Inside Pigeon Forge TN

Inside Pigeon Forge is dedicated to providing information on everything that Pigeon Forge has to offer…from an insider’s perspective. “The Insider” is a native to Pigeon Forge with family that dates back in the area to the 1800′s. Over the years, The Insider has seen Pigeon Forge, TN grow from a farm town in the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains to a booming tourist attraction that welcomes millions of visitors each year.

The years have provided The Insider with a lot of tips & tricks that make Pigeon Forge much more enjoyable, which will be made available here to showcase the best places to stay, eat, and see while you’re visiting Pigeon Forge. Whether you’re looking for log cabin rentals, chalets, restaurants, entertainment, etc Inside Pigeon Forge will provide you with every bit of information you need to enjoy your vacation. The Insider even knows many ways to avoid the traffic jams in Pigeon Forge…you don’t want to miss that!

So stay tuned to Inside Pigeon Forge as reviews and tips will constantly be posted to ensure that your vacation in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee is the best that it can possibly be!

The assumption is that if you want to get to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park from Pigeon Forge, you are going to drive to Gatlinburg or Townsend and then follow the signs into the park. Most people don’t realize that you can also cut through Wears Valley and get to the Park much quicker by going to Metcalf Bottoms. This gets you into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park by a little-traveled road and you don’t have to sit in the traffic of Gatlinburg or drive all the way to Townsend to enjoy a picnic, fish or wade in a mountain stream.

To take advantage of this shortcut, turn onto Wears Valley Road at traffic light #3 and follow Wears Valley Road until you arrive at Lyons Spring Road. Lyons Spring Road is a little more than 9 miles from traffic light #3 on the Parkway in Pigeon Forge. Turn left on Lyons Spring Rd, as you follow the road through the mountain scenery, you will come to a National Park sign before you drive into Metcalf Bottoms. At this point you are in the National Park. Metcalf bottoms has bathroom facilities, streams, picnic tables and hiking trails. It is one of the lesser used picnic areas in the park and is great if you don’t want to fight the traffic or have plans that put you back in Pigeon Forge in the evening. It is great to be able to get to the National Park easily and you can have fun without spending most of your day in the car.

From Metcalf Bottoms you can turn right and go to Cades Cove or turn left to go to Elkmont, Sugarlands Visitor Center or Gatlinburg. Again, this allows you to bypass the traffic in Gatlinburg which, during peak season, can take hours to get through or going through Townsend which can also take a while to get to. This is a great “shortcut”, especially if you are looking for a quick way to the park. Also see Driving Tips for Pigeon Forge.

Planning a winter getaway to Gatlinburg? We’ll we’ve got just site to help you with your stay, what to do once you get there, as well as coupons and discounts available for area attractions.

Our brother website, Inside Gatlinburg, features reviews, tips, discounts, and other information about Gatlinburg, TN. You’ll find articles featuring some great tips for planning a fall visit to catch the leaves in their peak color, or a winter trip to ski at Ober Gatlinburg. If you plan to visit Gatlinburg or The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, be sure to check out the site for the latest tips to make your vacation even better!

In what has become a staple of Pigeon Forge’s Winterfest (Feb. 23-26), the western-themed “Saddle-Up!” festival will again ride into town this February to a cowboy-lover’s delight.

The four-day festival includes a variety of entertainment, presented the cowboy way, from cowboy poets to concerts by Western musicians.

The Saddle Cats are back for another go-round at Pigeon Forge's 12th Annual Saddle-Up festival.

“It’s become a really big western-themed event,” said Lila Wilson, Pigeon Forge special events coordinator. “People who grew up watching old western shows and movies seem to really be drawn to the festival, which is now in its tenth year.”

From genuine chuckwagons from the Southeast and beyond at the annual chuckwagon cookoff to Western swing dances, there looks to be something for the Western enthusiast in all of us.

“It’s not that one event is more popular than the next, they’re all pretty popular,” Wilson said. “We bring in the cowboy poets, the western artists and then we wrap up the weekend with a Sunday morning chuckwagon breakfast followed by cowboy church. The chuckwagon cook off is always a big event because each entrant in the cook off competes for prizes.”

With last year’s festival drawing upwards of 2,000 people, Wilson believes Pigeon Forge is likely to see  around the same number of visitors this year.

“People love it, they just love it,” she said. “It’s a niche event and people who are into the old west really turn out for it. It’s an opportunity for people who have fond memories of days gone by when they were kids growing up watching those western shows and reading about cowboys. The excitement is there and we expect a great weekend this year.”

