Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, is visited by more than 11 million tourists each year. If you have never been to or even heard of the area, it may be hard to imagine why so many people would choose to spend their vacation time in such a seemingly unknown place. Here are a few reasons why families and couples continue to make Pigeon Forge their vacation destination year after year.

One of the largest draws for year-round visitors are the Great Smoky Mountains. Named for the smoke-like blue haze that surrounds them, the Smokies provide a picturesque backdrop to Pigeon Forge. The Great Smoky Mountains Park is free and open year round, providing eight hundred miles of trails for hiking and exploring. One of the oldest uplands on earth, the Smokies are 95 percent forest and home to diverse wildlife, breathtaking streams, waterfalls, and flowering plants.

Along the scenic Great Smoky Mountains Park routes, there are plenty of sightseeing and photo opportunities. Even if you aren’t planning on camping, the Great Smoky Mountains offer sizeable picnic areas that are great spots for eating and gathering. Other activities range from fishing to horseback riding to white water rafting. Whatever you choose to do, you and your family will enjoy the beauty of these ancient mountains.

Pigeon Forge’s Parkway is another hotspot for vacation fun. The Parkway has more than forty affordable attractions to suit everyone. From miniature golf to bumper boats to water rides, laser games to go carts to even an indoor skydiving simulator, Pigeon Forge Parkways offers a myriad of chances to get away from it all and have fun.

Dolly Parton grew up in the foothills of the Smokies, and the Dollywood theme park is a tribute to the iconic performer. The park is one of the South’s favorite family vacation destinations. Filled with music, rides, mountain craft demonstrations and other attractions that showcase life in the Smoky Mountains, the park provides an entertaining way to learn more about the distinctive Appalachian culture.