Suppose you’re planning to visit Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg this summer and looking for things to do. In that case, I recommend staying at Margaritaville Hotel Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, located on The Island in Pigeon Forge.
The Island is a perfect blend of the beach and mountains, and as you walk around, you’ll feel like you’re in a coastal town.
The Island offers a variety of activities, such as restaurants, shops, an arcade, rides, attractions, a fountain show, and the Margaritaville Island Hotel. The best part is that you won’t have to move your car as everything is within reach.
There are over 35 shops on The Island, featuring a variety of unique items such as clothes, hats, jewelry, sunglasses, trinkets, toys, puzzles, magic tricks, movie memorabilia, and much more.
Everyone in my family found something that suited their taste, even my picky 17-year-old.
In addition to The Island, there are many other things to do in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg during the summer, such as hiking, ziplining, visiting Dollywood, and exploring the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
With so much to do, you’ll have an unforgettable summer vacation in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg.
The Island offers restaurants, shops, an arcade, rides, attractions, and a fountain show. The Margaritaville Island Hotel is also right on the Island. You will not have to move your car because everything is right at your fingertips.
Everyone in the entire family should be able to find a shop that matches their taste, considering that every kind of shop you can think of is at The Island.
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Attractions – At The Island In Pigeon Forge
The Island in Pigeon Forge offers an array of entertainment options for all ages. Some of the highlights include:
- The Show Fountains: This state-of-the-art, multi-tiered fountain showcases a stunning presentation of water, dance, and light, choreographed to music. Shows start at 10am and run every half hour with a different playlist each time.
- The Great Smoky Mountain Wheel: This 200-foot-tall wheel is located at the foot of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and is one of the tallest attractions in the Southeast. The all-glass gondolas, which seat eight people, provide unparalleled views of the mountains.
- Little Pigeon River: This river is located within Sevier County, Tennessee, and flows on the dividing line between Tennessee and North Carolina.
- The Rope Course: This course features thirty different elements, two zip lines, and one simulated free fall designed for kids.
- The Escape Room: This room offers a team-building experience where players work together to solve puzzles and escape within an hour.
- 7-D Dark Ride Adventure: This ride provides the excitement of a roller coaster and the fun of an interactive shooting gallery, all from the comfort of your seat.
- Mirror Maze: This family-friendly attraction includes a maze, laser beams to dodge, and an interactive game called Atomic Rush.
- Arcade City: This modern arcade features games for all ages and uses reloadable play cards instead of tokens or tickets.
- Thunder Dome: This giant aluminum dome houses four trampoline-based bungee jumps suitable for most ages and sizes.
- Flying Horse Carousel: This classic ride features 22 horses and chariots adjacent to the Great Smoky Mountain Wheel.
- Shooting Gallery: This game allows up to seven players to compete against each other using rifles, pistols, or flintlocks while battling against critters in an old moonshine camp.
Here are some shopping options available at The Island in Pigeon Forge:
- Bodacious Bags: A store with a large selection of bags suitable for any occasion.
- Big Rock Candy Kitchen: A candy store that makes homemade sweets and treats from scratch.
- Bootleggers Winery: A winery that uses ingredients commonly found in Southern kitchens to create small batches of hand-bottled wine.
- Margaritaville Store: A store where you can find beach-inspired apparel and coastal home decor items, as well as music and flavors of Margaritaville.
- Ole Smoky Moonshine: A 6,000-square-foot barn that includes an onsite still, a tasting bar, and a retail store with locally made moonshine, jams, and more. They also offer moonshine tasting.
- Pepper Palace: A store that offers everything spicy and has won hundreds of national awards for their products, marketing, and flavor.
- Smoky Mountain Sun Shades: A shop that sells a wide selection of name brand and reasonably priced sunglasses and accessories.
- St. Somewhere Spa: A spa that offers massages, manicures, pedicures, and facials to help you unwind. They also have a retail shop where you can purchase gifts, spa items, bath and beauty products.
- The Island Trading Post: A store where you can find unique gifts, including souvenirs, candy, toys, sauces, t-shirts, jewelry, and much more. The atmosphere is fun-filled.
