A local reflects on his least favorite winter-related experiences in the Pigeon Forge area
Winter in the Smoky Mountains is split – as it is in the rest of the world, I suppose – into two segments: Pre-holidays and post-holidays. To the naked eye, there might not be much difference as the festive holiday lights stay up throughout the season, but the post-holidays malaise in the mountains is as prevalent as it is anywhere. January is cold and dark and gray, and February isn’t much better. The biggest difference is the twinkling holiday lights take on a bit of a mocking quality.
But there are positives to visiting the mountains in the off-season both before and after the holidays. After Christmas and New Year’s Eve, the lack of crowds is nice. You can get in and try restaurants and activities that are normally swamped with tourists. And before the holidays, the feeling of Christmas cheer in the mountains is everywhere. Still, as someone who has been wintering in the mountains for nearly 35 years, I’ve learned a few lessons. With this in mind, here are the things I won’t forget ever again in winter in Pigeon Forge.
1. Forget to wear my jacket
I know it seems basic, but winter in the mountains can be tricky. I have a fairly high tolerance for cold and don’t always need a jacket. And then, a lot of times, I’m just going from a warm building to a warm car to another warm building, and a jacket is more trouble than it’s worth. But winter in the mountains will get you. When the sun is out and the sky is blue, even in December, January or February, it can be quite nice, even pleasant. And then – when the sun goes down – the temperature goes from manageable to frigid surprisingly quickly. The times I’ve been caught out running around Pigeon Forge with suboptimal winter wear are slightly embarrassing. But no more. I’m getting older and I need that extra warmth. The jacket stays with me the whole time now.
2. Celebrate New Year
For years, the city leaders in Pigeon Forge and – somewhat more successfully Gatlinburg – have tried to make New Year’s a thing. And while there are a variety of restaurants where you can celebrate and local hotels where you can stay, the New Year’s vibe in Pigeon Forge is underwhelming. No place in town is really big enough to score a top-notch band. There’s no central location where everyone can gather like in New York. And Pigeon Forge isn’t a town known for keeping late hours. Sure, restaurants stay open that night. But the general vibe is that it’s more of an obligation than a celebration. They’re looking to get you in and out and move on with their evening. Pigeon Forge is great for a lot of things, but celebrating New Year’s isn’t among them, in my opinion.
3. Ride the coasters at Dollywood
This one comes with a caveat. If it’s one of the handful of what I call “golf days” that we get each winter, I might consider it. Each year we get a handful of days in the winter when it feels like spring. If I happen to be in Dollywood on one of those days – temps in the high 50s, no bite to the wind – I might try to slip in a coaster or two.
But on a typical winter day, the outdoor rides are mostly non-existent to me. Dollywood in winter is for the magic. It’s the lights and shows. It’s the seasonal food – preferably from the skillets – and the hot wassails and cocoa. Winter in Dollywood is for the carnival games and the train and carousel. It is not for the Wild Eagle when the wind cuts the skin and makes your eyes tear up so bad you can’t see the forest or the trees.
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