Tennessee (Pigeon Forge)
Trip Summary
Dollywood! Dinner shows! Go karts! Attractions! Basically, all you can think of is here, and what a place! I remember the first time I went to Pigeon Forge on a weekend and being gobsmacked by everything there–the Titanic Museum, WonderWorks, the Island, MagiQuest. The city seriously looks like a state fair on steroids with family fun on every corner whether it is a dinner show, a water park, or an attraction. It is also very close to Gatlinburg and the Smoky Mountains, and for a while, I debated on grouping Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg into the same blog post or separating them–but they deserve to be praised separately as they have totally different vibes. If you want mountains and nature, Gatlinburg/the Smokies are your best bet, but if you are just wanting family fun and don’t mind some of the cheesiness of the attractions, then Pigeon Forge is the place to go!
Having been here many, many times, I’ll give you the scoop! When staying here, you have the option to stay at a cabin (there are lots to choose from and they vary from a cozy, romantic place to a huge vacation cabin that can house multiple families), but these can be quite expensive. My husband and I usually stayed in Gatlinburg for family events, but one time, we did decide to visit Pigeon Forge–just the two of us–and stayed at Wilderness at the Smokies! This is actually a waterpark resort, and it surpassed our expectations!
We booked a basic room, but even those are nice in that they offer extras like a sitting area and kitchen (with a fridge and microwave). You also get access to the waterparks (there are three of them–both indoor and outdoor), and this is the highlight of the stay. In addition to the tube slides, you could also ride the Runaway Canyon and Storm Chaser! There is also the Smokies Surf Rider (though, I warn you to exercise caution on this as we saw someone lose their swim trunks in the water in full view of everyone, so cinch those shorts up tight!). Outside, there is a lazy river, The Wall, Wild Vortex, and the Timber Rattler among others.
In addition, the resort also offers fun extras like a full arcade, rope climbing obstacle course, and laser room where you have to get from one side to the other without touching any of the beams, so you know there is a ton to see and do!
The prices are actually quite reasonable, because they offer package deals often and if you keep an eye out for specials and/or use their 15% off military discount, you can enjoy a fun stay for cheaper. The hotel is also very close to all the attractions, so I recommend this place!
Wilderness at the Smokies: A-
Of course, if you want to have fun at a waterpark without staying at the park itself, you have a lot of options, too. Dollywood has a waterpark–Splash Country! Splash Country has a ton of options, and you can relax and enjoy the lazy river or go on thrilling adventure rides like Big Bear Plunge, Fire Tower Falls, Raging River Rapids, and so many more. There is really something for everyone, so if you are wanting a fun day in the water, this is the your place!
When my husband and I went, we had a lot of fun on all the rides, and while it was crowded, the lines moved enough so that it wasn’t miserable. If you time out the rides so that you ride them early or when everyone else is eating lunch, then you can get better wait times and enjoy the rides that much more.
The waterpark also has a lot of discount opportunities with military discounts as well as free passes for young kids (they state the age restrictions on their website and detail how to get tickets). The park also offers group tickets if you want to explore Dollywood as well and/or stay at their cabins and/or take part in their regular festivals, so definitely give the park a chance! Dolly Parton is known and loved dearly here in Pigeon Forge, so you know you are in for a good time at any of her parks and attractions!
Dollywood’s Splash Country: A-
Recently, an even BETTER waterpark opened in the area–Soaky Mountain Waterpark! This park got a lot of advertisement when it was being built and sponsored a ton of deals for cheaper tickets, so when they opened, my husband and I decided to see if it lived up to its hype–and it did!
We went right when they opened and rode all the best rides first before the crowds got too bad (as you can see from the clouds, the weather kept some of the crowds at bay, too, which helped). The better rides are The Edge (a raft ride that is quite thrilling–this was my favorite), Blue Mountain Mayhem (a raft ride), Avalaunche Watercoaster (another raft ride), Holler (a body slide), and Whoop (another body slide). However, I will tell you that even though Whoop looks much scarier than the other slides (you step into an enclosed capsule and wait for the floor to drop beneath you), it is much better experience than Holler (a deceptively easier slide that gets faster and faster as you go and leads to an uncontrollable descent that leaves you thrashing and sputtering by the time you get to the bottom). So definitely go for the Whoop over the Holler!
