Family vacation in Gatlinburg / Pigeon Forge area - what to see and do?

We're looking at going in with my sister and her family on a house in the Gatlinburg / Pigeon Forge area for the last week of October.  It's a total of 4 couples (my niece and nephew are both married) and DDs #1 and #2.  We're between the ages of 22 and 62.

It sounds nice but I'm not sure what is around there.  We're not athletes or hikers, though a day in a national park would be nice.  We get along pretty well as a group but I would like to have a few day trips planned.  Any pointers will be appreciated!

Dollywood is the big deal in that part of the country.  My sister and her daughter went there last fall and enjoyed it, but it will depend if that's your kind of thing.

This guide lists some other stuff, interestingly they mention several go kart tracks:  https://www.visitmysmokies.com/blog/pigeon-forge/attractions-pigeon-forge/things-to-do-in-pigeon-forge-gatlinburg-first-time-visitors/

I like hiking and the outdoors, and that area is the most awful tourist trap I have seen anywhere in the country.  Go-cart tracks, attractions, theme restaurants, moonshine tastings, crowds of people.  Pigeon Forge and much of Gatlinberg is basically a carnival midway.  If you like that kind of thing, you will have a good time.  I generally do not like that crap and was there for the National Park, so I found it irritating.  The park is very nice with some tough day hikes and great scenary.  Okay, I admit I had fun at the moonshine tasting places.  Yes, plural... 

For a day trip, I recomend taking the road through the park from Gatlinberg to Cades Cove.  You can stop and hike or view waterfalls, historic building (Cades Cove) and such, or not.  It is a nice scenic drive even if you don't stop anywhere.  The drive up to Newfound Gap and Clingman's Dome is nice too, plus you get the epic views up there.  Actually, if I were to choose just one, I'd go up to Newfound Gap at least.

We're not averse to some tourist-trappy stuff, but I'd also like to spend some time in the national park.  Light hiking wouldn't be bad but given the average age and condition of our group it's going to be measured in decimal miles, not double digits.

Dollywood will hold some attraction for some of us but not others.  Sightseeing via the Space Needle or a lookout tramway could be cool, too.

What will the weather be like around that time of year?  Any fall color left?

Thanks!

You'll be at the very tail end of the colors if you're lucky.  Too early for any chance of snow on the mountains though.  Gatlinburg is like the tourist traps that occur around popular destinations like ski resorts and national parks.  Small town, terrible driving on the (really two lanes with parked cars either side of the road)main drag.  The arts community just outside of town is pretty neat if you like that artsy crafty stuff.  

Pigeon Forge is like the main drag through any Florida tourist trap.   Eight lanes of traffic with a painfully low speed limit and go-kart tracks and t-shirt stores every fifty feet.  You can get a funnel cake and a speeding ticket at any hour of the day or night.  

The bad out of the way, the mountains themselves are great.   Clingman's Dome is a must see, and the Foothills Parkway is a beautiful scenic drive, and ultimately connects to Hwy 129 ( Tail of the Dragon  )if you need to make any of your passengers carsick...

Verify twice that there are absolutely zero car shows, rod runs, or other event happening that weekend. Traffic is absolute hell if anything is going on. I'll never visit during any sort of event again, and that was with me being PAID to attend a car show there.

Get up early and drive to Clingman's dome.  It's a great drive (which you will love) and the scenery is incredible, which everyone else should appreciate.  If you arrive after about 10a.m., there may not be parking available. 

As for other advice, try to figure out "back ways" to pretty much everything.  Traffic is terrible along the Severville/Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg corrador.

Pigeon Forge is only an hour and a half drive from the Tail Of The Dragon. If you go there on a random weekday or when there isn't an event going on, it's really not that congested or frustrating to drive.

Took a family vacation there for the first time this summer and can vouch for much of what was said already. We were traveling with five kids, so we didn't do any hiking or any drinking.

Pigeon Forge is a tacky tourist trap, but the Old Mill is a nice family style restaurant and my kids enjoyed hanging in the park and wading in the river that runs right along the main strip. We skipped Dollywood but that seemed to be the big 'must do' in town.

Downtown Gatlinburg is nicer and small enough to see on foot. We didn't try the alpine coasters that dot the hillsides but they looked like fun. The overlook from the Gatlinburg Bypass just west of town is a quick and easy photo spot.

What we did do is a lot of sightseeing by car, and the area is perfect for it. Kazoo is not joking about Clingman's dome--you will not get within half a mile of the parking lot unless you get there early.  The whole drive up through the mountains is great, with lots of pull off points, and the views are still good at nearby Newfound Gap if you have to skip Clingman's.

Driving the Cades Cove loop is a must-do. It's a slow, paved cruise around a idyllic valley nestled between two mountain ridges. Despite what my GPS said there's only a single entrance, at the north end--knowing that would have saved some time.

South west of Pigeon Forge is the Foothills Parkway, a fantastic road along ridge peaks that feels like a bridge in the sky. The top section (N of hwy 321) is new and well worth the drive.

The Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail was crowded and a snooze, skip it.

Floyd Garrett's Musclecar Museum is nearby, if you like 1960s muscle cars.  https://musclecarmuseum.com/

I’ve never been but my aunt and uncle love going and we often have similar tastes so I assume there’s plenty of tacky touristy things to do.  This morning I got a message on Facebook that Ben Jones opened another branch of his Dukes of Hazzard museum there which probably confirms its tackiness and that I’d enjoy it.

