# Riding around Pigeon Forge?



## wvmtb (Oct 12, 2006)

I’ll be in staying in Pigeon Forge at the end of the month. One day I plan on riding up Clingmans Dome starting at day break. I’ve noticed on Strava that there is a segment that goes all the way to the tower. From what I’ve read bikes are not allowed on the trail from the parking lot up to the tower. Are people just ignoring the sign? I’m not sure we will drive to the top while we are there and I want to see it. So I’m hoping if I get up there early enough on the bike I’ll be able to take those few extra pedal strokes to the top. I can't leave my bike at the parking lot and have to walk to the top in bike shoes. 

Also my wife would like to go for a ride while we are there. She has no interest in riding to the dome with me for a multiple different reasons. Can anyone recommend an easier/less traffic route for her? We will be staying at a cabin in the heart of Pigeon Forge so I’m looking for something nearby. Cades Cove looks like the perfect place since they close it to vehicles on certain times. But it’s a good drive from where we are staying. It would be nice to find something closer. I hate to drive an hour one way to ride my road bike.


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## brianmcg (Oct 12, 2002)

The first place I thought of for you and your wife was Cades cove. It's worth it. Like going back in time. Some really breathtaking views and neat old cabins and churches to explore. 

Bring a picnic.


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## Mike T. (Feb 3, 2004)

brianmcg said:


> The first place I thought of for you and your wife was Cades cove. It's worth it. Like going back in time. Some really breathtaking views and neat old cabins and churches to explore.
> Bring a picnic.


And from what I remember when I drove it 36 years ago, it's dead flat.


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## wvmtb (Oct 12, 2006)

Cades Cove does sound like an ideal ride and I wouldn't mind doing it. But the problem is her parents are going with us and they will be watching the little ones while we ride. We don't want to leave them for the better part of the day so we can ride. After all this is a family vacation. I'm just trying to fit a few rides in as I always do.

I've come up with and idea I just have to sell it to the wife. If we go and ride and the grandparents can bring the kids down once the road opens up and we are done. Then we can all spend the day there. Only 1 problem. The we will need a place to clean up after we are finished with our ride. Any ideas? I know there is a campground there but I'm sure it's for campers only. I can wash off in a stream (if available) but it would be hard to get her to agree with that.


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## Blue CheeseHead (Jul 14, 2008)

wvmtb said:


> Cades Cove does sound like an ideal ride and I wouldn't mind doing it. But the problem is her parents are going with us and they will be watching the little ones while we ride. We don't want to leave them for the better part of the day so we can ride. After all this is a family vacation. I'm just trying to fit a few rides in as I always do.
> 
> I've come up with and idea I just have to sell it to the wife. If we go and ride and the grandparents can bring the kids down once the road opens up and we are done. Then we can all spend the day there. Only 1 problem. The we will need a place to clean up after we are finished with our ride. Any ideas? I know there is a campground there but I'm sure it's for campers only. I can wash off in a stream (if available) but it would be hard to get her to agree with that.


I just checked the website and the park has no showers. Perhaps the best you could do would be a package of wet wipes.


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## tellico climber (Aug 14, 2006)

Hwy 321 from Pigeon Forge to Pittman Center is very scenic and the traffic should not be to bad in the morning if you are looking for a ride from Pigeon Forge. As far as Clingmans Dome goes, I would highly recommend leaving from Pigeon Forge by car before daybreak so you can start as soon as light allows from Gatlinburg by bike to the dome. I have done this several times and it is a beautiful and very enjoyable ride to the dome. There is water to refill your bottles at the restroom at the dome if you need to. I would definitely not recommend riding your bike from the parking lot of Clingmans dome to the tower as the park rangers are frequently on that paved trail and will be all over you for doing so. They will not be kind to you if you are caught. Actually the view from the parking lot alone is great and worth the ride alone. If you plan on riding back down I would advise to head back as soon as possible because the traffic will pick up to an almost unbearable and dangerous level after 10am. This is why it is so important to start early. If you start early you will have the road almost to yourself on the way up and it is very peaceful and beautiful and you should be able to beat the down hill traffic back down the mountain. Don't forget to take a windbreaker for the trip down as above 5000ft it can be quite chilly in the mornings on such a long downhill ride. Let me know if you need any more input and have a great trip


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## wvmtb (Oct 12, 2006)

Thanks for your input tellico. I was wondering if 321 would be ok to ride on. If she goes out I have her talked into going to Cades Cove. But if we don't do that I might try 321. She will probably only go out 1 day. I on the other had will get out as much as possible. I might try a couple different routes. Clingmans Dome being the top of my priority. My plan is to drive to the Visitor Center at the bottom of the mountain and be on the bike as soon as it gets daylight enough to be safe. I was really hoping I could ride all the way to the tower if I got there early and before it got busy. But sounds like it might not happen ;( Guess I'll have to take the time to driving up there with the family.


