Is There More To Do in Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge? A Local Declares Winner

Local compares two mountain towns in attractions, accessibility and more

The towns of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge are only separated by a few miles, but getting back and forth between the two can be a real pain. So, if you’re planning a getaway vacation to Sevier County, you may want to decide which place you’ll be spending most of your time. As a local, here are a few things I think you should consider:

Gatlinburg has a few more unique attractions and things to do compared to its Pigeon Forge counterpart. Gatlinburg is also more walkable and can have better access to the mountains, which is what draws many visitors to the area. However, Pigeon Forge has Dollywood, which is arguably one of the best attractions in all of Tennessee. Ultimately, Pigeon Forge has more to offer than Gatlinburg.

1. Number of quality attractions

There are more establishments designed to take your tourism dollars in Pigeon Forge than in Gatlinburg. There are more restaurants, more mini golf places, more dinner theaters and more museums. Plus, Pigeon Forge has arguably the best attraction: Dollywood. However, that being said, Pigeon Forge’s numbers advantage can be somewhat misleading on repetition alone. After all, how many go-kart and mini golf attractions does one town need? Gatlinburg does offer unique attractions like Anakeesta and Ober Mountain. But places like SkyLand Ranch closer to Pigeon Forge are starting to bring more competition in those categories.

Also, quality attractions can change the equation a bit. By and large, I find Gatlinburg has a higher percentage of things that I view as high quality. For example, buoyed by Anakeesta, Ober and the Ripley’s attractions, Gatlinburg has a nice variety of activities spread throughout the village. So despite being home to Dollywood, Pigeon Forge still has a few more tourist traps.

Winner: Gatlinburg (sorry Dolly).

2. Better accessibility

When Pigeon Forge traffic is manageable, everything is within an easy drive. But I find that when things are bad, they are very bad. My family flirted with Pigeon Forge traffic last weekend, daring a run to the Hollywood Wax Museum. Traffic was busy but not oppressive. However, gazing further down the Parkway to the main strip was a bit like gazing into the gaping maw of the gates of Hell. In Gatlinburg, you can park your car and walk everywhere.

Winner: Gatlinburg.

3. Access to the mountains

Folks come to the area for the natural beauty of the mountains. Gatlinburg is a stone’s throw away from the National Park, with access to Cherokee, North Carolina, Cosby and Hartford. Alternatively, most of Pigeon Forge’s best access to the mountains is through Gatlinburg but it also has the Wears Valley Road connector to Townsend. Wears Valley has turned into this cool little artistic area in the mountains with gorgeous views, interesting restaurants and the Metcalf Bottoms picnic area.

Winner: Gatlinburg, but barely.

4. Overall

I like the bars and the restaurants and the shopping and the attractions (for the most part) better in Gatlinburg. I like that you can let the family have some measure of freedom, stretch out and explore. I like the Willy Wonka’s Europe vibes. I like Ripley’s Aquarium and Anakeesta and the ride across the mountains to Cherokee. I just like Gatlinburg better than Pigeon Forge. That being said, Pigeon Forge has Dollywood and the dinner theatres and lots more opportunities to do things, which ultimately is the name of the game when deciding where to vacation.

Winner: Surprisingly, Pigeon Forge.

So to recap, I’d recommend staying in Pigeon Forge if you’re looking for more things to do in the Smokies. I know Gatlinburg won more of the arbitrary categories and that it is my personal choice. But you’ve got to be ready to zag when you’re in the tourism blog game. Dollywood’s footprint is just too big, especially with Splash Country. Throw in the wide assortment of dinner theatres and great big museums like Titanic and the Hollywood Wax Museum and it’s hard to make an argument against Pigeon Forge having the most and best things to do in the county. In my humble opinion, there are simply more things to do in Pigeon Forge.

Do you agree with our assessment? Let us know in the comments below. And if you’re planning a trip to the mountains, be sure to check out our coupons page.

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