City of Pigeon Forge

Pigeon Forge, Tennessee is a cool city roughly 10 miles from Gatlinburg, Tennessee and Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It’s a touristy town with lots of tourist attractions for families and children. I visited in springtime and it was busy… I can only imagine come summertime. Pigeon Forge has a little of everything… water parks, mini golf, rides, sights and attractions, loads of places to eat. It has a Branson Missouri feel to it, if anyone’s ever visited Branson. But in all, the whole area including Gatlinburg, Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Blue Ridge Parkway is worth a visit and exploring.

People who tend to give PF a negative review, just don’t know how to appreciate it. First of all, I would not recommend staying in the city. We love going to this part of Tennessee but the secret is to grab a condo in Gatlinburg where you can walk to several attractions and most importantly prepare your own meals if you choose. I have to have access to a kitchen while on vacation or I stay at home. This will resolve the problem of the greasy foods and feeling as if pancakes are your only choice for breakfast. We only go into Pigeon Forge when we want to enjoy rides and bungee jump. We also are careful to go into town late in the evening or at night when the traffic is very light and there aren’t as many people out and about. It can really be a fun place if you plan carefully. Keep in mind though that it is the quintessential tourist trap so beware! and don’t forget to explore the outlying areas where you can zip, ride ATVs and do some great shopping!

This place has everything from shops to dining and attractions to the great outdoors. If you cannot find something to make you happy in this town then you have not looked.

It’s fine for what it is: crappy trinket stores, pancake houses as far as the eye can see, go-​karts and the same arcades every 50 feet, run-​down-​looking motels (with «honeymoon suites»! LOL) and not a vegetable in sight. And the traffic can rival I-​90 in Chicago during rush hour (not even kidding). If you have expectations of a classy experience in PF, you are sadly mistaken. If you come here expecting hoardes of the masses drawn to mediocrity, then your psychological state will be spared.
I had more fun in Kissimmee and Orlando, and this is from someone that hates Florida. In the end, PF is just… okay. On the low side of okay, but okay nonetheless.

What can you say about Pigeon Forge? Pancakes, Dollywood, Go-​Karts, & Putt Putt. Oh, the Titanic? What the heck is that?
I’ve never seen more pancake house per capita than anywhere else beside Pigeon Forge/​Gatlinburg. What’s up with the pancakes?
Pigeon Forge or Hillbilly Vegas as I refer to it, is a nice family destination. It’s a bit too crowded for me, that’s why I moved out here to get away from the crowds of Los Angeles. It’s very touristy and cheesy.

Vegas for kids! Traffic is bumper to bumper… be prepared for a 60 minute drive though this oasis of neon… and that’s one way. We passed though on the way to Gatlinburg and wanted to see a few of the attractions but were afraid to lose our spot in the massive traffic jam.
Never Again!

What has become of America? Are we all reduced to the simplest of tourists? People that get excited by the prospect of stuffing our faces with pancakes at breakfast, hiding our beer guts in the swath of an airbrushed t-​shirt, and playing mini golf as a form of exercise?
Welcome to Pigeon Forge, the larger, cheesier cousin of Gatlinburg down the street. A place where you can drop more money in a day without gambling as you would in Vegas. A place where you can buy a craft pot, and then fill it with candy next door. A place where there are more people with mullets than haircuts and someone in a shirt with sleeves seems out of place.
Sure, I’m a city slicker, and that’s where I belong. And I like about as much country music as Dolly Parton has real body parts. But come ON, this place is scary just to drive through. There’s more pointless crap to buy than would fit into ten disney worlds, and that’s in just a block on the main drag.
If you removed all the motels, pancake houses and «souvenir» stands from pigeon forge, you’d be left with some country houses, and one heck of a ghost town with it’s own carnival.
It’s not ALL bad though, there are glimmers of true craftsmen in «them hills» selling pottery, soaps, and other (useful) handmade items. Beautiful rustic cabins with true «woods» experience (although some debatably in the neighboring city of Sevierville). Simple pleasures that even though they’re priced as fairly as a Donald Trump haircut, can still be enjoyed with friends.
Don’t come to Pigeon Forge with expectations, and you won’t be disappointed. Fun can be found where you make it, and you just might want to buy a cheesy souvenir after all…