Gatlinburg vs Pigeon Forge: Which Town is Better?

Gatlinburg vs Pigeon Forge: A side-by-side comparison by a local

It’s the showdown we’ve all been waiting for. Gatlinburg vs Pigeon Forge. Mano a mano. Who ya got? Look, we understand there are no right answers here, everything’s subjective – unless you pick Sevierville, then we award you no points. But when it comes to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge? With these major tourist destination towns, you can’t go wrong. It is, of course, possible to like both but virtually impossible to not have a favorite. So, let’s get scientific with this thing and go to the tale of the tape.

Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg are two tourist towns near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Which one you prefer to spend more time in may depend on your goals. Pigeon Forge has Dollywood, which is a major attraction in the area. But Gatlinburg is much more walkable and could be considered more family-friendly.

1. Which town has more attractions?

Winner in this category: Pigeon Forge

There are a lot, a lot, of things for visitors to do in either Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg. But each has a signature attraction, the crown jewel of civic tourism. As far as Pigeon Forge’s attractions, the jewel is Dollywood, which is almost unfair. Dollywood, frankly, has surpassed Sevierville as the third-best community in Sevier County, and it’s not even open year-round.

With its own hotel, and an exceptional water park, Dollywood’s Splash Country, in addition to the theme park itself, Dollywood is not only a massive attraction for Pigeon Forge – it’s a massive, famous attraction for East Tennessee. Pigeon Forge also has the Titanic Museum attraction, Wonderworks, the Alcatraz East Crime Museum and many dinner shows, like the Hatfield and McCoy Dinner Feud or Dolly Parton’s Stampede, formerly known as the Dixie Stampede.

But Dolly Parton’s Dollywood is the main winner in this category and it’s not even close. It is continually recognized as among the best of the best amusement parks in the country.

For years, Gatlinburg’s signature attraction has been Ober Gatlinburg or the Gatlinburg Space Needle. And that case could certainly still be made, but Anakeesta is charging hard into that territory. To me, when I think Gatlinburg, I think Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies. One of the country’s premier aquarium experiences, Ripley’s offers a new experience every time you go. And they have penguins.

2. Which is easier to navigate?

Winner in this category: Gatlinburg

Traffic in either city can be a nightmare. Gatlinburg has the excuse of geographical limitations, but Pigeon Forge – with hectares of wide open space – was a victim of its own lack of vision. Pigeon Forge has more side roads by which you can circumnavigate some of the traffic, but for much of it, you have to risk the Parkway. Gatlinburg, however, is a city in which you park your car and stretch your legs. A little bit of a hike and avoid a soul-crushing traffic jam?

3. Which is more fun to cruise?

Winner in this category: Gatlinburg

Often, you come to the area with the idea of getting out and exploring. But which offers more “cruising” potential? First of all, if you want to hit the trails or get into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and maybe drive over to the North Carolina side, Gatlinburg is a clear choice. But if your idea is exploring more of East Tennessee, then Gatlinburg is actually a little bit out of the way. The decider here to me is Cades Cove and Townsend.

The road from Pigeon Forge through Wears Valley is a mostly pleasant, quite beautiful drive. The road from Gatlinburg to Cades Cove is an unrelenting, twisting claustrophobic hellscape. Don’t be fooled by the babbling stream. That road hugs the bottom of a holler with a mountain jutting up on either side. If you suffer from the slightest bit of motion sickness, it is a torturous nightmare. It’s literally the only place in the world I’ve gotten car sick in the driver’s seat.

4. Which has the best shopping

Winner in this category: Pigeon Forge

Again, there’s a bit of pick your flavor here. The Pigeon Forge area has more discount outlet shopping – but also more cheesy tourist shops that look like they got picked up in a Myrtle Beach hurricane and landed here like Dorothy and Toto. Pigeon Forge is also hit by a few unlucky boundaries. The best shopping in the county now resides in Sevierville at the Tanger Outlets, which has siphoned off some of Pigeon Forge’s outlet business.

Gatlinburg has a wider variety of unique shops, especially in the Arts and Crafts Community. However, you can get some of that stuff in Pigeon Forge, too. Gatlinburg’s biggest problem for serious shopping is the very thing we awarded a point for in traffic – the walking.

In Pigeon Forge, you’re rarely very far from your car – and therefore your trunk – where you can drop off your purchases, rest for a second and recharge for round two. If you buy too much stuff in Gatlinburg, you’re schlepping stuff up and down the mountain like a Sherpa ferrying adventure-seeking tourists up and down Everest.

5. Which has the best-themed dining?

Winner in this category: Pigeon Forge

I’m a child of the late 80s and early 90s. When I came up Hard Rock Café was cool – not like pseudo Boomer cool but actual honest-to-God cool. Give me a burger, some over-priced nachos and sit me next to some fringed Jimi Hendrix jackets and a guitar once played on stage by the backup guitarist from Slayer and I’m a happy man.

Gatlinburg’s best chance for competition is Ole Red, which resides in the former Hard Rock location right at the entrance to the strip. Ole Red is a better live music venue and – it pains me to say – has better food. However, it does not have a Native American-themed dress worn by Cher when she performed “Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves” at the Whiskey A Go-Go in the winter of 1971. I’m voting with my heart, not my head.

6. Which has the best restaurants?

Winner in this category: Gatlinburg

Sure, you can find a good steak dinner or a delicious pancake breakfast at either place. But Gatlinburg has The Melting Pot, The Peddler Steakhouse and the Pancake Pantry. Pigeon Forge has Paula Deen.

7. Which has the best thrills: Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge?

Winner in this category: Gatlinburg

Pigeon Forge has a wide array of slingshots, high-rise Ferris wheels and a variety of things that make you go viral on YouTube. Gatlinburg has a glass sidewalk in the sky that occasionally gets cracked by guys doing baseball slides with keys in their pockets. There’s fear and then there’s fear. Why does Gatlinburg get knocked down? So it can learn to get up, baby.

8. Which is more family-friendly?

Winner in this category: Gatlinburg

I’m calling this one the “dad vote”. Dads have some traditional roles in vacationing. Ideally, to have some fun, enjoy spending time with our families and relax. Often, in the midst of vacation, all we really want is some peace and quiet. Perhaps try a cabin with a hot tub. And have a few moments to ourselves.

Gatlinburg clearly is the favorite here. The family is walking so we don’t have to drive all the time. Also, there are a lot of benches where we can rest and check sports scores on the phone while the family spends 35 minutes inside another shop that sells all the same stuff as the last four shops we went in. Also, I’ve seen dads fly fishing in the middle of the river in Gatlinburg while their family shops. That’s peak dad-ing.

Our conclusion: Which is better overall?

Winner in this category: Gatlinburg

This is it. We’ve done the science. We’ve broken down the tale of the tape. We’re all tied up. We’ve eaten at a lot of pancake houses. So, vacationers, it comes down to a little thing I like to call heart, chutzpah, and a little je ne sais quoi. Who’s the best? It’s gotta be Gatlinburg, my friend.

Sure, Pigeon Forge has go-karts but when you visit Gatlinburg, you may have a better chance of wildlife viewing. In fact, bears might come to your hotel to get a sup of cider, which has happened before. That’s the kind of world I want to live in.

Which do you prefer? Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge? Let us know in the comments below.

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