BY Ashtyn Steele
Looking over the edge of the mountain, a slight breeze rustles through the giant oak trees towering over. They create a thick blanket of shade as the hike gets more intense with every step taken. Goosebumps rise and create a sign that the warm summer sun is hidden behind the clouds. Placing one leg in front of the other, you march on to the top and take in the view that required motivation from every bone in your body. You’ve worked so hard to reach this point. And looking out, you find it’s all worth it.
Nothing beats the view from the mountain tops of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
The small mountain town is known for its daring adventure and enticing views that draw in over 9 million visitors each year.
Race through a speedy go-kart track and compete to win first place. Fly through the air on the slingshot ride and spin on the rides that take you back to days at the fair. Indulge your stomach as you feast on biscuits and gravy, pieces of tender pork chop and creamy mashed potatoes that feature some of the best southern cooking at the most popular restaurants. Laugh at the comedy shows that keep people coming back for more.
The rich history embedded in the sites around the town, along with the fun tourist attractions, prove it’s more than just a site for climbing up mountains. It’s a place for adventure.
Let’s explore some of the most adventurous and historical places in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee:
1. Cades Cove
As fog drifts over the open fields early in the morning, a deer bends down for a cool drink of water in a nearby stream. A mama bear and her cubs slowly swing from branch to branch as they make their way across the thick of the forest. Birds chirp as if to sing “good morning” to the animals that roam the open land. It was a home once occupied by early settlers and now visited by millions of people from across the world.
The historic landmark hidden deep in the mountains is a place every visitor must go to at least once. Cades Cove is a highlight of the trip.
Cars line up bumper to bumper, bikers ride along the hidden pathways and hikers walk along the edges of the paved path to explore the 11-mile route around the hilly landscape of the national park.
The land was originally hunted by Cherokee Indians and settled on by Europeans in the 1820s. It was made up of a small, rural community that used the land for farming and growing families. “The land was rich and fertile and provided the settlers with abundant crops, such as corn,” states the “History of Cades Cove.”
As more families began to settle on the site, the community kept growing for over 100 years. Log homes were built, two churches were established and a post office was put in. There were also many acres to grow crops, barns were effectively used and smokehouses helped provide meals for the families that were commonly made up of 12.
As Tennessee and North Carolina began building plans for the Great Smokies National Park, the first piece of land purchased in Cades Cove was in 1927. The park was officially established in 1945. Over 70 structures have been preserved on the historical site and it’s the largest collection of log buildings in the East. There are many structures to visit and read about, including a running grist mill, an abundance of log cabins, and a church built in the 1820s with a cemetery laying outside of it.
Cades Cove is now one of the most visited areas of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and occupies 4,000 acres for animals to roam and visitors to drive through.
The park is now a place for both people and animals to enjoy the rich history and beautiful sites the park offers.
2. Laurel Falls
The cold water flows down from the 80-foot high waterfall and splashes your face to cool down from the sun shining down.
Laurel Falls is a popular hiking trail in the mountains of Tennessee.
The falls are a 2.6-mile hike on a dirt path shaded by trees and can take up to 2 hours walking up and down the mountain. It’s a spot for families to enjoy a nice walk and others to challenge their cardio endurance abilities.
The trails were paved in 1932 to be used as a path for firefighters to access the mountain in case of a fire. The mountain became open to the public in the early 1960s and the popularity has grown since. The hike up offers a birds-eye of miles of mountains in the distance that seem to never end.
Upon arriving at the waterfall, cross the small bridge to explore streams with fish swimming along the edges, watch children hop from stone to stone as they play around in the shallow water, and take pictures on the rocks next to the water pouring down.
Laurel Falls is a beautiful site and an even prettier hike.
3. The Old Mill Restaurant
Taste the corn fritters spread thick with butter as the deep-fried appetizer melts in your mouth. Feast on the main meal of green beans simmering in juice with a side of thick mashed potatoes paired next to homemade chick and dumplings bursting with flavor. After, grab a slice (or two) of freshly made pecan pie that oozes drops of a sweet syrupy mixture onto the plate.
The Old Mill may be old, but the meals are classic. The family atmosphere is more inviting than the food. Though, the smell that drifts through the streets of the mountain town is enticing to customers walking across the bridge and up the steps to the rickety building.
Pieces of history are instilled deep in the values of the mill and the story is displayed along the walls for customers to read and learn. The mill was built in 1841 to grind corn, and in 1915 used to turn wheat into flour with a water turbine and roller mills that were later added on. Thirty years passed and in 1993 a restaurant was built next to the mill. It was named The Cornflour Restaurant, which was later renamed The Old Mill.
The inside walls are lined with wood and decorated with old-fashioned wallpaper. The sound of families chatting and laughing bounce off the walls as cooks prepare meals for around 3,000 guests that will be coming in for the day.
It’s a popular spot, and usually requires some time to be seated. It’s well worth the wait, and there’s plenty of activities to keep occupied. Stroll across the street to the Old Mill District and shop around Pigeon River Pottery, Sassafrass boutique, The Old Mill Candy Kitchen and The Old Mill Farmhouse Kitchen to buy mixes to make your favorite Old Mill meals at home.
The Old Mill may be a restaurant but it’s also the place for dinner table conversations, memories to cherish forever and good food- what could be better than that?!
As Pigeon Forge continues to evolve to be a popular tourist destination, it also evolves to be a place where families can create lasting memories and take fun adventures.
You’ll want to make your next travel plans include Pigeon Forge.