Pigeon Forge Traffic Tips

It’s officially the season of hot apple cider, warm blankets, and pumpkin patches. It’s also the season for fall festivals, and the Smoky Mountain area is full of them!

Here are three festivals you can enjoy while on your Smoky Mountain vacation.

1. Dollywood Harvest Festival

If you love Dollywood and the fall season then you won’t want to miss this event! From early September to late October this annual celebration marks the best weather and some beautiful fall foliage in the Smokies. Stay late into the evening to see beautifully carved pumpkins, lit up and on display. During the day you’ll enjoy fall themed food, and colorful leaves all throughout the park.

2. Gatlinburg Craftsmen’s Fair

In early to mid October the Gatlinburg Craftsmen’s Fair heads into full swing. Artisans from across the country gather to peddle their wares while musicians serenade the crowds. You’ll see everything from woodworking and pottery to handcrafted jewelry and leatherworkings. If you have an appreciation for handmade goods then this event is for you.

3. Wears Valley Fall Festival

The Wears Valley Fall Festival takes place in mid October and is a favorite event for locals. Come experience the hundreds of vendors, melodic live music, and incredible Southern cuisine. If you’re interested in a true rustic, Appalachian festival with plenty to do and see for the whole family, then this one is for you.

No matter the festival you choose you’ll need a place to stay. Choose from one of our many options at Bear Camp Cabin Rentals today!

Bypassing Traffic In Pigeon Forge

During Rod Runs or any highly populated time of the year!

In one of our last posts, we talked at length about the Spring Rod Run and the awesome party it brings with it that's coming up between April 6th to the 8th. Now, as the event draws closer, we'd like to provide some tips for those of you coming to visit in that timeframe or the peak season to help avoid the frustrations of traffic.

The good news is that because of how interconnected the cities are and how the roadway infrastructure works have here in Sevier County, there are LOTS of backroads, shortcuts and such that can save you quite a bit of time and effort with some forethought and creativity. The bad news is that it's not always easy to see where all those backroads are and if they can really help you. In this post, we'll help you get to know some of the best ways to skip around the main downtown area and get where you need to get with the most efficiency.

Let's take a look:

Rena Street.

This street is parallel to the main downtown parkway on the southwest side of town and connects Wears Valley Road to just after stoplight #7 where McDonalds and Corky's BBQ is. This road isn't too long and it’s easy to see where you're going. It's mostly straight except for one left turn up the hill to take at the end as you get towards stoplight #7. This street cuts through nearly half the city.

Google Maps Link:

Conner Heights Rd.

This street begins at the very end of Pigeon Forge before it turns into the Spur that connects Pigeon Forge to Gatlinburg. Conner Heights is a road that goes directly to Wears Valley and showcases more than 20 minutes of gorgeous, relatively undeveloped countryside (although there are some attractions). It is a long drive, but all you need to do is drive straight and it could save upwards of a full hour of traffic if you're trying to get to Wears Valley from Gatlinburg or vice versa. It also connects to Pine Mountain Road which connects to Rena Street as seen above.

Google Maps Link:

Pine Mountain Rd.

As mentioned above, Pine Mountain Road connects from Rena Street near downtown Pigeon Forge to Conner Heights Road where you can bypass traffic to get to Gatlinburg or Wears Valley much easier. This road is a bit long and goes up and down a lot of curvy roads, but all you have to do keep going straight and then decide which way you want to go from there (left for Pigeon Forge at the start of The Spur, right for Wears Valley).

Google Maps Link:

Ridge Road

Ridge Road connects from Teaster Lane, a major road parallel to the main parkway on the Northeast side of town, to Collier Drive in Sevierville. Collier Drive is known as "Governor's Crossing" and further extends to Veteran's Boulevard, which connects Sevierville to Pigeon Forge, and to the WalMart Supercenter. This is a reasonably short drive that has some hills and curves, but all you need to do is go straight until you can't go straight anymore. Turn left to go to WalMart and Governor's Crossing and right to go to Veteran's Boulevard.

Google Maps Link:

Upper Middle Creek

This road connects from Dollywood Lane, a parallel road on the Northeast side of town between The Old Mill and the Dollywood Ticket Center on the parkway in Pigeon Forge, to Dunn's Mill where you can get to Sevierville or the Arts and Crafts Community of Gatlinburg. This road is somewhat long but filled with beautiful scenery, some arts and crafts stores and no complicated directions whatsoever. Just drive straight until you can't anymore, then go right for Gatlinburg or left for Sevierville.

Google Maps Link:

With these roads as part of your planning, you'll be driving further but still saving potentially hours of traffic time during the Rod Runs or any highly populated time of the year!