Looking for some free things to do in Pigeon Forge, well I am so glad you are here. We are Stephanie and Sarah. We started this blog to help others with planning a Smoky Mountain Trip. We are local mom who have lived in the Smokies for over 15 years. We love to go out with our kids and friends and just do something fun that is free or doesn’t cost a lot.
The Smokies has grown so much over the years and so have the prices to do things. Prices keep going up and so do the amount of tourist that come to see the beautiful Smoky Mountains.
I personally love when tourist come to the area, If it wasn’t for you so many businesses wouldn’t be here, but don’t get me wrong. There can be to many people in town and then it makes everything miserable due to the wait times. Most people don’t venture out of the Sevier County area so that is why, this post on Free things to do in all about Pigeon Forge. We have wrote about free things to do in Gatlinburg, and free things to do in the Smoky Mountains.
The Pigeon Forge River Walk
This path is our favorite walk way. We love to walk, ride our bike or one wheels down this area. There is so much to see on our ride or walk. We usually park at the Patriot Park and walk/ride right beside the Farmhouse Kitchen down Butler street. You first go through a neighborhood and then get into the walk way area. If you are walking this in the winter, you will see LOTS of Christmas Light displays otherwise You can view the river, ducks and the back side of lots of attractions. You will then pass the parking lot of The Island. We still like to walk/ride through the Island. We go over the Island Bridge, it definitely can be busy so we walk our bikes if riding. The kids like to look at the Parrots in cages right outside of the MargaritaVille Restaurant. then we cross the street and then follow the sidewalk down towards The Pirates Adventure Theater and go behind the theater to follow the trail. We usually stop and see their birds, dogs and seals outside and then keep riding to go under a bridge and pass Harpoon Harry’s restaurant. From there you will then be able to go right to left.It doesn’t matter because it is a circle. If you go left you pass by the Boys and Girls Club of Pigeon Forge and The Community Center. Its a beautiful scenic ride with lots to look at. It riding the whole thing, we are usually riding for 45 mins to an hour.
Old Mill Square
The Old Mill Square is a fun place we like to walk about and take in some sights. You can park at Patriot Park and go into some shops, grab some ice cream, walk down the steps close to the bridge and see The Old Mill Waterfall. You can also walk around Patriot Park for a nice stroll around the river’s edge and feed the ducks.
The Island
The Island is a fun place you can go for free to check out or spend as little or as much as you want. Since this post is about doing things for FREE, you can park in the parking lot for FREE, walk or ride the FREE trolly to the entrance. Sit and watch the fountain water show, Listen to the local bands playing and walk around. You can also go inside Parrot Mountain and see their birds for free. Their main location is up on the mountain, but this little spot is a free place to see a few of their birds.
Mountain Mile
The Mountain Mile is a newer location that has free parking, lots of open grass to play, some corn hole out front and lots of shops you can pop into and look around.
Christmas Place Store
This Christmas Store is full of things to look at. I love to just window shopping and get ideas for Christmas. They have a really cool Christmas Village and Halloween Village to look at. I have spent almost an hour in this store. Great spot to grab souvenir ornament.
Car Shows
Pigeon Forge has lots of different car shows you can see. There is vintage car show called Rod Runs that comes in the spring and fall. The Jeep Invasion is a huge event.
Stampede- Look at Horses
If you have been to the area, you know about The Stampede. It is a fantastic show we love to see, but did you know that you can see all the beautiful horses they use in the show? Arrive around show time and you might see all the beautiful horses in their stalls. Kids love seeing them
Big Rock Dude Ranch free petting zoo
Big Rock Dude Ranch is a fun area you can go horseback riding, gem mining or visit their free petting zoo. My kids aren’t old enough yet to ride but we love to go to their free petting zoo. You can buy some feed for the animals for $3. They even have a playground the kids love. Pack a lunch and also enjoy their picnic tables.
The Old Mill FarmHouse Kitchen samples
The Old Mill Farmhouse Kitchen is a fun store everyone should stop at. It is located across from Patriot Park. They sell all kinds of soups, breads, dips and pie fillings. You can sample some of the items they are selling.
Ogle Brothers General Store samples / corn hole
Ogle Brothers one of my favorite places to shop. They have some very unique souvenirs you will love to take home. I also enjoy checking out their shoe selection of name brand shoes and clothing. In the back part of the store you can go sample some of their food as well. They sell spices, dips, chili and lots of yummy items you will want to pick up. They are located next to Cruze Farms Ice Cream area. Grab some Ice cream and play some corn hole or swing on their swings out front and enjoy the day.
Country Barn Gift Shop and Photo Park
They have the first outdoor selfie park in the United States. Go through the shop and you will see signs everywhere to visit the selfie park. It is a fenced in area and full of statues, funky painted lawn mowers and murals. They have all kinds of things to take photos with. It is a lot of fun and so unique. You will make some fun memories. To read more about this place, visit our other post about our visit to Country Barn Selfie Park