If there internet were a physical place, Pigeon Forge and Gatlingburg would be those websites that have zero original content, popups on top of popups and the borders are saturated with ads about penis enlargment, attractive single women in YOUR area that want to meet for casual sex NOW, and tons of clickbait articles like 'save $800 on your car insurance with this one simple trick! [pic of attractive female]' or 'you won't believe what this childhood celebrity looks like now!'

Basically, the whole thing is a tourist trap.  Spend as much time in the park as possible, or in a cabin away from the mess that is either of those towns.

Years ago my wife and I stayed in a cabin near the Smokey Mountain park on the Pigeon Forge side. 

She is a late sleeper.  I am not.  I had a CRX Si.  So every morning I got up around 7:am and drove the road through and around the park with no traffic.   Not Tail of the Dragon but plenty of curves to keep me amused. 

Defiantly plan to spend several hours at Cade's Cove, the road there from the Gatlinburg side is amazing - And get there early because that road becomes bumper to bumper in the afternoon.  Fortunately the time we got stuck in slow traffic a bear was playing in a tree, deer were walking around, plus various other wildlife.  Then visit the mill for a talk on history of the area.

Go up to Clingman's Dome, again do it earlier in the day.  Walk the trail up to the top (no road, just a paved path).  If its clear you can see for 20 or 30 miles.  IF not then its a fog with zero visibility.

Cherokee Village is a tourist trap except for the tour of the reproduction of an original village narrated by a real Cherokee.  

If you like tourist traps there are plenty to choose from.   If you like day trips to scenic places there are plenty of those as well.   

EVERY store has a gimmick to sell something "unusual".   Even the ones that just look like an old fashioned roadside "stop and go".

(not) WilD (Matt) said:

I like hiking and the outdoors, and that area is the most awful tourist trap I have seen anywhere in the country.  Go-cart tracks, attractions, theme restaurants, moonshine tastings, crowds of people.  Pigeon Forge and much of Gatlinberg is basically a carnival midway. 

Can attest to that. Haven’t been there since we stopped during this probably ill-advised family trip--https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/trips-adventures-and-get-togethers/a-3400-mile-trip-in-a-47-year-old-car/65564/--but this is the type of stuff we found in Pigeon Forge.

I can add something I've actually done! (Obligatory Holy-Moly what a tourist-trap.)

And now for something totally different, go to Outdoor Gravity Park! They have Zorbs! And it's the most fun I've ever had with my clothes on!

I didn't have anyone to go with me, but I can only image the one where two people go in the same Zorb would just about be the funniest damn thing ever.

I live about four hours away, so I've been there a ton. As a kid, as an adult, as a parent.

The only thing I can add that I haven't seen here is Dolly's Stampede. It's a dinner show, and they feed you WELL. I don't know if your group is big enough to count for a group discount, but they do offer that. It's horse stunts and a competition between the "North" and "South" and it's a good way to see something entertaining, and take care of dinner.

But yeah, I can echo everything that's been said above. Traffic is terrible, shops and go karts and mini golf everywhere.

If you're staying in Pigeon Forge, park just outside Gatlinburg and ride the trolley. It's stupid cheap, runs all day and is way better than trying to find parking.

Clingman's Dome is great, but the walk is steep and if you're not halfway fit (or a smoker like my ex) You. Will. Not. Enjoy. It. You'll feel too much like dying to enjoy the view.

(not) WilD (Matt) said:

I like hiking and the outdoors, and that area is the most awful tourist trap I have seen anywhere in the country.  Go-cart tracks, attractions, theme restaurants, moonshine tastings, crowds of people.  Pigeon Forge and much of Gatlinberg is basically a carnival midway.  If you like that kind of thing, you will have a good time.  I generally do not like that crap and was there for the National Park, so I found it irritating.  The park is very nice with some tough day hikes and great scenary.  Okay, I admit I had fun at the moonshine tasting places.  Yes, plural... 

For a day trip, I recomend taking the road through the park from Gatlinberg to Cades Cove.  You can stop and hike or view waterfalls, historic building (Cades Cove) and such, or not.  It is a nice scenic drive even if you don't stop anywhere.  The drive up to Newfound Gap and Clingman's Dome is nice too, plus you get the epic views up there.  Actually, if I were to choose just one, I'd go up to Newfound Gap at least.

Nailed it. It rivals Kissimmee Florida on the tourist trap scale. 

The scenery around the area is amazing, amazing driving roads if you have a vehicle you wont cook the brakes in about 5 seconds,

I got engaged in the smoky mountains and on the way out of town we did a helicopter tour which was pretty cool to see that area from the air.  Might be a cool idea for you and SWMBO.

BoostedBrandon said:

Clingman's Dome is great, but the walk is steep and if you're not halfway fit (or a smoker like my ex) You. Will. Not. Enjoy. It. You'll feel too much like dying to enjoy the view.

 

My wife and I did the Clingman's Dome trek when we were young and very fit.  We practically ran up the trail.    People were openly cursing us.   

5 years later, after our first child was born, we went back, child in stroller,  up the trail.   Not as much fun as the first time.