Pigeon Forge Is Leaf-Peeper Headquarters for Great Smoky Mountains
September 7, 2010Autumn’s cooler temperatures trigger two chemical reactions. One is in hardwood trees, causing colorful landscape changes, and the other is in travelers’ brains, generating the urge to go see those trees.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the largest wilderness tract in the eastern U.S. (800 square miles) and America’s most visited national park (nine million people a year), is a target for many of those travelers, and the resort town of Pigeon Forge, Tenn., becomes “Leaf-Peeper Headquarters.”
“Mother Nature puts on her show, and Pigeon Forge provides lodging, restaurants, family attractions, shopping, theater entertainment and its own autumn decorations,” said Leon Downey, the city’s executive director of tourism.
Pigeon Forge is in the valley of the Little Pigeon River, and businesses throughout town build decorative displays with hay bales, mums, gourds, pumpkins and sunflowers for Pigeon Forge Harvestfest (Oct. 1-30) during the height of fall color season. Another major seasonal event is the Rotary Club Craft Festival at Patriot Park (Oct. 2-30), which features dozens of artists and craftsmen from around the region.
The Dollywood theme park celebrates the season with its National Southern Gospel and Harvest Celebration (Oct. 1-31), and Dollywood’s steam locomotive offers special train rides into the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains.
One of autumn’s most spectacular sights is visible from Pigeon Forge’s central street, the Parkway, when the golden glow of a Tennessee sunset bathes the west-facing slope of Mt. LeConte (elevation 6,593).
Mt. LeConte is a popular hiking destination, while Clingmans Dome, the highest point in Tennessee at 6,643 feet, can be reached by car.
Whether on Mt. LeConte, Clingmans Dome or any other Smoky Mountains ridge, there’s a variety of color. Maples turn red and orange; sourwoods turn pink; sumacs turn red; tulip poplars turn yellow; and beech trees turn yellow. Most years, the color continues well into November.
More than a dozen theaters, some seating up to 1,500, offer more than 20 shows for entertainment after nightfall when a day’s leaf-peeping is done. Country and gospel music are plentiful, magicians spring their surprises in two theaters, family-friendly comedy reigns at another and there’s even a murder-mystery theater.
Visitors never go hungry in Pigeon Forge. True Southern country cooking is featured at the Old Mill Restaurant and Mama’s Farmhouse, barbeque is plentiful and the newest restaurant in town – the Partridge and Pear – offers a hint of Christmas holiday feasts every month of the year.
Full visitor information is available online at MyPigeonForge.com and toll-free at 1-800-251-9100. Tennessee’s fall foliage hotline is 800-697-4200.
