Gatlinburg’s original name was  White Oak Flats.  Gatlinburg was settled in the mid 1800s by Martha
Jane Huskey Ogle.  The widow traveled from North Carolina with her seven children and built a cabin
that can still be seen on the Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts’ campus right in downtown Gatlinburg,
Tennessee.  The town took its late name from Radford Gatlin, a part-time Baptist preacher who arrived
in 1854 and worked as the tiny town’s post master.  He was able to have the name changed to
Gatlinburg, but soon departed after a feud with the Ogle family, Gatlinburg’s largest clan at the time.

Today Gatlinburg is a  picturesque town that is the gateway to the  Great Smoky  Mountain National
Park. Your family will enjoy a wide choice of accommodations and plenty of day and nighttime
activities. Up in the mountains above  Gatlinburg there’s adventure, inspiration, romance and memories
to last a lifetime.

Pigeon Forge

Officially incorporated in 1960, Pigeon Forge derives its name from two sources, the flocks of passenger pigeons that stopped along the river while on migratory flights and an iron works established by Isaac Love in 1820.  Pigeon Forge’s primary land mark, the Old Mill, was built in 1830 by William Love and continues to grind corn to this day.  With support from the county’s most famous daughter, country music singer Dolly Parton, Pigeon Forge has grown into a dynamic tourism center.  Everywhere you turn you’ll find something fun to do in Pigeon Forge – from the attraction lined Parkway to the outlet malls to the  live music – all in the shadow of the beautiful Great Smoky Mountains.

Sevierville

Originally known as Forks-of-Little-Pigeon, Sevierville began as a 29 acre farm tract.  The town took its name from famous pioneer and Tennessee’s first governor John Sevier and in 1795, Sevierville was named county seat.  101 years later, its graceful courthouse was completed at a cost of $21 ,697 and is still one of the county’s most easily recognized architectural structures.  The original Seth Thomas clock continues to ring out the time on the half hour. Sevierville has become the gateway to more than 650 miles of trails and breathtaking scenery in the Smoky Mountains.  Sevierville has become one of the fastest growing entertainment showplaces in the Southeast, not to mention our shopping opportunities and our attractions and sports.  Sevierville boasts that they are
“Where Smoky Mountain Fun Begins!”

Wears Valley

Located in the valley between Pigeon Forge and Townsend lies Wears Valley.  Certainly a drive not to be missed by any traveler to our area.  Not well known by visitors until recent years, this drive offers some of the best scenery the area has to offer.  Homesteads and farmland abound with unique shops and lodging opportunities.  Wears Valley offers a quieter view of the Smokies.  With Mt. LeConte in the distance and farmland all around you can stop in the various shops and relax as you uncover some of the area’s greatest crafts and food.   Part of the journey from Pigeon Forge to Cades Cove, Wears Valley is worth the visit.

Townsend
Long known as the “peaceful side of the Smokies,” Townsend offers an alternate route to Cades Cove and the rest of the park. The little town gets its named from Col. Wilson B. Townsend, a turn of the century logging baron.

After purchasing over 80,000 acres of prime forest, Townsend set up a saw mill and shipping depot in Townsend. Today, Townsend is a quiet riverside hamlet and attracts visitors who want to enjoy the Smokies away from the other towns’ traffic and lights. Some visitors may recognize it as the setting for “Christy,” the popular CBS period drama about a young pioneer school teacher. With Cades Cove in the back yard, Townsend is a must journey for any trip to the Smokies. Tubing and picnicking are among favorite activities to share.

If you’re wondering about what you can find for kid-friendly fun ideas in the Smokies, we’ll get you started with 5 recommendations right here:

1. The Island in Pigeon Forge
The Island in Pigeon Forge is a great start for fun ideas that little kids can enjoy without totally emptying the wallet. This attraction is centrally located in Pigeon Forge, easy to get in and out of, and features attractions that are paid for individually as opposed to one large ticket per person, and combines shops, rides and atmosphere items that kids will indeed get a kick out of. Rides include “Funny Cars”, “Lil’ Ribbits”, “Sky Tykes”, “Spinning Parrots Coaster”, “The Flying Horse Carousel”, and the “Twist ‘N’ Shout”. Atmosphere items that kids can look forward to include exotic birds from Parrot Mountain, “Miner’s Gems” gem mining, and a synchronized water fountain show at the Island fountain.

See more on The Island at https://islandinpigeonforge.com/.

2. Cades Cove Loop
On a completely different side of the mountain, metaphorically and literally, is the crown jewel of historical and nature attractions in the Smoky Mountains with Cades Cove in nearby Townsend, TN. To describe Cades Cove and all that can be done there would take more space than we need in this article, what we recommend for families with younger children is to do the driving loop where the kids can see sights and wildlife like deer, turkeys, black bears and others from the safety of being inside the vehicle. Cades Cove is FREE as well and generally takes about 2-4 hours to complete the loop. A great way to start a family outing day!

See more on Cades Cove at http://www.cadescove.net.

3. Kid’s Country at The Track
Before The Island and many of the other smaller family fun parks came in on the Pigeon Forge parkway, The Track in the downtown Pigeon Forge had been the de facto place to bring small kids some rides and family entertainment appropriate for them. Well, the Track is still a big hit with kids today if always seeing dozens of families enjoying it every time you drive by is any indication. The Track features Kid’s Country where small children can enjoy a carousel, “Kiddie Karts”, “Red Baron Airplane”, mini Ferris Wheel, mini train (this one seems to be particularly popular), “spin tops”, “Jungle Jumper” and more. If you have older kids in tow as you entertain the younger ones, they’ll find plenty to do at The Track as well with more size-appropriate rides and thrills. Cost is a number of tickets per person per ride, but the park does not require an overall pass per person to enter.

See more on The Track at https://funatthetrack.com/pages/pigeon-forge-location.

4. Hollywood Star Cars Museum
Potentially the smallest impacting attraction on this list, but it’s hard to deny that small kids really like two things: cool cars and things they saw in movies or TV coming to life. Hollywood Star Cars Museum combines those things in one concise but memorable museum experience where kids and adults get to see The Batmobile, another Batmobile, S.H.I.E.L.D. Hummer H3T from The Avengers, Herbie The Love Bug, The Munsters Drag-U-La, General Lee from Dukes of Hazzard, the 1981 DeLorean from Back To The Future, Bumblebee from Transformers and even the Flintstone-Mobile from the 1994 Live-Action Flintstones movie.

See more on the Hollywood Star Cars Museum at http://www.starcarstn.com/.

5. City Parks
Naturally, the city parks of a vacation destination are often the perfect combination of fun for little kids and affordability and Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg and Sevierville all feature excellent and excellently maintained municipal parks that are reasonably easy to get to. 6 parks are spread out across Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg and Sevierville and most will feature any combination of playground equipment, sports fields, tennis courts, basketball courts, creeks you can fish from, picnic tables, pavilions, feeding stations for ducks and geese, accessibility from city trolleys and much more.

See more on the city parks of Sevier County at https://smokymountainwelcomeguide.com/free-area-parks/.

The Smokies’ Number One Attraction

Come to the Smokies and rent a Jeep Wrangler! Get you rolling in a Luxury 4-Door Jeep Wrangler to see the Smokies in style.
Choose from these incredible luxury jeeps:
Red 2018

White 2018

Granite 2016

Black 2020 Moto- Beasta

Black Moto-Beasta 2017

Black 2018

Silverback 2016

When it’s gear you need, we’ve got that too!  Find the Smoky Mountain Jeep Outfitters on Walden’s Creek Road in Sevierville, just off Wears Valley Road and see all the cool items we have to cure your need for Jeep Gear.   When you stop to rent your Jeep you will have the opportunity to check out all the swag too!   While we are all at home you can check us out online and enjoy FREE Shipping until we can meet again face to face!  Order Jeep Hats, Jeep Shirts, Jeep Gear, Jeep Decals and more when you shop at Smoky Mountain Jeep Outfitters.