Continue reading ‘“Saddle-Up!” Western Festival Gears Up for 12th Annual Pigeon Forge Event’

If you love the outdoors, then Wilderness Wildlife Week in Pigeon Forge is your dream event. Don’t let the “Wildlife” part fool you…this event covers all aspects of the Great Smoky Mountains and the great outdoors worldwide. The event has grown from a single-day “get-together” to a multi-day expo with numerous classes, vendors, activities, and more. There are hikes, field trips, photography contests, and several classes presented by a long list of experts. Many of the classes and activities are designed for children, so this event is perfect for the entire family. There are various levels of hikes ranging from beginner to expert. These hikes are guided by experts of the area and they’ll show you the best places to explore through the Great Smokey Mountains. I first attended this event in the late ’90s and it amazes me every year to see the number and quality of classes & activities grow. The people that you meet and the things that you learn are simply priceless. Perhaps that’s why this event is free of charge!! That’s right…you can attend the classes and experience Wilderness Wildlife Week for free. Like I said, if you like anything about the outdoors, then you owe it to yourself to attend the Wilderness Wildlife Week in Pigeon Forge, TN. Continue reading ‘Wilderness Wildlife Week’

You know, Dollywood isn’t the only theme park in the Smoky Mountains. A quick drive east in the charming mountain town of Blowing Rock, NC, you’ll find Tweetsie Railroad – one of the most original Wild West attractions in the nation. Since the 1950s, Tweetsie’s famous steam engine, No. 12, has taken park-goers on the ride of a lifetime through the old west. One of the best theme park train rides in the southeast, Tweetsie Railroad also offers plenty of other attractions to entertain its guests during their park visit.

Obviously, people come to the park to ride the train first and foremost. You’ll be taken back to a time when guns and horses were the things men relied on to settle the open plains of the West. Only this time, you’ll take a train through the Great Smoky Mountains. Look out for bandits trying to rob the train in true outdoor drama style. It’s a spectacular Wild West show, and while you enjoy it, sit back and relax on a grand piece of American history. Built in the 1800s, this particular steam engine had been around the country before the people at Tweetsie gained ownership of the nostalgic locomotive during the middle part of the last century.

Live shows also make up a big part of the theme park, in addition to the show on the train. Hop on over to the saloon and you can take part in a live 1800s style saloon show with bar girls, gamblers, bandits, and the like. Stay for the Tweetsie Cloggers, who have been entertaining crowds for years. Roam the streets with the Tweetsie Railroad cast as they pull you into their wild-west story.

Kiddie rides abound at the Tweetsie Railroad theme park. Inline cars, a merry-go-round, planes or any of a number of other rides have been built with children being the sole focus. This is a great time – while the kids are enjoying the rides – for parents, or anyone else to get something to eat in the park. The food is all carnival-type fare, and really good. From cotton candy and caramel apples to ice cream and hot dogs, all are available at the park’s restaurants or food vendors. Just be sure to ride everything you want before you eat.

Whether you’re just there to hop a train ride or sample park food till your heart’s content, you will have the time of your life at Tweetsie Railroad. The Tweetsie Railroad theme park delights thousands of guests each year. You’ll find yourself having more fun then you thought you could ever have in Blowing Rock, NC. Check the Tweetsie Railroad website for operation times before you go because their hours are limited. They are only open during the better weather parts of the year so please plan your visit accordingly. Tweetsie Railroad is a sure-fire, fun time in the Great Smoky Mountains.

Put down your shopping bags for awhile and hit the slopes at Ober Gatlinburg Ski Resort this weekend! The outlets will still be there when you’re done!

If your plan is to ski while in Pigeon Forge during your next vacation, or Smoky Mountain getaway, then the Ober Gatlinburg Ski Resort is where you need to be. Ober is the only ski resort in Tennessee, so if you’re looking for more choices best keep on going to North Carolina, or on toward West Virginia. But here in the Smoky Mountains, Ober Gatlinburg is where folks come whether their staying in Gatlinburg, shopping in Pigeon Forge, or visiting Sevierville.

And don’t think there won’t be something for everyone. Ober Gatlinburg is a family ski resort that has a myriad of activities. If part of your family doesn’t ski or snowboard, take a few laps around the ice skating rink, go play in the arcade, take a trip down the alpine slide, the scenic chair lift, and more. Even the older folks have something to do as they can sit by the fire in the lounge or even “people-watch” around the ice skating rink. Ober’s been a Smoky Mountain staple since 1962 when it comes to entertaining family, friends, and even that hard to please uncle, aunt or grandparent.

When you arrive at Ober Gatlinburg you’ll have two options to get you to the top. Guests can either ride the aerial tramway (which happens to be the largest aerial tramway in America) from downtown Gatlinburg, or drive up the mountain on Ski Mountain Road. Simply turn at traffic light No. 9 on the south end of Gatlinburg (closest to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park) and follow the winding road (Ski Mountain Road) all the way to the top…but have cash in hand for parking. A bit of advice – the earlier you go, the better. The are three tiered parking lots and you’ll have a better shot at getting a space at the top near the resort. Otherwise, it’s quick hike from one of the lower decks.

*The snowmakers at Ober Gatlinburg are currently working around the clock when temperatures permit until there is enough base snow to provide a quality product for skiers, snowboarders and tubers for the 2011-12 ski season. Ober Gatlinburg is committed to providing our guests the best conditions for winter sports and plan to open the slopes as soon as possible.

Lift Ticket Rates:
http://www.obergatlinburg.com/wintinfo.htm

Other Attraction Rates:
http://www.obergatlinburg.com/rates.htm

Latest Ski Report:
http://www.obergatlinburg.com/snowrpt.htm

Winterfest in Pigeon Forge is lit by millions of Christmas lights. From the lights that the city supplies along the roadways and in Patriot Park to the lights that the businesses decorate their exteriors with, the Christmas lights will make put you right in the Christmas spirit.

January

Winterfest Trolley Tour of Lights (Jan. 1-13) – Fun Time Trolley Station at Patriot Park. Tours start at 6:30 PM and run Monday – Friday only, costs $5 per person. (865) 453-6444

22nd Annual Wilderness Wildlife Week™ (Jan. 7-14) – Pigeon Forge’s ultimate Smoky Mountain experience, this eight-day, award-winning event with over 200 classes, lectures, workshops and daily hikes into Great Smoky Mountains National Park. (865) 453-8574

Titanic’s 2nd Annual Pigeon Forge Regional Ice Carving Competition (Jan. 14) – Titanic Museum Attraction 1-800-381-7670 or www.titanicpigeonforge.com

Behind the Scenes of James Cameron’s Titanic (Jan. 23 – Dec. 31) – Titanic Museum Attraction 1-800-381-7670 or www.titanicpigeonforge.com

February

12th Annual Saddle Up! (Feb. 23-26) – Our celebration of the American West features concerts by western musicians and cowboy poets, a chuckwagon cook-off, cowboy church, western swing dance and more. (865) 453-8574

March

17th Annual A Mountain Quiltfest (March 9-13) – This award-winning event preserves the timeless art of quilting with a quilt show, vendor mall and classes taught by top quilting instructors. Classes are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration begins December 2010. For information call 1-800-251-9100 or visit MountainQuiltfest.com

Dollywood’s Festival of Nations (March 24 – April 30) – Dollywood; for information call 1-800-DOLLYWOOD or visit dollywood.com

April

Easter Egg Hunt (April 7) – Pigeon Forge Community Center. 1-865-429-7373

Easter Bunny Brunch (April 7) – Old Mill Square. 1-865-428-0771

Easter Bunny (April 7) – The Incredible Christmas Place. 1-865-453-0415

Smoky Mountain Trout Tournament (April 7-8) – For information call Greg Ward at 865-661-3474 or visit smokymountaintrouttournament.com

Grand Spring Rod Run (April 12-15) – Grand Resort Hotel Convention Center; for more information call 1-800-251-4444

3rd Annual “Rally in the Forge” Bikefest 2012 – Grand Resort Hotel Convention Center. 1-800-251-4444 Continue reading ‘Pigeon Forge 2012 Calendar of Events’

If enjoying fireworks is what you’re longing for this New Year’s, trot on over to Gatlinburg for its annual New Year’s Eve festivities downtown. The space needle in the middle of downtown is the place to be around 11 p.m. as many vendors hand out free party favors such as streamers, whistles, hats, and funny glasses to you and thousands of your new, closest friends. The action builds up until midnight when the ball drops at the top of the space needle and fireworks fly into the night as New Years comes alive in Gatlinburg, TN.

If your lucky enough to secure one of the balconies from one of the hotels on the opposite side of the street from the space needle, you’ll be privy to an exceptional fireworks display. There are also some parking garages located nearby that are good viewing spots if you can get up top. In essence, just make sure you can clearly see the top of the space needle and you’ll be fine. Park along River Road or on either end of town if you’re planning on leaving town that night… just stay away from downtown. The closer you are to the space needle, the more likely you’ll stay the night. Besides, that might be more fun anyway!!!

More Gatlinburg info:
Local Phone: (865) 430-4148
Toll-Free: 1-800-588-1817

Have a blast and HAPPY NEW YEAR from all of us in Pigeon Forge, TN!