Family Fun for All in Pigeon Forge

Some of the best fun and free sights are just a quick step from your Pigeon Forge hotel. Get cheap transportation around town aboard the Pigeon Forge Funtime Trolley for only 50-cents per person. Other sights cost nothing but the price of gas; and with the Great Smoky Mountains as a backdrop, the drive alone is well worth the trip!

The Old Mill Square

Step back in time at the Old Mill Square, where the art of grinding grain, moonshining and candy making are alive and well. Start with a tour—under $5 per person—of the Old Mill; tickets are available at the General Store. After nearly two centuries, the mill is still harnessing the Little Pigeon River's power to grind grain and corn into flour and grits. Move on to the Old Forge Distillery, where copper stills distill the freshly ground grain into authentic Smoky Mountain moonshine. If you're inclined, the tasting room offers free samples. Kids have their turn at the Old Mill Candy Kitchen, where free samples of kettle-fresh fudge and taffy are theirs for the tasting.

A Day in the Park

Pick up picnic fixings at a Pigeon Forge deli, then head south on US-441 to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park—no entrance fee required—and the Sugarlands Visitors Center. Watch the free 20-minute film about the park's history and check out the exhibits of plants and wildlife. Follow the nature trail behind the center and head for Cataract Falls. It's a 1-mile round trip, paved and flat except for a small staircase near the falls. When everyone's hungry, it's back in the car for the 5-mile trip to the riverside Chimneys Picnic Area for lunch, wading and boulder-hopping. (Tip: Be sure to clean up and be gone by dusk before the bears arrive.)

The Place of a Thousand Drips

As the name suggests, this natural landmark is the result of nature's long-laid plan to carve out a lacework of waterfalls into the moss-covered bedrock. The Place of a Thousand Drips is a must-see sight along the Roaring Forks Motor Nature Trail, where you'll wind along the Roaring Fork Creek through 7 miles of old-growth forest, past historic cabins, mills and farmsteads. Before setting out, explore the Noah “Bud” Ogle self-guided nature trail for a glimpse of what mountain farming used to be like. Access the Motor Trail from Gatlinburg's Cherokee Orchard Road, about 8 miles from Pigeon Forge. (Tip: RVs aren't permitted on the trail, which is closed in winter.)

Pigeon Forge Community Center

When you've had your fill of the great outdoors, move the action inside to the Pigeon Forge Community Center. Daily passes cost well under $10 per person and give you access to 86,000 square feet of exercise facilities, including a walking track, jogging circuit, basketball courts and aerobics rooms. If bowling's your thing, the 10-lane Bowling Center is open to all; a family of four plays for under $12 per game during the day and only slightly more at night. Book your trip now, to find Pigeon Forge hotel deals.