Mercury Rising
They say that in the summertime, living is easy. That may be true when you’re vacationing in Pigeon Forge, TN, but there’s nothing easy about sweltering under a hot summer sun. Fortunately for visitors to Pigeon Forge and the Great Smoky Mountains, there’s no shortage of ways to keep cool in spite of the soaring temperatures.
In fact, Pigeon Forge is a true oasis of cool. Want proof? Think of Dolly’s Splash Country in Pigeon Forge. With over 23 water adventure slides and thrill rides, and a giant wave pool and lazy river, it's hard to think of anything cooler than a water park. Of course, in the Smokies, you can keep cool in more ways than one. How about a day on the water at Douglas Lake? Bring your Jet Ski or boat out to the Sevier County Park and enjoy the sparkling water and lush greenery of Douglas Reservoir, set against the background of the Great Smoky Mountains. It's hard to be too hot when you're surrounded by so much water, and no place has more water than this lovely lake on the French Broad River. Upstream from the reservoir on the Pigeon River, cool water rushes down from the mountains for the enjoyment of adventure seekers who raft the river. Or for a more relaxing trip down the river, try tubing. You don't need AC when you're leisurely drifting down the Little Pigeon River. Continue upstream and you'll find yourself in the cool shade of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, where thousands upon thousands of tiny streams and cool brooks fill the valleys. Fed by deep springs high in the mountains, these cool waters are the perfect escape from summer heat. Swimming in the Smokies is great fun, you can even snorkel and see trout! If getting your feet wet isn't your style, slip into some waders and enjoy trout fishing. Trout are just a few of the many animals and plants in the Smokies that require cold temperatures to survive, and the Park's high elevations help to provide it. In fact, if you hike in the higher elevations in the Smokies, you will enjoy temperatures that average 10 degrees below those in the valley. For a cool high elevation Smokies hike, try the Chimney Tops trail on Newfound Gap Road, or the Clingman's Dome overlook trail on Clingman's Dome Road. And don't forget that even though natural AC abounds in Pigeon Forge, so too does the AC in the area's many outlet malls. Feel and look cool this summer by planning a stop at the Tanger Outlet in Sevierville or the Belz Factory Outlet Mall and Red Roof Outlet Mall in Pigeon Forge, all complete with icy air conditioned comfort and cool summer savings from hundreds of brand names. So there you have it. Pigeon Forge is the best way to keep cool this summer, so make your summertime getaway easy with PigeonForge.com.