Smoky Mountain News

With Halloween just around the corner, now is the time to celebrate spooky season in the Smoky Mountains! There are plenty of things to do and places to explore for a thrilling, scary experience. Take a look at some of the haunted attractions in Gatlinburg, and keep reading to find out about an abandoned ghost town in Great Smoky Mountains National Park!

If you’re looking to get away from the hustle of everyday life, it’s hard to find a more appealing option than renting a cabin during fall in the Smoky Mountains! From the amazing seasonal colors to the great weather and more, there are lots of reasons you’ll love coming to visit during this incredible time of year. Here are a few of the top reasons to rent a cabin during fall in the Smoky Mountains!

As many Gatlinburg visitors will tell you, the Gatlinburg SkyPark offers one of the best views in town. Guests love riding the SkyLift from the heart of downtown Gatlinburg to the summit of Crockett Mountain, then embarking on a walk across the SkyBridge, the longest pedestrian cable bridge in North America! And now, there’s a brand new way to experience this popular attraction! This fall, the Gatlinburg SkyPark will be offering a brand new experience called Smoky Mountain Sunrise — and we have all the details for you! Read on to find out about this exciting new experience coming to Gatlinburg:

Dollywood is a popular Pigeon Forge attraction that’s visited by guests from all over the world. On September 9, Amusement Today’s Golden Ticket Awards, which have become known as “the Oscars of the amusement industry,” held their 25th year ceremony at Dollywood. These awards recognize the best of the best in the theme park and family entertainment industry. This year, Dollywood received five of these awards, including Best Guest Experience, Best Kids Area, Best Christmas Event, Best Family Coaster, and Best Park.

Who doesn’t love the natural beauty of the Smoky Mountain’s display of stunning fall foliage? It’s no secret that the area is a popular spot for fall break getaways, and we’re here to provide everything you need to know about peak autumn colors and the best ways to experience them. Keep reading for a deep dive into the Great Smoky Mountains in the fall!

Autumn in the Smoky Mountains is often best spent tucked away in the embrace of nature! As fall colors emerge, a world of coziness mixed with adventure is suddenly at your fingertips. Take it all in at the Bear-Varian Fall Festival at Anakeesta. Gatlinburg’s award-winning adventure park is ready to celebrate the change of seasons from September 9th through October 31st with its brand-new beer tasting experience! Our guide to the Bear-Varian Fall Festival at Anakeesta has all the details you need to know:

As the temperatures begin to drop, the turning leaves provide a splash of color and nature’s beauty mesmerizes at every turn. Welcome to fall in the Smoky Mountains — a special time that calls for celebration with your closest friends and family! Celebrate all of your favorite aspects of fall in the Smokies by taking part in the Smoky Mountain Fall Festival at Ober Mountain. This month-long festival is full of food, music and fun for all! Here’s everything you need to know about the Smoky Mountain Fall Festival at Ober Mountain:

While there are lots of great activities and things to do in Pigeon Forge, the popular toy company Hasbro has just announced a brand new attraction coming to the area in 2024 that is unlike anything already in the area! The NERF Action Xperience will offer kids and families a great way to spend an afternoon here in Pigeon Forge, with unique activities and opportunities to enjoy NERF in brand new ways! Read on to learn more about the upcoming NERF Action Xperience in Pigeon Forge:

September is a great time to visit the Smoky Mountains! Not only is this when the weather starts to cool off and fade into fall, there is also a variety of fun and exciting things to do in the Smoky Mountains in September that you and your family are sure to love. To help you plan the perfect September trip, we've made a list of 5 exciting things to do in the Smoky Mountains in September you don't want to miss.

Millions of visitors make their way to the Smoky Mountains each winter and for good reason. The Smoky Mountains have a little bit of something for everyone! Our mountainous home is one full of love and adventure that we relish sharing with guests from all over the world. But, when is the best time to visit the Smoky Mountains? Well, that depends on what you’re interested in exploring! Here is when you should visit the Smoky Mountains based on what you want to see:

One of the best ways to celebrate the changing season is by visiting Dollywood in Pigeon Forge this fall. Dollywood’s Harvest Festival is a great way to experience fall in the Smoky Mountains. Not only will you get to see the brilliant colors of autumn leaves, but you’ll also get to taste fall flavors and bask in the glow of illuminated pumpkins! Here’s everything you need to know about Dollywood’s Harvest Festival in 2023.

Anyone who has visited the Great Smoky Mountains can confirm that the Smokies certainly live up to their name! The mountains of East Tennessee and Western North Carolina are blanketed with a smoky haze that gives the region an almost magical quality. Indeed, the Cherokee considered the mountains to be a sacred place and referred to the area as “Shaconage” (Sha-Kon-O-Hey): land of the blue smoke. When European settlers arrived in the early 1800s, they took inspiration from the Cherokee language when they named the Great Smoky Mountains and the nearby Blue Ridge Mountains. Have you ever wondered what makes the Smoky Mountains smoky? We did some research to bring you the answer.

Did you know there’s a new Hallmark movie about the Smoky Mountains? The movie is called Love in the Great Smoky Mountains: A National Park Romance. This romcom was filmed in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the surrounding area, and it features some of the most iconic places in the national park. Here’s everything you need to know about this new Smoky Mountains movie and when you can see it!

There are lots of great options for dining and shopping in Pigeon Forge, and one of the town’s top destinations for both is The Mountain Mile. But did you know that there are still plenty of shops and restaurants that are opening at The Mountain Mile all the time? From exciting shops that have recently opened their doors to those with upcoming openings, we’ve put together a list of some of the brand new dining and shopping options in Pigeon Forge that are opening at The Mountain Mile!

As the temperatures begin to drop and the summer season winds down, the feeling of fall is right around the corner. The Smoky Mountains are the perfect place to visit this time of year, mostly because of the beautiful colors the leaves turn during autumn. No matter what part of the Smokies you are visiting, there are great places to get the best views of the amazing scenery. Here is the ultimate guide to the best places to see fall colors in the Smoky Mountains: