Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge - too busy in August?

[100AcreWood]

I know this topic has been beat to death but I have more questions about Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge after searching past threads .

We're planning a trip in August and I keep reading that Gatlingburg/Pigeon Forge is very crowded in the summer as in bumper to bumper traffic. Is that accurate?

Also, there seems to be a lot of debate on where to stay in that area. We would be doing mostly the touristy attractions. Any suggestions on the area to narrow my search for cabins? I don't need a room with a view.

Thanks in advance!

 

[ceecee]

Bearskin Lodge is a hotel that is nice. I have heard with the cabins to get one that is "locally owned" we had a bad experience and have not done a cabin since. If you stay somewhere and can walk around Gatlinburg it is much easier. There can be a long wait thru Pigeon Forge but depending on where your going you could avoid that entire area.

 

[chicagoshannon]

We went mid September last year and it was pretty busy then. It must be really bad in the summer.

We stayed at the Wyndham Smoky Mountains. It was really nice. It was not walking distance to Gatlinburg so we had to pay to park.

 

[Mouse Ear]

Honestly, there isn't a lot of times during the year that traffic isn't bad in the area. Gatlinburg is bumper-to-bumper all year. It's a narrow 4-lane with tons of brave pedestrians everywhere. Pigeon Forge takes some time to get through, but it's much less stressful. I'd take a few minutes and study a map to familiarize yourself with Veterans Blvd. in Pigeon Forge. It runs more-or-less parallel to the Parkway where most of the tourist stuff is located. You can shave off a lot of time if there is a side-road near the attraction you want to visit. Plus, Dollywood is right off Veterans.

I'm not much for knowing a lot about the cabins - I was a local to this area for a lot of my life, so I haven't stayed there too often. I have some friends who love the Dollywood Cabins, though.

And if you're at all interested, don't miss the National Park. It's fantastic.

Have a good trip!

 

[maxaroni]

We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn - Gatlintburg. We did go in September but it was still crowded. We thought the Hilton garden Inn was wonderfully located as it was what they say "1 block" off "the strip". It was easily accessible to all the Gatilinburg attractions and basically at the base of the Smokey Mountains. So we could walk all through Gatlinburg and head out via car with much less traffic to head to the mountains. We would walk for breakfast and dinner....great location.

 

[100AcreWood]

Honestly, there isn't a lot of times during the year that traffic isn't bad in the area. Gatlinburg is bumper-to-bumper all year. It's a narrow 4-lane with tons of brave pedestrians everywhere. Pigeon Forge takes some time to get through, but it's much less stressful. I'd take a few minutes and study a map to familiarize yourself with Veterans Blvd. in Pigeon Forge. It runs more-or-less parallel to the Parkway where most of the tourist stuff is located. You can shave off a lot of time if there is a side-road near the attraction you want to visit. Plus, Dollywood is right off Veterans.

I'm not much for knowing a lot about the cabins - I was a local to this area for a lot of my life, so I haven't stayed there too often. I have some friends who love the Dollywood Cabins, though.

And if you're at all interested, don't miss the National Park. It's fantastic.

Have a good trip!

I definitely want to visit the National Park! Any tips?

Thanks! You guys have been awesome!

 

[ceecee]

Don't miss the Cade's Cove Loop, I think we got a map at our hotel the first time and there are shops at one end. Very scenic!!!

 

[Mouse Ear]

Do I ever!

I'll start with some of the less strenuous hikes. Clingman's Dome is the tallest point in the park and you can see all the towns way out in the distance from the observation tower. It's breathtaking. There's a parking lot and it's a steep half mile hike to the tower, but it's absolutely incredible on a clear day. There's also Cade's Cove, which is a pretty nice driving route around a small town in the Smokies. There are countless pull-offs at old churches, cemeteries, homes, old businesses, and things like that. There are also lots of hiking trails along this route. Abram's Falls is accessed at a trailhead on this loop, which is a popular (ie, crowded) trip down to a waterfall deep in the woods. It's a nice hike, lots of people love it, but it's not my favorite.

Mt. LeConte is one of the cooler areas in the park. My favorite hike (also crowded) is the Alum Bluff Cave Trail. It has very cool geologic formations, and some beautiful views. I suggest going all the way to the LeConte Lodge, there are some awesome vistas along the way. Some of the other popular hikes I like are Charlie's Bunion, the Chimney Tops, Ramsey Cascades, and Porter's Creek (I've encountered a bear on this trail late in the summer before). Really, I've never had a bad hike in the Smokies.

 

[Bell30012]

Don't miss the Cade's Cove Loop, I think we got a map at our hotel the first time and there are shops at one end. Very scenic!!!

When my daughter was four, we went to Cades Cove on the way back from Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge/Sevierville. It was starting to get dark, and she was looking for light switches.

 

[100AcreWood]

Thanks again for all of the advice! I


'm debating between a cabin in Sterling Forest Resort through Patriot Getaways and a cabin in Sherwood Forest through Wyndham. Decisions, decisions!

 

[3boymthr]

We went the end of August (around 23rd) and the traffic was not bad at all. Back up at the lights for one possibly two cycles on the main drags but otherwise definitely not bumper to bumper. So I think traffic really depends upon where you are in the back to school cycle.

 

[dreiwhit]

We've gone to Gatlinburg / Pigeon Forge / Sevierville A LOT over the past 17 years - probably 20+ times at different times of the year.

The traffic can be bad in early August on US-331, US-441 and Whitfield-Dunn parkway, but there are back roads that most people don't take where you can avoid the traffic. If you want to know them, let me know. In Gatlinburg, the best road to bypass the strip is River Road. It will take you from Ripley's Aquarium to the end of the strip.

