Pigeon Forge, TN During Spring Break

[beagles7278]

Has anyone been to the Pigeon Forge area during Easter/Spring break? Wondering what crowds are like. Would definitely do Dollywood, wondering about crowds there as well.

We have a 7 and 11 year old, what are the other don't miss attractions?

Thanks in advance to all that respond.

[crawford]

Look if you plan it around the car shows it really not bad when car shows are there then it's bad. I live with in 18 miles of it and I see no problem I'm there every other week.

[michigansandzil]

beagles7278 wrote:

michigansandzilla wrote:

beagles7278 wrote:
We have a 7 and 11 year old, what are the other don't miss attractions?

Ober Gatlinburg. My kids were 11, 9 and 5 and I think this was their favorite activity. It's right before the entrance to the Smokies in Gatlinburg. You can ride up the tram to the top of the park, then you can take a chair lift up to the alpine slide or go even further to the top. We decided to go here instead of Dollywood and my kids LOVED it!

You can also go horseback riding. There are stables everywhere. Kinda a must in Tennessee, I think.

Have fun.

I just googled Ober Gatlinburg, thanks for the suggestion, I think we will definitley do that. Does the cost add up quick for all the different rides?

We ended up getting the unlimited pass for the slide and lift. Ours also included the mini zoo and the few rides. There is a carousel and two little carnival rides that were included but only the 5 year old rode them. The tram and alpine slide is the real appeal. I recall it being sub $200 for 5 people for the tram, everything else, and unlimited sliding. They also have an ice rink and snow sledding but after the winter we had last year nobody wanted to even look at anything cold, lol.

[magnusfide]

beagles7278 wrote:

I just googled Ober Gatlinburg, thanks for the suggestion, I think we will definitley do that. Does the cost add up quick for all the different rides?

In a word: yes. Suggestion: if you're doing Dollywood as well, pick one additional ride, two if you can afford it. Dollywood is a great place but after admission, snacks, etc it does add up quickly. In your time limit you might want a quiet day to just enjoy nature in the beautiful area. The mountains are stellar.

Here's the page for the various rates. Notice the all in one bands don't include the aerial tram which is separate. Individual activity rates are down this webpage
http://www.obergatlinburg.com/rates/activity-rates/

[beagles7278]

michigansandzilla wrote:

beagles7278 wrote:
We have a 7 and 11 year old, what are the other don't miss attractions?

Ober Gatlinburg. My kids were 11, 9 and 5 and I think this was their favorite activity. It's right before the entrance to the Smokies in Gatlinburg. You can ride up the tram to the top of the park, then you can take a chair lift up to the alpine slide or go even further to the top. We decided to go here instead of Dollywood and my kids LOVED it!

You can also go horseback riding. There are stables everywhere. Kinda a must in Tennessee, I think.

Have fun.

I just googled Ober Gatlinburg, thanks for the suggestion, I think we will definitley do that. Does the cost add up quick for all the different rides?

[beagles7278]

Thanks to all that replied. We have told the kids and they are excited, now we have to book.

I am going to look at Pine Mountain campground, like the idea of an indoor pool as an option since the weather is so unpredicatable this time of year.

For us spring break is April 3rd - 12th, so we would be there for Easter. I will look at all the suggestions people have made, thanks again and keep them coming.

[ken56]

Bush beans has a factory and café/general store/museum that is interesting. Good food too. We go there just to have lunch sometimes. There is an aviation museum at the airport that is worth seeing if you enjoy planes. They have P47s and a few others ($12). There is the Forbiden Caverns if you want to see a cave. Oh, all sorts of zip lines and helicopter rides available too. The first 3 are all accessed from 411. Have you picked a park to stay at yet? let us know what it is as we might be able to save you some traffic head aches.

[michigansandzil]

Oh my gosh! I forgot to mention the best spot! No joke but we had the MOST fun during our entire week at a picnic area in the Smokies. No kidding. We happened upon it randomly. The visitor station has maps or a ranger can tell you how to get there.