There are tamer rides that are fun like Rainbow Revenge as well as the Adventure River among others, so you have a lot of options! There are also a number of food places, chairs, and lockers available. The only complaint my husband and I had was how difficult it was to navigate the park as many entrances were closed off or had detours, so it took twice as long to get to some rides just because we were trying to figure out how to get there! The place was also short-staffed when we went (an issue everywhere, honestly), so some rides took a long time as there were only 1-2 lifeguards in charge of 4-6 slides–so you had to wait much longer to be allowed on the waterslide.
That aside, though, it was a lovely waterpark and one that I could see returning to–especially when we have nieces and nephews visiting! Highly recommend!
Soaky Mountain Waterpark: A
Yet even more fun than the water parks and attractions…are the zip lines in Pigeon Forge! Zip line experiences are advertised everywhere, but if you are wanting a good experience, look no further than Foxfire Mountain Adventure Park! This place is actually in Sevierville (very close to Pigeon Forge), and they are rated as one of the best in the area and boast having the longest, fastest, and tallest zip lines in the Smokies! So you know we had to try it out!
The park is actually in an adorable little “village” that includes the main office, a cidery, and buildings that look like they are out of a fairytale. The colors make for some fun pictures, and they even have a rope bridge and hiking trails on the grounds if you don’t want to zip line.
The zip lining experience is actually pretty easy, because the staff straps you in, and controls all the braking for you, so you don’t have to worry about your speed or timing things right before you reach the platform. There is also a “practice zip line” so to speak that is pretty mellow so that you can get your bearings before taking on the “Goliath!”
The Goliath is actually pretty impressive, and you go pretty quickly over a large gorge that is exhilarating to look down and see the forest below. You also have the chance to do tricks on the zip line as the first and last ones are easy enough that you can do flips, spin, or even hang upside down! The staff is very encouraging and lets you do things according to your comfort level, and if you get stuck, it’s okay, because they go out to get you, and you are never in any danger.
So for its great staff, awesome zip lines, and the cute setting, this place gets my total recommendation!
Foxfire Mountain Adventure Park: A
If you are in the mood for something indoors, Pigeon Forge has a ton of attractions from wax museums to a Titanic replica, and I had always been eager to try some of the things I would pass by when driving to Gatlinburg (to hike in the mountains–my favorite thing!). One of these attractions was an upside down house called Wonderworks–and then a promotion came around where they were offering free admission to teachers (and half price to their companions), so I figured, what better sign can you ask for? It was time to check it out!
So my husband and I went one weekend, and it was fun to finally see the inside! When you walk in, everything in the lobby is upside down, but then as soon as you walk past the “portal” (essentially a vortex tunnel), then everything rights, and it becomes almost a science museum. There were all kinds of exhibits on lighting, water movement, wind, and earthquakes. There were simulators, but the wind tunnel ended up being just a fan and the earthquake one wasn’t working, and this is where things started to go a little downhill.
When we got to the “rides” section, we saw more that were out of order (or didn’t have the staff to run them as so many things were shut down or roped off). There were, however, some obstacle courses open and rides. Honestly, though, these rides were pretty janky, and after looking at the ropes course, we decided not to go on it, and when we went on the roller coaster simulator ride (a capsule where you strap in and watch a roller coaster on a screen while the ride moves around), this, too, was pretty dilapidated and rundown (and even hurt as the ride was very jerky). Needless to say, after that, we decided to call it a day and do something else.
The arcade honestly did have a lot (this was an extra charge), and this is where my husband had the most fun. Though all in all, WonderWorks is probably a better attraction for young kids. I would say that if your kids are 12+ and/or if you are part of an adult party, this is probably a good place to skip. Luckily, we got in free/half-off, but I certainly wouldn’t pay full price for the experience. I am sure it is more fun when everything is working and they have the staff they need, but yeah, I’d say there are better things to do in the area.
WonderWorks: B-
Of course, there are lots of other great indoor attractions that are worth checking out! One of them is a newer attraction in nearby Sevierville–a huge trampoline / ninja warrior park–and is a ton of fun for all ages. I had gone to a trampoline park before with my sister’s kids, and we all had a blast, and the whole time, I was thinking how much my husband would enjoy it, but we never had the chance to go. So when Sevier Air Trampoline and Ninja Warrior Park opened, I knew this was a sign to actually take him! And what fun we had!