Dining Options – On The Island In Pigeon Forge
- Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville
- Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen
- Timberwood Grill
- Dick’s Last Resort
- Mellow Mushroom
- Sweet Shop of the South
- Poyner’s Pommes Frites
- Dude’s Daiquiris
- Island Yogurt
- Cinnabon
- Auntie Annie’s
- The Island Creamery
- Mini Donuts
- Bill’s Lemonade
- Create-A-Cone
Dining Options – Margaritaville Island Hotel
- Changes in Latitude Lobby Bar
- Chill Bar and Rooftop Pool
- Margaritaville Coffee Shop
Margaritaville Hotel – The Island In Pigeon Forge
The Margaritaville Hotel Pigeon Forge is a beautiful combination of mountain charm and island relaxation. With 134 rooms, it provides the perfect escape from the everyday routine and a chance to unwind with a fresh perspective on the Great Smoky Mountains.
Inspired by Jimmy Buffett’s music and lifestyle, this hotel offers a laid-back atmosphere while still maintaining a serious approach to Southern hospitality.
Each room is equipped with a Margaritaville “Frozen Concoction Maker” to create your own blended beverages to enjoy either by the fire or on the balcony.
The hotel also pays attention to detail with amenities provided in each room to ensure guests’ comfort and convenience. If you’re looking to splurge, I highly recommend booking one of the Penthouse suites.
Don’t miss your chance to experience this unique hotel – click here to book your reservation today!
Margaritaville Island Inn – The Island In Pigeon Forge
If you’re looking for a little tropical escape in the heart of the Smoky Mountains, the Margaritaville Island Inn is the perfect spot! As soon as you step into the bright, breezy lobby, you’ll feel like you’ve been transported to a laid-back island oasis.
The colorful, Jimmy Buffett-inspired decor and vibe are so much fun – it instantly puts you in a vacation mindset. And the location can’t be beat, right on the lively Island in Pigeon Forge, with easy access to all the shops, restaurants, and attractions.
Wake up each morning to stunning views of the river, take a dip in the outdoor pool, then spend your days exploring the beautiful Smokies. Trust me, you’ll never want to leave this little slice of island paradise!
So what are you waiting for? Book your stay at the Margaritaville Island Inn today and prepare for the ultimate Pigeon Forge getaway. Your perfect island escape is calling!
If you still want to stay close to the Island but need something more economical, the Inn is for you.
It offers an outdoor swimming pool, and its location at The Island in Pigeon Forge puts guests close to 18 restaurants, retail shops, and attractions.
Accommodations have mini-fridges, microwaves, fireplaces and private balconies with views of the riverfront and Great Smoky Mountain Wheel.
They also have Margaritaville Frozen Concoction Makers—a perk for parents and fun for non-alcoholic treats for the kids!
Click here to book your reservation today.Â
Transportation On The Island
The Fun Time Trolley system is an affordable, safe, and convenient transportation service that allows passengers to hop on and off as they please. With more than thirty trolley buses, the Fun Time Trolley serves the city of Pigeon Forge and a portion of neighboring Sevierville.
The trolley stops are located all over Pigeon Forge, and they run frequently on Main Street, in Wears Valley, to Dollywood and Dollywood’s Splash Country, and to the Gatlinburg Welcome Center.
You can catch the trolley right outside your hotel lobby or in front of The Island Show Fountains. All trolleys depart from and return to Patriot Park at 186 Old Mill Ave. Children under 3 ride for free, and fares range from $1.00 to $3.00.
In addition to the Fun Time Trolley, a complimentary tram transports visitors to The Island Parking lots and the Le Conte Center between 10 a.m. and 11 p.m. daily. The tram picks up in front of The Island Show Fountains.
Safety Tips For The Island In Pigeon Forge
- Please don’t answer the door in a hotel room without verifying who it is
- When returning to your hotel room late at night use the main entrance of the hotel
- Please don’t place your room key on restaurant tables, swimming pool, or any place where it can be easily stolen
- Do not draw attention to yourself by displaying large amounts of cash or expensive jewelry
- Dont invite strangers to your room
- Do not leave valuables in your vehicle
- Check to see if the connecting doors are locked
Dining Options Off The Island – Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
- Bullfish Grill
- Blue Moose Burgers & Wings
- Carino’s Italian Restaurant
- Harpoon Harry’s Crab House
Attractions – Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Cades Cove
Cades Cove is a broad, verdant valley surrounded by mountains and is one of the most popular destinations in the Great Smokies. It offers some of the best opportunities for wildlife viewing in the park.
Large numbers of white-tailed deer are frequently seen, and sightings of black bears, coyotes, groundhogs, turkeys, raccoons, skunks, and other animals are also possible.
Touring the Cove
 An 11-mile, one-way loop road circles the cove, allowing you to sightsee at your own pace.
Allow at least two to four hours to tour Cades Cove, which is longer if you walk some of the area’s trails. Traffic is heavy during the tourist season in summer and fall and on weekends year-round.
