Gatlinburg - Pigeon Forge and the Smoky Mountains Travel Guide

[Music] today we travel to tennessee as we explore what to do in the gatlinburg and pigeon forge area all in the beautiful backdrop of the smoky mountains has the negative waves gotten you worn down well maybe all you need is a trip to the part of the country full of adventure where people are friendly life is simple and the american flag flies proudly gatlinburg and pigeon forge are two separate areas with different types of adventures however they are compatible to provide something for everyone we are going to start in the mountain resort city of gatlinburg 39 miles southeast of knoxville a gateway to the smoky mountains a land of mountain coasters zip lines skyrides and museums we then travel seven miles up the little pigeon river to pigeon forge a land of dinner theaters vintage cars and amusement parks throughout the video we will take a few excursions on some bike hiking trails gatlinburg trail cades cove and twin creeks trail and of course every adventure to the smokies has to include some white water rafting so if you are the thrill-seeker looking for adventure or just want to relax and enjoy the view you will find it in gatlinburg and pigeon forge we are also going to offer you tips on pet friendly lodging food traveling and provide info on all the places of adventure well we have a lot to show you as you plan your smoky mountain vacation it's time to fill up the flux capacitor to take you away to journey back in time to a place that will inspire you refresh you as you move forward into the future so sit back relax and hold on for dear life as we explore gatlinburg pigeon forge and the smoky mountains we start our journey in gatlinburg which borders the smoky mountains national park while pigeon forge is more spread out gatlinburg is more condensed with most of the attractions being within walking distance about a mile and a half as a result traffic on the main strip parkway route 441 can be very very congested i mean it can take 30 to 40 minutes to just travel one mile as a result you may want lodging very close to parkway so that you can walk wherever you want to go we found this pet friendly super 8 on historic nature trail road it was great reasonable rates clean rooms you can park right next to your room which i love convenient and plenty of close grassy areas for pets being on this side of gatlinburg is great because and listen up a huge tip here there's a road around the mountain baskin creek bypass to cherokee orchard road that allows you to avoid the extremely congested parts of parkway will save you a lot of time there's other resorts too which we will show later in the video there is plenty of parking in downtown so if you want to stay in a cabin in the mountains you have plenty of areas to park it is just getting in and out of gatlinburg that can be crazy [Music] one of the iconic adventures of gatlinburg is a skylift park for 25 discounts for seniors juniors and military you can ride this skylift which includes unlimited rides for the whole day at the top you can walk across the sky bridge the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in the us well that is unless you're going there tonight just yesterday someone tried to do a baseball slide across the glass part of the bridge and crack the glass so at this moment temporarily closed but we'll be open back up very soon for another great view is the 400 foot arcadia space needle for 12.95 you can ride to the top discounts for seniors juniors and military viewfinders located at the top great place for watching the sunset at the basin arcade with over a hundred games in a large amusement center and a pizza bakery which brings me to my one complaint about gatlinburg not enough fast food places that stay open late some of the places close at nine which i think is pretty early when people are walking the streets till late restaurants can be packed so plan your eating in advance one great place we really like was bones barbecue joint it was pet friendly great food i recommend the chicken quesadilla good service i know our office manager liked the old red restaurant with live music another great place was inside the town center plaza the bigfoot philly cheesesteaks nice courtyard for eating okay enough about food let's go to one of gatlinburg's newest and most popular attractions anakista it can get pretty crowded therefore i recommend getting an express ticket it is the same price as a regular ticket 21.99 you just have to choose the time that you will visit and can only ride once while the regular ticket allows you to ride as much as you want throughout the day to me the express ticket was worth it while everyone waited in line we just pretty much walked right up you can ride an open chair lift or a six-person enclosed gondola [Music] at the top is firefly village with shops and eateries plenty of seating areas with great mountain views the dueling zipline ticket is 57 but with it you get a free express pass for the sky lift and entrance to the park you can zipline side by side with your friends rail runner the first of four mountain coasters we are going to show this is an additional 12.99 it seemed to be the shortest of all the mountain coasters that we rode the treetop skywalk is the longest tree based bridge in north america where you walk through a series of sky bridges suspended 50 to 60 feet in the air the vista gardens is a botanical walk through lush gardens filled with a variety of flowers plants and sculptures also opening next month in july of 2020 an observation tower the newly opened tree venture made up of three multi-connected my nets ropes hanging logs and platforms a winding slide hanging in stairs and lookout platform the memorial trail tells the story of the 2016 fire while gatlinburg's tourist district escaped heavy damage the surrounding region had damages totaling 500 million and sadly 14 lives lost [Music] our first excursion into the smokies is going to be on the gatlinburg trail it begins on the edge of town near the