20 posts from our front desks across Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge & Newport
The Stampede summer schedule opens with two-show evenings on Friday and Saturday. From the Lodge at Mill Creek, the post-show walk back is ninety seconds — while the arena lot is still stacking pickups toward the Parkway exit.
Early June in Pigeon Forge with kids is a balance: heat, attractions, pool, dinner, in roughly that order. From the Inn on the Parkway, here is a day that actually works.
Early-June heat in Pigeon Forge wants a pool break in the middle of the day. The King Queen Loft Suite at the Best Western Plus Apple Valley puts kids upstairs and parents downstairs, which is the family rhythm that survives the heat.
The fireflies do not respect dog rules. Here is how to handle the synchronous-firefly window from a pet-friendly base, including which evening walks work.
Synchronous fireflies at Elkmont peak in the first two weeks of June. Here is what each of our seven properties can do for a firefly trip, with or without a lottery pass.
Synchronous fireflies peak around Elkmont in the first week of June. Even without a lottery ticket, the park puts on a low-key light show after dark from lower-elevation trails.
Memorial Day weekend is behind us. The summer season is ahead. Here is what the next ten weeks look like across the seven Stay in Smokies properties, plainly stated.
Memorial Day weekend traffic on the Parkway peaks between 5 and 9 p.m. The two-queen room at Mill Creek absorbs a late-arriving family of four; The Old Mill Restaurant and Mama's Farmhouse handle the dinners on either side of the weekend.
The week after Memorial Day in Pigeon Forge is the calmest week before summer's peak. School is still in for most of the country. The Parkway slows. The trip gets cheaper.
Memorial Day weekend Parkway traffic in Pigeon Forge is the worst it gets all year. The King with Bunk Beds room at the Best Western Plus Apple Valley is the room the kids want; the walk to Titanic and WonderWorks is the plan that actually moves.
The Gatlinburg trolley costs two dollars round-trip and goes most places worth going. In May, leaving the car parked at the motel is a real plan.
The Alum Cave trailhead is twenty-two minutes from our parking lot. If you leave at 6, you're at the bluffs before the sun clears the ridge. Here is how to set up a May sunrise hike.