Clingman’s Dome
At 6,643 feet, Clingman Dome boasts the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The “Dome” refers to the mountaintop, not the man-made observation tower.
The Dome is the highest point in Tennessee and lies between Tennessee and North Carolina. On clear days, visitors may see as far as 100 miles.
Clingmans Dome, open year-round, can be reached by traveling Clingmans Dome Road, which closes December 1 through March 31 and when conditions become unfavorable due to ice and snow.
The parking area, a visitor’s center, and the summit trailhead are at the end of Clingmans Dome Road. The trail to the park’s highest point is paved and only one-half mile long.
Roaring Fork
With its name derived from a “roaring” mountain stream, the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail twists and turns for six miles, forming a one-way looping scenic drive through the Great Smoky Mountains.
The narrow roadway only allows cars—trucks, trailers and RVs cannot fit on this road.
The drive along Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail begins at the Noah “Bud” Ogle farmstead, where you can take a walking tour of the historic buildings and pick up a tour map of the roadway sights.
The trailhead for Rainbow Falls is just beyond the farmstead. It is a moderate hike to a stunning waterfall.
It’s a 5.4-mile round-trip hike to Rainbow Falls (less than 3 miles one way!), and your reward is the 80-foot-high waterfall, the tallest single-drop waterfall in the national park.
Additional Outdoor Attractions In The Smoky Mountains
- Hiking
- Bicycling
- Horseback Riding
- Fishing
- Waterfalls
- Wildflowers
- Wildlife
- Historic Buildings
Attractions in Pigeon Forge
Dollywood Theme ParkÂ
Known for its down-home charm, this world-famous 150-acre theme park is as unique as its namesake and owner, Dolly Parton.
From award-winning shows to educational craft demonstrations and groundbreaking rides and attractions. Â
Dollywood’s Splash Country
Dollywood’s Splash Country Water Amusement Park is the perfect mountain oasis for families to cool down and chill out.Â
Located in a mountainous hollow adjacent to the Dollywood theme park, Dollywood’s Splash Country features a variety of splashy water attractions for both the thrill seekers and pool loungers in your family. Â
You can also rent a private cabana and order delicious poolside treats for you and your family.
Ripley’s Aquarium of the SmokiesÂ
Marvel at the 12-foot sharks, giant sea turtles, and thousands of exotic sea creatures as you walk through state-of-the-art clear underwater tunnels throughout the aquarium.
Titanic Museum
Visit the world’s largest museum attraction and enjoy more than 400 artifacts. Touch a real iceberg, walk the grand staircase & third-class hallways, and try to walk on the sloping decks to see what it was like for passengers and crew truly.
Alcatraz East
Alcatraz East, located near The Island in Pigeon Forge, is a fantastic new crime museum that will have crime geeks drooling. The huge 25,000-square-foot museum includes five unique galleries and over 100 interactive exhibits!
The design of the Alcatraz East building was modeled after the first prison in the State of Tennessee and Alcatraz.
The museum incorporates the castle-like look of the 1898 Tennessee State Prison just outside of Nashville and the watchtowers of Alcatraz.
A Few of My Favorite Exhibits Include:
American Crime
Remember O.J. Simpson speeding away in the white Ford Bronco? This is especially invaluable now that OJ passed away! That vehicle and many famous getaway cars can only be seen at Alcatraz East.
Plenty of artifacts and souvenirs, including guns, papers, vehicles, and more, remind us of some of the most famous criminals in our country’s history.
Punishment
Want to hang out in a jail cell for the afternoon? Now, you have your chance to get behind bars! Get your mugshot taken, take a lie detector test, and then experience jail life… temporarily.
In addition to the permanent exhibits, Alcatraz East rotates through temporary exhibits – this was one of our favorite facets of this cool museum.
The ugly truth of wildlife trafficking was the temporary exhibit the day we visited. As a local who loves our black bears, it was interesting to discover that our beloved creatures are being illegally killed to produce medicines.
Conclusion of The Island In Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
The island is a great place to visit and will only improve. Attractions include Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen, Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville, and Build-A-Bear Workshop.
I can’t wait to visit again this fall! Want more insider tips about staying at Margaritaville Hotel Pigeon Forge and what to do and see in Pigeon Forge and the Smokies? Sign up for my newsletter.
Ready to plan your trip? Grab my FREE Vacation Planner to help you plan it in the time it takes to watch your favorite TV show!
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I hope my Pigeon Forge travel guide provided information on where to stay and what to do in Pigeon Forge and the Smoky Mountains. I would love to hear your thoughts, so leave me a comment on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
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