Attractions Guide
The Best Things to Do in Pigeon Forge & Gatlinburg (Beyond the Cabin)
November 12, 20266 min read
From go-kart tracks and mountain coasters to Dollywood and the spots only locals bother with - here's how to fill the days between hikes.
Hiking and cabin time are the whole point of a Smokies trip, but everyone needs a rain day or a change of pace. Here's how we'd spend it, grouped by what you're actually after.
Thrills for the kids
The Track
Home to Wild Woody, a three-story wooden go-kart and coaster hybrid, plus several kart tracks sorted by age and height so younger kids aren't stuck in the parking lot.
Adventure Raceway
An elevated wooden track with a three-story spiral, bumper boats, and karts that stay open into the evening.
Mountain coasters
Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg are covered in them: the Smoky Mountain Alpine Coaster and Rocky Top Mountain Coaster in Pigeon Forge, Ripley's Mountain Coaster and Moonshine Mountain Coaster in Gatlinburg, and SkyLand Ranch's coaster and canopy walks in Sevierville. Each one is a slightly different ride down the hillside.
The big-name attractions
Dollywood
160 acres of rides, shows, and the Wildwood Grove family area, plus the separate Splash Country water park next door - worth a full day on its own.
Anakeesta
A gondola ride up a Gatlinburg mountainside to six attractions under one ticket, including the Treetop Skywalk and AnaVista Tower.
The Island in Pigeon Forge
Free to walk around - 40-plus shops, bumper cars, an arcade, the Alcatraz East Crime Museum, and the 200-foot Great Smoky Mountain Wheel lit up after dark.
Only the locals bother with
Greenbrier
A quieter entrance to the national park about 6 miles from Gatlinburg, with swimming holes and trailheads (Porters Creek, Ramsey Cascades) that stay far less crowded than Cades Cove.
Wears Valley
The low-key valley between Pigeon Forge and Townsend - open farmland and mountain views without the Parkway traffic.
Metcalf Bottoms & Tremont
Peaceful, easy-to-reach picnic and wading spots inside the park that most first-time visitors drive right past.
Dollywood and Anakeesta both require tickets and shift their hours seasonally, so it's worth checking each park's own site before you build a day around one.
Home base for your Pigeon Forge days
Take Me To The River Cabin keeps you close enough to The Island and Dollywood for an easy drive, with a quiet riverbank to come back to afterward.
See Take Me To The River Cabin →More from the blog
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