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## tellico climber (Aug 14, 2006)

Thanks, no problem. However, at the time I responded to your thread I must have been tired and confused the Hwy number. I would not ride Hwy 321, it is way too dangerous due to traffic. In my tiredness, I gave you the wrong hwy number. The ride I would recommend is Hwy 416. It has far less traffic and is more scenic. You can also ride some side roads off Hwy 416. It will still have some traffic but nowhere near as bad as Hwy 321. Sorry about the confusion


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## wvmtb (Oct 12, 2006)

Thanks for the correction. I will play it by ear once we get there and see what she wants to do. The truth is she probably won't ride while we are there anyway. If she does we will probably do Cades Cove as it appears to be the most appealing. But for me I might try another early morning ride from the cabin another morning or 2.
I can't wait to get there and ride. My biggest/longest climb to date is Spruce Knob here in WV. It has about the same grade as Clingmans but it's only about half the distance.


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## tellico climber (Aug 14, 2006)

Have fun, you should enjoy it. If you have never ridden there before, try Asheville and the Blue Ridge Parkway someday. It is very beautiful and less traffic than the Smokeys and there are tons of things to do in town for you and the wife to enjoy also.


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## wvmtb (Oct 12, 2006)

I'm sure I will. Looks like a nice place. If I can talk her into going there for now on instead of the beach then life will be better. Next time I just hope we can leave the in-laws behind and bring our camper. That's what I had planned until my father-in-law found out where we were going. Oh well at least this way the bill is on him


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## GearDaddy (Apr 1, 2004)

I did a Smokey mountains trip a couple years ago and did the Cades Cove loop thing. This was early April, which is considered off-season still, but we had nice, warm weather. The Cades cove loop is not dead flat, but still very easy going with some short ups and downs. They rent bikes right there (cheapo hybrids). I rode the loop at a not-too-fast pace and still finished in in about 40 minutes. There was a bunch of car traffic on the loop, but I was actually going faster than the cars.

I didn't bring my own bike on the trip, and unfortunately renting a bike is not that easy in the immediate area. I saw lots of people riding up to Clingman's dome. The traffic wasn't too bad in April, but I hear it gets to be bumper-to-bumper in the summertime.

You can ride all the way to Cades Cove on a road bike a couple of different ways 1) through the park on old Hwy 73 from Gatlinburg, 2) from Townsend into the park and intersecting to old Hwy 73. But note that there is a bit of a ridge to go up and over either way to get into the Cades Cove area.

Another way to get into Cades Cove is via the Old Caves Code road from Townsend, which is a dirt road that goes up over a ridge and would be a challenging ride on a mountain bike.

The fastest way to drive to Cades Cove would probably be via 321 to Townsend and then into the park. It's only about 15 miles away from Pigeon Forge, so it shouldn't take you an hour to get there, but there's always the possibility you get in a traffic jam on the road leading into Cades Cove.

As far as other places to ride, there is also old Hwy 73 that goes through the park, but that is also going to be crazy with traffic beyond the very early morning. It's a beautiful, winding, and flatish road with little shoulder that follows along a creek for most of it. It's a possibility if you are not afraid of dealing with some traffic.

Another possibility is the "foothills parkway", which is Hwy 73 just a mile or two down the road from Townsend going towards Marysville. The parkway gently climbs up to a ridgeline that has many beautiful views looking towards the east into Smokey Mountains National Park. The road has less traffic, and I think it might have a bit of a shoulder on it. I think it may be OK to ride it starting from the town of Townsend, as there is a bike path along the highway that goes up to where the Foothills parkway starts.

Good Luck. If things don't pan out for you as to riding a bike, there's always the incredibly excellent experience of hiking in Smokey Mountain National Park. It's well worth it, and probably the best way to get away from the hoards of people.


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## Carverbiker (Mar 6, 2013)

I am in Pigeon Forge currently and would highly recommend Cades Cove, especially on Sat. And Wed. Mornings until 10am. As they close the loop to cars. Most other roads are far too busy with sight seeing tourists and no shoulders to be biked safely IMO.

Cades Cove is 11 miles and the first 6 or so is relatively easy. The last 5 has several steep hills in the 10-11% grade that are not that long but can be challenging if you are not a consistent biker. The total elevation gain per my garmin is 811 ft. It is very binary, you are either coasting down hills or grinding up hills no flat cruising to be found. I thought the ride was like doing an interval workout, but more fun!


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## wvmtb (Oct 12, 2006)

Last Thursday I rode from Sugerland Visitor Center to the parking lot at Clingmans Dome and back down. Started at 7am and eased my way up the mountain in 2:13. Very little traffic on the way up. Since I knew I was in for a long climb I didn't try to pus it very hard. I just took my time but only stopped a couple times for a quick photo shot. I can't want to do it again sometime!

Right as we got to Pigeon Forge I was having troubles with my feet (long story). It was hard enough to walk let alone ride. So the trip up to Clingmans was towards the ends of our stay there and it was my only ride . I was unable to get my wife out for a ride since I was limited to the 1 ride and she had no interest in riding up that mountain.

We drove the Cades Cove loop and the whole time I was wishing we could have rode it on one of those mornings that its closed. Maybe next time we will get that chance.

That was my 1st time in the area and I would love to go back. Heck, if it wasn't for our family and my job I would have stayed down there. Yea, I like it that much and I have lived in WV all my life!


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