It is really hot in August down in the cities, but much cooler up in the Smokeys.

Traffic can be bad coming in on the main road from Sevierville on Friday and Saturdays every week as everyone is coming in on those days. We take US-331 through Lenior City/Maryville/Townsend/Wears Valley to come in to Pigeon Forge.

The time that we like to go the best is the last week of February or the 1st week of March. Traffic is a lot less, although some shops and Clingsman's Dome isn't open then. The weather also is very plesant during the day and cool at night.

I like to take the Clingsman's Dome hike, as well as the hike to Laurel Falls. There is a picnic area at the Chimneys next to the river - my son and I go rock hopping each time we go there. The trip to Cade's Cove is nice, but be warned that there may be a lot of stop and go traffic as people stop in the middle of the road to look at something that catches their eye.

 

[HatboxHaint]

We were in Gatlinburg 2 or 3 days after this past xmas. The line for the tram up to Ober Gatlinburg was 2-3hrs just to get on.

 

[HatboxHaint]

We also struggled to find things to do with 4 little ones. We wanted to do some of the alpine slides, like Goats on the Roof, but an adult had to ride with each child and children could not wait by themselves, so basically we would have had to wait in the 30 min line 4 times! Where is Rider Swap when you need it! Dollywood was fun but since most of our kids are under 48" they were severly limited on what coasters they could ride. They only have 1 family coaster and only a handful of rides that aren't just carnival type rides that families can enjoy together.

 

[100AcreWood]

Thanks for all of the tips! We're spending 3 nights in Pigeon Forge since it's a our first visit. We don't want to commit to a week just in case it isn't for us.

Monday - Biltmore House in Asheville
Tuesday - Smokey Mountains / Clingsman Dome / 3pm Entry into Dollywood (probably later than 3pm)
Wednesday - Dollywood
Thursday - Titanic Museum, Maybe tubing, Walking around the Island

I'm still debating the cabin thing. Now I'm looking at a cabin VRBO in Hidden Springs Resort. The cabin search is overwhelming. 3 nights the 5 of us seem to run around $800 if I want enough beds. No deals in the summer .

 

[100AcreWood]

We've gone to Gatlinburg / Pigeon Forge / Sevierville A LOT over the past 17 years - probably 20+ times at different times of the year.

The traffic can be bad in early August on US-331, US-441 and Whitfield-Dunn parkway, but there are back roads that most people don't take where you can avoid the traffic. If you want to know them, let me know. In Gatlinburg, the best road to bypass the strip is River Road. It will take you from Ripley's Aquarium to the end of the strip.

It is really hot in August down in the cities, but much cooler up in the Smokeys.

Traffic can be bad coming in on the main road from Sevierville on Friday and Saturdays every week as everyone is coming in on those days. We take US-331 through Lenior City/Maryville/Townsend/Wears Valley to come in to Pigeon Forge.

The time that we like to go the best is the last week of February or the 1st week of March. Traffic is a lot less, although some shops and Clingsman's Dome isn't open then. The weather also is very plesant during the day and cool at night.

I like to take the Clingsman's Dome hike, as well as the hike to Laurel Falls. There is a picnic area at the Chimneys next to the river - my son and I go rock hopping each time we go there. The trip to Cade's Cove is nice, but be warned that there may be a lot of stop and go traffic as people stop in the middle of the road to look at something that catches their eye.

I'll definitely take suggestions for backroads! I hate sitting in traffic. Thank you!

 

[powellrj]

Check and see if a season pass to Dollywood will save you any money. We got one and saved enough on parking and meals to pay for it.

We stayed at a condo in the mountains the last trip we made and loved it. I don't remember what it was called, but it was nice. We didn't use it, but many people will park and take the trolley, so that is something to look into.

 

[Disneyliscious]

Glad to see this thread. We also are going to Gatlinburg in late August and I was wondering about these same things.

To the OP, I have spent the past month searching for a cabin. They are a lot more expensive than what Im use to getting in Orlando (but there is so much competition in Orlando). I finally found a 4BR for $200 per night (all inclusive) and I dealt with the owners (they have very high reviews and own multiple homes). To get a home in the Smokies that has a private pool, you're looking at $400+ per night. Whew! Think we'll pass on that. Its just that not many homes up there have their own pools I reckon (weather extremes and stuff. I live in TN and we fluctuate a LOT in temps).

Is there a benefit to entering Dollywood after 3pm? I looked into going there but it really wasn't worth it for our group since we are only staying 2 nights.

 

[Mouse Ear]

Glad to see this thread. We also are going to Gatlinburg in late August and I was wondering about these same things.

To the OP, I have spent the past month searching for a cabin. They are a lot more expensive than what Im use to getting in Orlando (but there is so much competition in Orlando). I finally found a 4BR for $200 per night (all inclusive) and I dealt with the owners (they have very high reviews and own multiple homes). To get a home in the Smokies that has a private pool, you're looking at $400+ per night. Whew! Think we'll pass on that. Its just that not many homes up there have their own pools I reckon (weather extremes and stuff. I live in TN and we fluctuate a LOT in temps).

Is there a benefit to entering Dollywood after 3pm? I looked into going there but it really wasn't worth it for our group since we are only staying 2 nights.

Dollywood runs a "Go after 3, get the next day free" promotion. Essentially, a day and a half for the price of a one day ticket.

 

[dreiwhit]

I'll definitely take suggestions for backroads! I hate sitting in traffic. Thank you!

Let me work something up and i'll post it to this forum.