Shop with us when you visit the Smoky Mountains.  People often find often Jeep Gifts for the Jeep lovers in their lives back home.  Create memories with souvenirs from your awesome Jeep Rental experience.

When deciding on a vacation rental in Pigeon Forge we hope you find our cabins to be luxury rentals at awesome prices.  Use our many specials to receive the best rates possible at the time of your vacation reservation. See why people choose Summit Cabin Rentals and Smoky Mountain Jeep Rentals.

Once you get inside, an awe will come over you as you see exactly why The Island is so popular – incredible sights and stores fill the property alongside restaurants, attractions, and pretty much everything you’d need if you and your group wanted to stay the afternoon.

Here’s a quick look at what you can find at The Island:

* Stores
– Ole Smoky Moonshine
– The Paula Deen Store
– Margaritaville Store
– The Beef Jerky Outlet
– Build-a-Bear Workshop
– Cosmic Pen
– Earthbound
– Doc’s Magic Shop
– Island Tiki General Store
– The Sneaky Squirrel
– Kryptonite Character Store
– Pepper Palace
– The Toychest Company
– Thomas Kinkade

* Places to Eat
– Paula Deen’s Kitchen
– Margaritaville
– Mellow Mushroom
– Timberwood Grill
– Dick’s Last Resort
– Poynor’s Pommes Frites
– Cinnabon/Auntie Anne’s

* Activites and Attractions
– The Island Fountain
– The Great Smoky Mountain Wheel
– The Island Ropes Course
– Island Mirror Maze
– 7D Dark Ride Adventure
– The Escape Game
– Thunderdome
– The Flying Horse Carousel

And more for each of those categories!

Visit The Island in Pigeon Forge at https://islandinpigeonforge.com/.

Rowdy Bear Ridge Adventure Park located at 2155 Parkway Pigeon Forge, TN beside the Local Goat Restaurant and diagonal from The Titanic Museum is home to 2 of Pigeon Forge’s most exciting rides! Zip down our 500+ foot, year-round tubing hill or be a part of North America’s first Alpine Flyer and laser gun coaster! Purchase your tickets online to reserve your spot with Pigeon Forge’s most thrilling rides!

* Outdoor Tubing Hill *
Rowdy Bear Ridge is home to Tennessee’s First, Fastest, and Longest Year-Round Outdoor Tubing Hill. This Tubing Hill is over 500 feet in length with a 70-foot drop and reaches speeds over 35mph. Guests can tube single or connect up to three tubes for an amazing adventurous experience.Once you’re at the top of Rowdy Bear Ridge- take a moment to take in the beautiful views of Pigeon Forge and the Great Smoky Mountains. Guests can choose any color tube they like and make their way to the magic carpet conveyor. This conveyor takes Rowdy guests to the top of the Ridge- so no hiking is involved. This tubing hill is not a water ride, it is a year-round product that is brilliant blue in color. No worries, you’re always dressed appropriately to ride.

This attraction operates in the day and at night, as our tubing hill is brilliantly lit with chasing LED lights. This attraction is perfect for families, friends, reunions, birthday celebrations, church and youth groups of all sizes!! Guests can choose from 1/2 hour or 1-hour wristbands for a ROWDY great time! Book your tickets now to reserve your spot.

* Laser Gun Coaster *
Rowdy Bear Ridge is home to North America’s First Alpine Flyer. This is a 2 seater suspended Coaster that swings, dips, and soars through the Ridge of Rowdy Bear. This coaster is suitable for riders 40” tall and up. Coaster operates day and night and can be combined with our incredible Tubing Hill by purchasing a combo ticket.

Visit their official website at https://www.rowdybearmountain.com/pigeon-forge/.