This place is unique in that it is much more than a trampoline park–it has a ninja warrior obstacle course, an area where you can battle it out on a balance beam over a soft pit, and a spinning obstacle similar to what you would see on the show Wipeout where you have to either duck or jump over a beam or get knocked over. All that in addition to tons of trampolines–long ones where you can do tricks and areas where you can play basketball and dodgeball while jumping high in the sky!
It was the absolute perfect place for my husband, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen him smile so big as he spent the time jumping around, doing tricks, and kicking my butt in the obstacle course, ha!
The ninja warrior course is a challenging one as it has walls of varying heights that you can run and jump up, areas where you have to hang from one object to the next (like an advanced version of monkey bars), and nets that you can crawl up and down. There is really something for all ages as the place was covered in kids, but there was still stuff that we, as adults, enjoyed.
The prices were also reasonable, and if you bring your own grippy socks, you can get a discount on the total ticket. They also have concessions downstairs, and arcade, and an area that you can play Laser Tag for an extra charge. A fun place to hang out for sure, so I highly recommend it!
Sevier Air Trampoline and Ninja Warrior Park: A
Granted, after all this adventure, you are going to be tired and will probably want something a little more chill at night…that’s where the dinner shows come in! Luckily, Pigeon Forge is full of them, but a favorite for me is the Pirates Voyage Show! This one follows the adventures of pirates and includes all kinds of acrobatics, fire-breathing, stunts, and aerial dancing. The production quality is actually quite impressive, and the stage design makes it so that there are no bad seats in the house.
The dinner itself is the same for everyone, and servers come by with food that they scoop on your plate. We had an assortment of chicken, corn on the cob, and bread, along with other sides, and then for dessert, you get a slice of pie. Honestly, the food was just okay and tasted pretty dry, so don’t expect a delicious meal, but for the show, it was fine.
One highlight is that the show picks people out of the audience at the end to participate in challenges, and of course, my husband was picked for the water bucket challenge! He picked his brother to go with him (I went with my husband and all my in-laws when we saw the show), and it was a lot of fun watching them compete (and win!) the challenge. However, if you participate in the challenge, you are actually away from your food for quite a bit and the servers just take your plate if you aren’t there, so I had to shoo them off so that my husband could scrounge half a meal before the show was over.
So for its production quality, it gets high marks, but the dry food makes it lose a few points. I totally still recommend the show!
Pirates Voyage Show: A-
Of course, Pigeon Forge is more than just shows! They have amazing food and drink opportunities as well, and you can find everything from BBQ to pizza to pancakes to good ol’ Southern food. A favorite among my in-laws is Huck Finn’s Catfish, and every time we would have a family vacation in the mountains, it was tradition to visit here!
They serve all sorts of food including fried fish, chicken, shrimp, and a whole host of appetizers and sides. The sides are interesting, because a lot of the meals come with an unlimited selection that includes coleslaw, beans, and hushpuppies. If you like one thing more than the others (like the hushpuppies!), you can get more of those and less of the others, and the food is always good.
When my husband and I went back for nostalgia’s sake (the in-laws no longer do the big get-togethers in Pigeon Forge), the experience actually wasn’t quite as good as we remembered. They were out of a lot of menu items and the popcorn shrimp was neither popcorn shrimp nor fried, so the place has lost points for us since, but it could be partially due to all the staffing and product shortages as of late–they are affecting restaurants in a big way, and unfortunately, that hampers the experience.
Huck Finn’s Catfish: B+
However, one place that we have frequented time and time again has been Smoky Mountain Burritos Mexican Grill. It is never busy when we go, so it seems to be the undiscovered gem of Pigeon Forge, but everything we have eaten there has been delicious! Their margaritas are strong, their chips are fresh, and their entrees are divine.
One of our favorites is the Burrito California, a burrito with all the fixings…and French fries inside! Alongside is rice and your very own CUP of queso! Usually, Mexican restaurants are stingy about their queso, but not this one! You get more than enough and it’s nice and thick–all the deliciousness you need!
So good!
They also have limited outdoor seating, so if you have your pups with you (like we did), the staff is happy to accommodate and even share pictures of their own dogs at home! So if you want good food and friendly service without a wait, this is a good bet!
Smoky Mountain Burritos Mexican Grill: A-
However, in recent visits, we’ve started to notice a slight decline in the food as dishes have been amended to be smaller and lesser quality and with fewer ingredients, so we set off to find our new favorite! And who better to ask than the locals? So that is exactly what we did–and the resounding answer was Cielito Lindo!
