REACHING FOR THE STARS

2 Great Smoky Mountain Escapes

By Yvonne Yorke

If you were to ask what the most visited national park in the United States is, most would forget The Great Smoky Mountains. But with its annual 14 million visitors and location within driving distance of 60 percent of the U.S. population, it gets more visitors yearly than Yellowstone, Yosemite, and the Grand Canyon combined.

Pigeon Forge

Dollywood

Nestled near the Great Smoky Mountains is a place called Pigeon Forge, which caters primarily to country music and Southern culture fans featuring gift shops, theme parks, musical theaters, and dinner shows like Hatfield & McCoy. Even though many country singers such as Blake Sheldon have homes in the area, in terms of stars, there’s no one bigger than Dolly Parton, not just for her illustrious music career but for her decades of philanthropy work and scholarships through her Dollywood Foundation.

Spanning 160 acres, Dollywood is the top tourist attraction in Pigeon Forge and all of Tennessee. Having been to theme parks around the country, including Walt Disney World and Universal Studios in Orlando, I can attest there’s something unique about Dollywood with its Southern charm and hospitality. So, of course, I expected it to have live shows featuring an array of country music acts. Still, I didn’t expect to find the spectacular Eagle Mountain Sanctuary, a 30,000-square-foot aviary housing the country’s most extensive array of bald eagles and other birds of prey.

Equally impressive is Dolly’s Home-on-Wheels, Parton’s outfitted tour bus, where you can view the brass fixtures and cherry-wood cabinetry. Also on display is the entertainment legend’s closet with show outfits (behind plexiglass), her vanity table, and her bedroom with three clocks—set to Los Angeles, Nashville, and Dollywood time.

For thrill-seekers, Dollywood boasts some of the country’s most daring and innovative roller coasters. I managed to ride eight of them back-to-back. Although not before dinner. Hey, I’m not that crazy. The best part is that, unlike its amusement park counterparts in Orlando, where some of the most popular rides feature an hour or longer wait, there are virtually no lines to most of the rides at Dollywood. The longest queue was 10 minutes.

Gatlinburg

Anakeesta

Resting on the border of the national park is Gatlinburg, a famous mountain resort city in eastern Tennessee, which also happens to be the number one trending destination in the U.S. During the peak season, it sees 13 million visitors. Gatlinburg’s most visited attraction is Anakeesta—a multigenerational adventure park on a mountaintop. To access it, guests can ride to the summit on a Chondola or ski lift from downtown Gatlinburg (where I saw a black bear on the side of the mountain) or take the Ridge Rambler truck.

An all-day access ticket allows you to walk the country’s longest Treetop canopy walk, climb to the top of the AnaVista Tower for 360-degree views of the surrounding Smoky Mountains, or enjoy the TreeVenture and BearVenture challenge courses. Then, to get your adrenaline going, there’s the Rail Runner Mountain Chaser—a coaster through the woods, or try the award-winning, dueling zipline course with rappelling. Afterward, enjoy a hot chocolate by the fire pit with breathtaking views and live music. Or head to the Vista Gardens for an interactive, sensory botanical garden with over 3,000 flowers, plants, and whimsical art installations.

Last fall, Astra Lumina opened at Anakeesta. This night-time, immersive experience is the 15th in the Lumina Enchanted Walk series and the first in the United States. Stargazers of all ages can explore a celestial pathway of illuminating light, stardust rays, cosmic song, astral projections, and smoke effects as they venture through the mountain forest.

Anakeesta is open from March to mid-September. Info: anakeesta.com

I spun on the Lightning Rod, a 1950s-era hot rod that races down a 165-foot drop and launches riders along its 3,800-foot track to a top speed of 73 mph. Don’t miss The Wild Eagle, the first of its kind in the country, with seats on either side of an eagle’s wingspan, so there’s nothing but air above and below the rider as it soars twenty-one stories above the ground. But, not resting on its laurels, Dollywood is debuting a $25 million roller coaster this Spring. Big Bear Mountain will be the park’s longest coaster with a 3,990-foot track and features onboard audio and music as it circles Wildwood Grove.

During 2023, guests can celebrate the 50th anniversary of Parton’s hit song in the I Will Always Love You Celebration, which takes place from March 11th – April 8th, kicking off the season with an event to commemorate the art of songwriting. This will be followed by Dollywood’s Flower & Food Festival from April 21st to June 11th, with Mosaic culture flower displays and sculptures.

Whether your interest lies in the stars—in light or human form, family entertainment, the great outdoors, or home-spun Southern hospitality, you’re spoilt for choice in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, the two cities on the edge of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Info: dollywood.com