley’s Haunted Adventure" haunted house where you will encounter demons, spirits, walking corpses, and various other horrors in a combination of special effects and actors, simulators where you can watch "4D films" at Ripley’s Moving Theater, and a cool mini-golf full of surprises named Ripley’s Davy Crockett. You can purchase a discounted multi-pass for all Ripley's attractions.

 Amusement rides at "Ober Gatlinburg"

 A must-visit site for family fun in the city in all seasons is "Ober Gatlinburg", which serves as a ski resort in winter and an amusement park in summer. From the main street of the town, you take a large aerial tramway to the summit of the nearby mountain, passing green hills dotted with mountain cabins along the way. At the top of the mountain, plenty of attractions await you, from a chairlift and alpine slides to many amusement rides such as water slides where you slide in small boats (you barely get wet, no need for swimsuits), go-karts, a pirate ship, an ice skating rink, and a small black bear zoo. It is recommended to spend at least half a day there. You can purchase a separate ticket for each attraction or a discounted combined pass. It is also possible to reach the mountain summit via a winding road instead of the tramway. From the town's main street, you can go up to another mountain peak using a long chairlift called Sky Lift. Another recommended viewpoint of the area is from the heights of the Space Needle, an observation tower in the heart of the town about 110 meters high, which at its base has a family entertainment center with various target games, mini-golf, and laser tag. The town has many other family entertainment centers, such as: Camp Thunder Fun Center.  Near Gatlinburg, several rivers flow rapidly. A number of companies organize rafting in the area on several routes and difficulty levels, including family routes. The calmest route is suitable for ages 3 and up. More turbulent routes are suitable for ages 8 or 12 and up. A very wet and recommended experience!

In the eastern part of the town, there is a large and beautiful artists' neighborhood called: Great Smoky Art and Crafts Community where you can drive along a 13 km circular route and tour among artists' workshops, watch them during their work, and purchase diverse creations, from wood carvings, pottery, and glass blowing to jewelry, clothing, and unique homemade food.

 Twice a year in July and October, a large craftsmen's fair is held in the town (at its fair center) called: Gatlinburg Craftsmen's Fair, phone: 865-436-7479. In addition, smaller fairs are held during many holidays (such as: Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas). Gatlinburg has additional events and fairs in all months of the year. The town is full of souvenir shops of all types and kinds, some concentrated in small, designed shopping centers with atmosphere. It's nice to walk around the main street and wander among the various shops.

♦ Booking tickets for attractions in Pigeon Forge from GetYourGuide.com:

Accommodation

Housing options in the town are many and varied: from fancy hotels and motels to log cabins in the mountains. The cabins are beautiful, spacious, and magnificently equipped. All have several bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, and a balcony with a view, and most also have a huge jacuzzi on the balcony and a billiard table. The cabins are located within the forest, quiet and secluded on one hand, but within a 5-minute drive from the bustling town center. A wonderful combination of tranquility and pampering with activity and attractions. Cabin prices are quite reasonable. For $110-140 per night, you can live in a pampered cabin suitable for 5-8 people. Ideal for families!

For example: a cabin named Moonlight Serenade, 210 sqm, with two bedrooms, a living room, a game room (with a pool table), a balcony overlooking the forest, and three bedrooms, with a large jacuzzi, 4 TVs, video with a selection of films and various additions, suitable for up to 9 people.

 

♦ Search and book holiday homes in the area from the excellent Booking.com site.

 

The selection of restaurants in the town is also impressive and varied, including branches of well-known chains such as: Hard Rock Cafe, many steakhouses, the most recommended of which is: Texas Road House, ethnic food of all types, and countless pancake houses.

From Gatlinburg, drive for about 50 minutes on Highway 441 south, through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to the Indian town of "Cherokee" in North Carolina. In the small town, bordering the southern entrance of the national park and the famous scenic road "Blue Ridge Parkway", fewer than 650 people live, but in the entire Indian reservation, which covers about 220 square km, live about 11,000 Indians from the Cherokee tribe. This is an excellent opportunity to learn about the Indians in the area, their culture, lifestyle, and history. The town has a reconstructed Indian village called: Oconaluftee Indian Village. This is an open museum with a reconstruction of a Cherokee village from 1750. American Indians demonstrate typical handicrafts such as: basket weaving, pottery, canoe building, and weapon making. There are also nature trails and botanical gardens. Guided tours of the village depart every 15 minutes between 9:00-17:30 from mid-May to the end of October.

 

Not far from there is another Indian museum called: Museum of Cherokee Indian where you can learn about the lives of the Cherokees from the prehistoric era to modern times. The site features an audiovisual show, an art gallery, and various displays including handicrafts, clothes, and weapons.

During the summer months (from mid-June to late August), an Indian drama named "Unto These Hills" is presented in an open amphitheater, describing the lives of the Indians in the area between 1540, when the first Spaniards arrived, until 1838 when the Indians were forced to leave the area and migrate west. The show takes place every day (except Sundays) at 20:00. The duration of the show is about two hours. It is recommended to book tickets in advance. Starting at 20:00, a preliminary entertainment show takes place. The theater is located about 8 km north of Highway 441.

 Amusement of a different kind, unrelated to Indians, can be found at the Santa's Land amusement park and zoo, which centers entirely around the popular Christmas characters: the friendly Santa Claus, the snowman, and the reindeer. The site features amusement rides (especially suitable for the little ones), a zoo, magic shows, and a wealth of souvenirs and decorations.

The park is located about 5 km east of Highway US 19 and is open from early May to late October (opening times vary depending on the month and day of the week). 

 

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