water treatment plant this trail is one of two trails where bikes and pets are allowed of course if you keep your dog in a backpack like me you can probably bring them on other trails as well this trail is relatively flat and runs for 1.9 miles along the west prong of the little pigeon river foundations and chimneys of several old home sites are visible along the trail it ends at the sugarlands visitor center where you can take a short hike to cataract falls [Music] we now head to the most popular trail of the gatlinburg area cades cove it is 24 miles from the sugarlands visitor center it takes a good 50 minutes to an hour but a nice scenic drive you can drive bike or go on an hour-long horseback ride at cades cove stables on wednesdays they restrict vehicle access for bikers only at times they have done the same for saturday mornings before 10 a.m which is what we thought it was on this morning but apparently they just changed that so check to make sure frankly it wasn't bad even with cars on the road in most of the areas the bikers are going faster than the cars anyways it is an 11 mile loop but there are shortcuts for 7 miles or four miles there are vintage buildings along the way kate's cove is one of the best places to see wildlife deer wild turkeys woodpeckers birds and black bears there is estimated to be one bear per square mile in the smokies and cades cove is one of the best areas to see them [Music] now back in downtown let's explore some museums on parkway ripley's believe it or not has eight unique attractions in gatlinburg which you can get combo passes that include multiple tickets [Music] there is the ripley's haunted adventure the biggest and most popular is the ripley's aquarium where you can see penguins touch a stingray see sea turtles or venture into a shark lagoon on a glass-bottom boat also part of ripley's is the old mac mini golf and davy crockett mini golf [Music] see some of the most famous cars used in movies at the hollywood star cars museum the fast and furious the batmobile the dukes of hazzard the terminator flintstones see a documentary on the creator of most of these cars smokey and the bandit beverly hillbillies andy griffith ghostbusters back to the future james dean and many more at riggin terrace mall is rugged ropes a high ropes adventure course climb three stories to face 38 challenges with rickety bridges suspended ropes and balancing obstacles a golf course laser tag and escape games next door while the kids are swinging around at rugged ropes you can shop eat and relax at the village next door with 27 unique shops in a european themed village across the street is a tennessee cider company where you can sample apple spice pineapple caramel apple blueberry or pumpkin spice cider take a tour or sample more adult beverages at the sugarlands distilling company located near the skylift park before we begin to make our way to pigeon forge wanted to show you the other main road in gatlinburg river road which runs along the cliff branch river the river terrace resort and conference center is located here walking distance to just about everything in gatlinburg and right on the river [Music] next to the river terrace is the edgewater resort and conference center with both an indoor and outdoor heated pool gosh i wish some of the conferences that we shoot would have their meetings here the mysterious mansion is located next door this is a pretty serious haunted house uber gatlinburg is a popular ski resort in winter and tubing waterslide in mountain coaster in summer with an aerial tramway that you can take year long it is a breathtaking 2.1 mile trip on the tram to the amusement park and ski area cost is 15 [Music] back on parkway it becomes u.s route 321 headed towards pigeon forge some final adventure places in gatlinburg the rowdy bear mountain coaster and glider for 29 you can get two rides on the mountain coaster and one ride on the glider first the mountain coaster and then we'll show you the glider [Music] [Music] now the glider the glider is a little more wild you have to hold on to the handlebars so i taped a gopro on my boot so that you can see how wild this ride is your body gets flung pretty good on this one [Music] moving further up route 321 is the popular hillbilly golf can't show you much because it's covered by trees but i hear it's one of the better mini golfs next door to hillbilly golf is the gatlinburg mountain coaster it is 16 for a single ride or thirty dollars for a one hour pass or fifty dollars for an all-day pass [Music] before we head to pigeon forge let's do some white water rafting in hartford a 40-minute drive northeast of gatlinburg for bigger rapids there is the upper pigeon river and to take it a little more easy do the lower pigeon river we are going to show you three options first rafting in the smokies where as well as rafting you can enjoy a rope challenge course zip line and rock climbing they are the yellow rafts [Music] big creek expeditions or you can combine your rafting with horseback riding cart racing and pigeon forge they are the blue rafts and big bear rafting where you can also rent inflatable kayaks they are the red rafts [Music] it is seven miles from gatlinburg to pigeon forge a scenic drive along the little pigeon river it can get pretty congested here depending on the day and time in regular accidents around here so plan accordingly [Music] the dome ziplines on the mountainside as you first enter pigeon forge dolly parton stampede serves a southern four course meal followed by a show featuring music comedy live animals and pyrotechnics always gets great reviews [Music] the hatfield and mccoy interfere provide singing dancing mighty feats of strength jaw-dropping stunts comedy with all-you-can-eat fried chicken and pulled pork barbecue corn on the cob coleslaw ma's homemade bread and granny's specialty dessert enjoy an authentic mountain experience at the old mill district fill your kitchen with appalachian flavor or mountain pottery and crafts free wine tastings at the millbridge winery take a walk along