Situated where the Foothills of the Great Smokies give way to the Tennessee Valley, Sevierville has long acted as a nexus between Knoxville to the north and the Appalachian towns in the mountains to the south
General Information
How to Get There
Overview
Sevierville is a city located in eastern Tennessee. With the opening of Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 1934, tens of thousands of tourists began passing through Sevierville, which was situated about halfway between the park and Knoxville. U.S. 441, initially known as Smoky Mountain Highway, was completed to Sevierville in 1934 and later extended to North Carolina.
Entertainer Dolly Parton was born in Sevierville in 1946. Her Parton ancestors had migrated to Greenbrier sometime around 1850 and later moved to Locust Ridge (near Pittman Center), where Parton was born, after the establishment of the national park. In more recent years, the town erected a statue of Parton on the lawn of the courthouse and named Dolly Parton Parkway after her.
Sevierville's eastern section, the Little Pigeon River is formed by the confluence of its East Fork and Middle Fork, both of which flow down from their sources high in the Great Smoky Mountains. Five miles (8 km) downstream to the west, the Little Pigeon absorbs its West Fork before turning north and flowing for another five miles (8 km) to its mouth along the French Broad River. Sevierville is centered on the stretch of land between these two junctions of the East and Middle Fork and the West Fork, known traditionally as Forks-of-the-Pigeon or Forks-of-the-River.
Situated in an area where the Foothills of the Great Smokies give way to the Tennessee Valley, Sevierville has long acted as a nexus between Knoxville to the north and the Appalachian towns in the mountains to the south. Great Smoky Mountains National Park is located approximately ten miles south of Sevierville.
Things to Do
Explore Historic Downtown Sevierville
Stroll through the city's historic district to see the Sevier County Courthouse, charming local shops, murals, and historic buildings. Downtown also features a self-guided walking tour highlighting the area's heritage and architecture.
Visit the Dolly Parton Statue
Located on the courthouse lawn, the bronze Dolly Parton statue is one of Sevierville's most famous landmarks and celebrates the hometown of the country music icon.
Discover the Great Smoky Mountains
Sevierville serves as a gateway to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, providing convenient access to scenic drives, waterfalls, mountain vistas, and hundreds of miles of hiking trails.
Tour Forbidden Caverns
Explore an underground world of impressive rock formations, natural chambers, and crystal-clear streams within one of East Tennessee's most popular caves.
Visit the Sevier County Heritage Museum
Learn about the area's history, culture, and notable residents through exhibits, artifacts, and photographs that showcase the development of Sevier County.
See Exotic Animals at Rainforest Adventures Discovery Zoo
This family-friendly attraction features reptiles, tropical birds, mammals, and other animals from around the world.
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Sevierville, Tennessee", and "Cummins Falls", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0.