The place doesn’t look like much from the outside, but the magic is inside! Such delicious sights and smells greeted us when we walked inside, and the food was every bit as amazing as everyone said! The margaritas are excellent, the chips are fresh, and the food is so authentically delicious. The cooks put a lot of time and care into their dishes, and it shows! Everything we ordered was delicious!
So, while we liked the other Mexican eatery, this place is where it’s AT! So much better! I’m getting hungry just thinking about this place, ha!
Cielito Lindo Mexican Grill: A+
Another winner in our book is a pizza place called Pizza at the Cove. Having tried a few less than stellar pizza places in the area, we were hopeful for a new favorite–and we were not disappointed! A robust pie with a thick crust and generous toppings, the pizza we got here was excellent! We got their cheese sticks, too, and those were delicious as well!
Having gotten the pizza to go, it looked and smelled so good that we were sneaking slices in the car on the way home, and every bite was divine! A definite pace for us to go back! Highly recommend.
There are multiple locations of this place, so when you call and order, be sure that you are ordering from the right one (this must happen a lot as the person taking our order confirmed several times where we were picking up the pizza). So be sure to put this place on the top of your list when you visit!
Pizza at the Cove: A
There are lots of breweries in the area, too, if you are just wanting a drink or two. One that my husband and I tried recently was Iron Forge Brewing Company. This is a fun place with lots of seating inside and outside (the outside area is nice and has a fire pit) as well as eating options and TVs inside where you can watch sporting events and such. The drink menu has a lot of variety, though, their popular items sell out quickly! We were especially intrigued by the Bee Bait, a honey lager, but unfortunately, they were out, so that just means we need to go back and try it!
The other drinks they had were good, too, and the bartenders were friendly and efficient. The atmosphere was nice for a rainy afternoon, and I liked that the place was dog-friendly outside which meant that we could bring our pups on a future visit. Definitely a place to check out!
Iron Forge Brewing Company: A
Of course, there are SO many restaurants here as well as in the neighboring Sevierville and Gatlinburg. Sevierville has a big shopping outlet that is fun to visit (and you can honestly get so many great deals at some of these shops!). In the shopping area is the Tennessee Cider Company that I go to every time I am in the area (my sister is a big fan of their cider, so I pick some up anytime I am visiting her or she is visiting me), and I highly recommend giving them a try as their cider is actually quite delicious!
If you like hiking and exploring, Gatlinburg and the Smoky Mountains are very close. Honestly, you can’t go wrong with Pigeon Forge for a fun family getaway, so if you have a chance, definitely come see the sights! You won’t be disappointed!
Favorite Experiences
Hmm, out of everything, the Soaky Mountain Waterpark and zip line experiences probably stand out as favorites. However, everything has been fun, and going back for so many years, we have only accumulated more good memories each time we’ve gone. There’s lots of other things that I haven’t reviewed here just because I couldn’t remember the name of the ride or whatever, but if you drive along the parkway, you will see all sorts of attractions from slingshot rides to go kart tracks to mini-golf areas and so on. They are all fun and add to the cheesiness factor of the place, but hey, that’s partly where you are there, right? Plus, you can’t beat having so many attractions, shows, and restaurants so close together (and right next to the mountains)!
What I Wish I Knew
One thing that I mentioned in my Gatlinburg post and that I’ll mention here is how crowded this area gets due to its popularity. The main parkway honestly becomes a parking lot during busy times of the day and during holidays, and it is honestly stressful to get from one place to the next if you are in a hurry. However, if you go during non-holidays, when school is still in session, and/or during the week, the crowds are a lot less, so that is something to consider. I hike quite often in the Smokies and sometimes have to drive through Pigeon Forge to get there, so I am always driving before the sun comes up in order to bypass traffic.
However, traffic aside, this is really a fun place to visit, and I am always finding new things to recommend, so stay tuned for what I’m sure will be a lot of updates to this blog post! Business is always booming, too, and there are always new attractions opening. Dollywood is also THE attraction of the area, and believe it or not, I haven’t gone yet! But I hope to visit this year, so I will have a full review for you soon!
I also post reels and TikToks regularly of all the places I’ve reviewed on here, so if you want to see some videos of what to expect, check out my social media here:
TikTok: @touristyteacher
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Facebook: @touristyteacher
Happy travels!