the west prong of the little pigeon river the oil water wheel of an 1830 gristmill smoky mountain dining with a riverside view at the old mill restaurant [Music] pigeon forge is home to several car shows most from august to october with the huge ones in september but you regularly see classic cars around pigeon forge throughout the year [Music] deals to be made you're looking for a 46 chevy asking 32.5 or how about a 51.4 coin 427.5 [Music] pigeon forge has several go-kart track amusement centers fast tracks has three different tracks an elevated three-story track a pro track and a junior track as well as a skyscraper where riders spin at 60 miles per hour pulling four g's the laser port fun center with go-karts climbing a 50-foot spiral tower mini golf laser tag an arcade and an ice cream parlor the track family fun park with blaster boats bumper cars [Music] magiquest where you use virtual magic wands to solve puzzles as you walk through a high-tech fantasy game also a 18-hole interactive black light mini golf set in a caribbean village speed zone fun park with four unique tracks a slick track coaster track tennessee twister and kids track [Music] we travel back up old mill road towards dollywood we pass by the tennessee shine company distillery where you can take a tour to see how moonshine is made the rocky top mountain coaster is the longest mountain coaster in eastern tennessee it lasts over nine minutes much longer than the other coasters we rode and there are scenic props tunnels as it travels over 20 acres of property it's so long that it will stop briefly a couple of times throughout the ride to charge just for a couple of seconds definitely one of the better mountain coaster rides [Music] dollywood is the biggest amusement park in pigeon forge is dollywood splash country a 35-acre water park adjacent to the theme park the water park is open may through september the amusement park is open year-round with more than 40 rides high energy entertainment a definite must do for any visit to pigeon forge strengthen your mountain survival skills at the paula dean's lumberjack viewed adventure park and show it has a zipline coaster a ropes course two unique 80-foot free-fall jumps you can compete in a log roll boom run a speed climb the show is 90 minutes long with discounted dinner options at lumberjack square while many choose to stay in a cabin in this part of the country if you are looking for a good pet-friendly hotel in pigeon forge this laquita inn and super 8 are great choices while we did not stay here because we wanted to be in gatlinburg we did check the reviews out of both these hotels and both have really great reviews reasonable rates and they are in a great spot because you have about six fast food places within two-tenths of a mile very convenient there is also a good koa in pigeon forge even if you are not in an rv this koa has cabins to rent check out this playground one of the biggest playgrounds i have seen at a koa the kids will love it also a unique place for lodging is the highly reviewed the in that christmas place with bavarian architecture lushly landscaped gardens it has the old world charm oh hey matey see the most famous pirate blackbeard and his quartermaster calico jack as they battle on land on deck and in the water at the pirates voyage and dinner show eat a four-course feast amidst beautiful mermaids and tropical birds in a hideaway lagoon behind the pirates voyage theater is the island in pigeon forge with a great smoky mountain wheel you can also experience a rope course they have ride makers where you can customize your own remote control car there's a 7d adventure laser tag the spinning parrot coaster bumper cars shooting gallery and a colorful water fountain show every 30 minutes choreographed to music also part of the island is the alcatraz east crime museum with 20 exhibit areas showing the history of american crime consequences of crime good to teach your children csi forensic science next to east alcatraz is the comedy barn over two hours of clean side splitting jokes hilarious antics and family fun across the street is the jungle jurassic boat ride where you can see flying dinosaurs and sea monsters take a picture with your favorite celebrities in film television and music at the hollywood wax museum part of the wax museum is the castle of chaos an action-packed 5d adventure where you will feel like you are flying racing crashing you will also compete in laser competitions next to the hatfield and mccoy dinner theater is the titanic museum where you can learn more about that fateful voyage of the ss titanic learn about the civil war in entertaining fashion at the button willow civil war theater [Music] so while you might be coming to gatlinburg and pigeon forge for recreation for an escape you also might end up re-learning some valuable life lessons reconnecting with nature in the smoky mountains learning to laugh again at the shows in pigeon forge or just walk in the friendly streets in gatlinburg you see no matter what color your skin is what your political beliefs are we all have so much more in common than differences we have i'm sure you will find refreshment in the smoky mountain air of gatlinburg and pigeon forge we have listed links and addresses in the description below to help you plan your smoky mountain vacation we are tampa aerial media we shoot travel promos across the usa for licensing or stock footage contact us at info tampa aerial media dot com thank you for watching [Applause] you

Channel: TampaAerialMedia

Views: 1,375,877

Rating: 4.8975954 out of 5

Keywords: Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, Mountain Coasters, Rafting, Travel Gatlinburg, Travel Pigeon Forge, Visit Gatlinburg, Visit Pigeon Forge, What to do in Gatlinburg, What to do in Pigeon Forge, The Island in Pigeon Forge, Rafting in the Smokies, Bike Trails in Smoky Mountains, smoky mountains travel guide, gatlinburg tennessee, tennessee, pigeon forge, Anakeesta

Id: oYz8FEkEfS4

Length: 25min 23sec (1523 seconds)

Published: Sun Jun 21 2020