When a Tennessee traveler announces that they will be “going to the mountains,” many Tennessee residents know precisely where they will be heading; the trip will probably involve the area around the entrance on the northern side of Great Smoky Mountains National Park near the East Tennessee towns of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.
Lots of families have made this Tennessee trip a tradition and will advise others that they need to check it out at some point.
Millions of tourists exit I-40 just east of Knoxville, Tennessee, and head south through Sevier County, first passing through the town of Sevierville, then the fun-packed Pigeon Forge—loaded with restaurants, go-kart tracks, shopping, miniature golf, pancakes and accommodations along the banks of the Little Pigeon River—then to the mountain village of Gatlinburg, the Gateway to the Smokies.
This area contains a head-spinning number of entertainment options where you can spend your time and money. The preserved natural splendor and quiet of the breathtaking Smoky Mountains, juxtaposed with the carnival lights and commerce in town (an area with a vibe that some may label a “tourist trap”), makes for a stark contrast, as visitors find these vastly different worlds located just a few miles apart.
How will you spend your Smoky Mountain vacation?
Some options include:
The Mountains Themselves
The Great Smoky Mountains rise high and descend, rolling for miles upon miles as part of the Appalachian Mountains, a massive band of precipitous terrain that stretches from Georgia to New York (or even into Canada, based on some definitions of the region). The national park offers a wealth of hiking and sightseeing opportunities spanning all levels of effort and difficulty. If your group wants a very short walk, numerous points in the area allow a traveler to pull off to the side of the road and, a dozen steps away, stand on the banks of a rolling mountain stream. Plenty of trails offer increasing distance and difficulty. A family can choose a trail of a mile or two, take it slow and observe many various examples of flora and fauna, while perhaps ending up at one of the many waterfalls in the region. Find more details at hikinginthesmokys.com, or at the Sugarlands Visitor Center, just two miles from downtown Gatlinburg.
Walker School and Cemetery
The Laurel Falls Trail, a paved walkway where many families can even push a stroller, makes a popular hike on the easier end of the scale, leading to a scenic waterfall. The Chimney Tops Trail, while just a three-and-a-half-mile roundtrip, offers a much steeper climb to a high point, often up stairs. Those searching for the challenge of a lifetime can take on the Appalachian Trail in its entirety, which travels through the Smokies of Sevier County as part of its incredible length.
It’s free to visit the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and to hike. The U.S. National Park Service offers rentals of overnight campsites.
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Aquarium of the Smokies
After checking out the native wildlife in the forest, visit Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies in downtown Gatlinburg for a look at a variety of sea life. Find hammerhead sharks, stingrays, penguins, jellyfish and much more at this indoor attraction.
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Dollywood
If you want some high-speed thrill rides, Dollywood offers some great roller coasters. The Lightning Rod is the fastest wooden roller coaster in the world, boasting a top speed of 73 m.p.h. The winged Wild Eagle offers an exhilarating flight and an incredible view high above the park amidst the mountains. The Tennessee Tornado has its riders screaming as it winds down a tight spiral turn and the Firechaser Express stands as a tribute to firefighters; that ride features a backwards-moving train escaping a burning fireworks store.
The park offers many reasons to visit even for the roller coaster non-riders: the music, the food, the lights, the shows, a large eagle sanctuary, the Parade of Many Colors during the winter season, and an extensive Dolly Parton museum. The Dollywood Express, a steam locomotive, pulls passenger cars for a low-speed tour of the park area.
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Pancakes
There are pancake houses everywhere you look in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. However you like your pancakes—topped with blackberries, peaches, chocolate chips, coconut or syrup, accompanied by bacon, coffee or an omelette, small like a silver dollar or big as a pizza, for breakfast, lunch or dinner—pay a visit to Log Cabin, Sawyer’s, Crockett’s, Reagan’s, Atrium, Flapjack’s, Little House of Pancakes, Pancake Pantry or one of the many flapjack houses scattered throughout the county.
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Ripley’s Attractions
Ripley’s Believe It or Not Odditorium, a museum in downtown Gatlinburg showcasing some of the more bizarre findings of world explorer Robert Ripley, features shrunken heads, statues, illusions, torture devices, strange facts, space rocks and all manner of oddities based on Ripley’s travels and illustrations. The Ripley’s company has quite a footprint in Sevier County, also operating (in addition to the Aquarium of the Smokies and the Odditorium) a Mirror Maze, Moving Theater, Haunted Adventure and Guinness World Records Adventure in Gatlinburg among its attractions.
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Shopping
One can definitely shop until they drop in Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville. Find a kilt from Celtic Heritage in The Village, a backpack from Nantahala Outdoor Center, hot sauce from the Mountain Mall in Gatlinburg, candy, fudge and taffy at Ole Smoky Candy Kitchen, a Christmas village, Christmas tree, Christmas ornaments, Christmas wreath or Christmas stocking from the Christmas Place (The South’s largest Christmas store), an original painting from one of the many galleries in the Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community loop, a Tervis tumbler from The Island, a name-brand shirt, purse or shoes from Tanger Outlets in Sevierville, handmade soap from Trunk of Man, a woodcarving, a birdhouse, knives, moccasins and other items in the many outlet stores, art galleries and gift shops of the area.
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Mini-Golf
Sevier County is the place for the mini-golf enthusiast. Putt-putt on the side of a mountain, at a candy-themed course, near a pirate ship, beside a volcano, even as pigs fly overhead at one of the area’s many courses. Indoor black-light mini-golf courses offer the chance to play a few rounds even during inclement weather, and some report the area offers some great traditional, full-size golfing experiences as well.
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Aerial Tramway
Cable cars take passengers from downtown Gatlinburg to the Ober Gatlinburg ski park and shopping center, at a much higher altitude. The two-mile journey by the tramway offers some stellar views of the hills and the town below. Each car can hold up to 120 passengers, and trips depart every 20 minutes. The cable cars have carried millions of sightseers up and downhill since 1973.
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Skiing
During the winter season, those wishing to participate in snow sports can visit Ober Gatlinburg for skiing, tubing, snowboarding and a freestyle terrain park. An indoor ice skating rink, used for skating and for ice bumper cars, offers cold fun all year-round, and plenty of non-winter activities include an alpine slide, chair swings, a wildlife encounter, a carousel and water rides. The amusement park can be accessed by road, or the cable car.
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The Wilderness
The Wilderness at the Smokies resort, located in Sevierville closer to the I-40 exit than to the National Park entrance, boasts a massive water park, half inside, half outside, with slides, wavepools, rides, playgrounds, hot tubs and games. Get some sun year-round in the indoor portion, covered by a material that allows sunlight to pour in during all seasons. Some banana trees even grow poolside in this simulated tropical climate.
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Mountain Coasters
These coasters, where one or two riders cruise down a roller coaster-like track in a small car with a handbrake, have become popular thrill rides in the Sevier County area—rides include the Rocky Top Mountain Coaster, Smoky Mountain Alpine Coaster and Gatlinburg Mountain Coaster. Ober has one as well.
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Other fun attractions located at the popular tourist destination of Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville include indoor skydiving, a Jurassic boat ride, Ferris wheel, a Titanic museum, a chairlift ride to a swinging bridge high above Gatlinburg, a huge variety of eateries and many more options.
What else do you and your family and friends like to do in Sevier County, Tennessee, and in and around the Great Smoky Mountains National Park? What did we miss? Send additions and comments to: contact@boropulse.com or facebook.com/boropulse.