It's the Chimney Top picnic area and there is a river with amazing boulders and my kids truly enjoyed rock hopping. My 9 year old son was complaining about "looking at trees on mountains" until we found this spot. He named this his "happy place." When I think back to the Smokies, this is what I will remember. I think for the kids, this experience tied with Ober Gatlinburg.
Here's an action shot. 😉

[michigansandzil]

beagles7278 wrote:
We have a 7 and 11 year old, what are the other don't miss attractions?

Ober Gatlinburg. My kids were 11, 9 and 5 and I think this was their favorite activity. It's right before the entrance to the Smokies in Gatlinburg. You can ride up the tram to the top of the park, then you can take a chair lift up to the alpine slide or go even further to the top. We decided to go here instead of Dollywood and my kids LOVED it!

You can also go horseback riding. There are stables everywhere. Kinda a must in Tennessee, I think.

Have fun.

[ken56]

A lot of people don't like this area because of the crowds. If you have never been to Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg/Sevierville expect it to be busy starting at spring break all the way thru Christmas. I actually enjoy Dollywood, its a nice park (I can't stand Disneyworld) very family oriented. The rest of the area is touristy of course but The Ripley Aquarium is great, Wonderworks is cool for kids, the dinner shows are plentiful and fun, Titanic exhibit is top notch. Then there is the GSMNP. Lots of hiking trails and water falls and old log homestead buildings to explore. Do your research online. There is just too much to list here.

[magnusfide]

Merrykalia wrote:


Our favorite park in the PF area is Pine Mountain. It is in the middle of town, close to Dollywood; but you are behind a knoll, so you don't get all the traffic noise from the parkway. It has a pool and an indoor pool and hot tub for use during the cooler weather.

Double ditto on Pine Mountain. It was convenient enough for us to walk to the sights but if walking is a problem, the cg is a trolley stop for PF.

[bodyshop_bob]

BulldawgFan wrote:
Not sure if you already have your campground picked, if not, wife and I stayed at Up the Creek RV Camp this past weekend. TOP NOTCH! Very impressed, probably in our top 3 campgrounds. Worth a look. Also, the new development, The Island, is awesome!

Since Bulldawg and I were neighbors I will also give a shout out to Up the Creek. And yes, the crowds are thick during Spring Break. If your Break occurs in early to mid-March don't be surprised if snow/freeze is encountered.

[kellertx5er]

AlabamaTraveler wrote:
Don't forget to visit the National Park. The mountains are the reason all that other stuff is there.

No, Dolly P. is the reason all that other stuff is there. Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Yellowstone etc etc don't have anything like
Pigeon Forge, thank God.

[Merrykalia]

We have our Volunteer Campers spring campout in the Pigeon Forge area every spring for the past 6-7 years.

We have used several different parks, Smokey Bear in Cosby; Misty Mountain in Wallen; Pine Mountain in Pigeon Forge; River Plantation in Sevierville. There are many, many others.

Spring Break can mean anytime between the first of March through the end of April, so weather can be anything from snowy and cold to warm and sunny.

Be sure to check when Dollywood opens for the season and make your plans around that. Usually, it is the last weekend in March, but it could be different for next year.

Yes, it will probably be crowded, but if you are going to PF, you will just need to expect that.

Our favorite park in the PF area is Pine Mountain. It is in the middle of town, close to Dollywood; but you are behind a knoll, so you don't get all the traffic noise from the parkway. It has a pool and an indoor pool and hot tub for use during the cooler weather.

[michigansandzil]

We were in the Smokies this year for spring break. Had a great time. I wouldn't recommend pigeon forge at all. Town is a 6 lane road with 500 go cart tracks. No thanks.
We stayed at the yogi in Cosby. The park itself was fantastic but driving 20 minutes just to get to the park entrance everyday got old quick.
FWIW, we thought Cades Cove was a huge drive and not at all worth it. If you go to Clingmans dome, you can visit the north Carolina visitors center after and their buildings are just as good as the cove but you can walk it instead of drive. There is also mingus mill there across the street.