Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Dolly Parton are both Appalachian icons. The Smoky Mountains provide such a magnificent outdoor setting that the range’s namesake park draws the highest visitation of any of America’s 63 national parks. Parton is equally inspiring. She is an entertainment icon whose life story and career accomplishments are so compelling she may well be America’s most treasured public figure.

The two converge in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, a small town that commands a huge following by travelers who gather for weekend getaways, family vacations and escorted group trips. The Select Traveler Conference will be held in this mountain mecca March 1-3, 2027, and delegates will enjoy all the comforts of a stay at Dollywood’s HeartSong Lodge & Resort.

“The interest level among our buyers is sky-high for this conference,” said Select Traveler Conference general manager Jennifer Ferguson. “The combination of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, HeartSong Lodge & Resort and Pigeon Forge entertainment is almost impossible to pass up. It will be a lot of fun.”

It’s difficult to touch on all the points of interest in and around Pigeon Forge, but highlighting a few will entice many Select Traveler planners to join the fun next March. For STC 2027, U.S. Tours, a company well known to conference delegates, is being recognized as an official Conference Partner due to their long-standing stature as a travel provider across the state of Tennessee.

Here are a few reasons why you should plan to be at STC 2027.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Covering half a million acres, Great Smoky Mountains National Park is as much a cultural repository as it is a nature preserve. Mountain cultures from the Smokies and other Appalachian regions have inspired some of America’s most treasured music, cuisine and art. As a focal point for America’s vast Appalachian Mountains that stretch from Maine to Alabama, this national park speaks for many mountain regions across 18 states. It’s worth noting that groups have the advantage of arriving in this region with many of their stops already planned and arranged by travel professionals. That’s a blessing for a national park and a town as popular as these two destinations.

Entering the park from the Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg gateway often means a stop at the Sugarlands Nature Center for a quick orientation. Scenic drives include the Cades Cove Loop, an 11-mile, one-way road that paints a portrait of the Smokies, featuring historic cabins, churches, other landmarks and maybe a few sightings of native wildlife, including black bears. A drive through Newfound Gap may also be included where, on a clear day, the vistas that inspired the name “Smoky Mountains” dominate the horizon.

“I love the Smokies all the time and especially in the fall,” said Pigeon Forge spokesperson Trish McGee. “Nothing compares to the color here. In late October, this area is glorious. I also enjoy relaxing here by taking a walk in the evening on the riverwalk along the Little Pigeon River. It’s very accessible, and it’s fun to see all the locals and visitors enjoying it.”

HeartSong Lodge & Resort

It’s unusual that a hotel appears near the top of the points of interest for a Select Traveler Conference, but this one earns an exception. HeartSong and its sister property, DreamMore Resort & Spa, are flagships of the expansive brand Parton has created with Dollywood Parks and Resorts. A relaxing stay in one of these properties is on many travelers’ bucket lists. When attendees check in for the 2027 Select Traveler Conference, they will be greeted by HeartSong’s four-story, Smokies-inspired atrium lobby, highlighted by its warm decor, stone fireplace and massive windows. The resort includes 302 guest rooms and suites, many with balconies, and a full-service restaurant, lounge and private dining room.

Dollywood Theme Park

Not only is Great Smoky Mountain National Park the most visited free attraction in Tennessee, but Dollywood is the most visited ticketed attraction in the state. That’s a powerful combination for Pigeon Forge. Even travel planners’ eldest group members will enjoy a visit to this immensely popular theme park. It offers the adventurous guest more than 50 rides to choose from but also features lots of high-quality entertainment for those who prefer to take a seat and enjoy professional performers.

Dollywood has built a service culture around interactions between staff and guests that reflect the native hospitality in East Tennessee. Elevated shopping and dining options have also helped to create a guest experience that earned Dollywood the title of “America’s No.1 Theme Park” by TripAdvisor in 2024.

“I worked at Dollywood for many years and will always love it,” McGee said. “Every year, I attend Dollywood’s Harvest Celebration in late fall before November weather arrives.”

Old Mill Square Historic District

Americana endures in Pigeon Forge. In addition to centuries of authentic lifestyles left behind by Native Americans, pioneers and mountain cultures — and the ancient geology and biology that remain in the Smokies — travelers can enjoy The Old Mill district, anchored by a historic mill that was built by one of the town’s earliest entrepreneurs. In 1830, Isaac Love built a grist mill powered by a waterwheel to grind corn, wheat and oats to make flour for residents.

Thirteen years earlier, Love built and operated an iron forge on the same site from which the city takes its name. Today, in a nod to the past, travelers enjoy the historic mill, the Old Mill Restaurant, the Pottery House Cafe & Grille, the Old Mill Creamery, the Old Mill Candy Kitchen, the Old Mill General Store, Pigeon River Pottery and several other shops.

Pink Jeep Tours

Many planners have taken their groups on Pink Jeep Tours in outdoor destinations across the country. Pink Adventure Tours, an affiliate of Pink Jeep Tours, operates several trips in the Smoky Mountains from the company’s Pigeon Forge location. Three-hour tours include the Roaring Fork Smoky Mountain Tour, a 4×4 adventure trip that visits historic Gatlinburg, the Roaring Fork 5.5-mile nature trail and an in-depth experience at two stops; Newfound Gap Smoky Mountains Tour, which ascends 3,000 feet into the mountains and showcases part of the iconic Appalachian Trail; and the Historic Elkmont Tour, which highlights the old mountain resort village of Daisytown and captures the stories of mountaineers, runaway trains and logging towns.

“My favorite activity in the mountains is a Pink Jeep Tour,” McGee said. “I love the Foothills Parkway tour because I can listen to the history of the area from the guide, take my camera and shoot photos, and have snacks as I go. I do love snacks!”

Entertainment and Dinner Venues

Pigeon Forge is rich in entertainment venues for groups and families. Three that merit mention include Dolly Parton’s Stampede, a rollicking dinner show that features lots of horses and riders and tells its heartwarming story through dance, song and horsemanship. Attendees enjoy a four-course meal with dessert as the galloping story unfolds.

Pirates Voyage is an aquatic-themed romp filled with pirates, male and female, who dance, swing from trapezes, dive from ships and jump from masts into vast blue waters. This swashbuckling show thoroughly thrills its audience with acrobatic feats above and below the waves and includes a four-course feast for guests.

Hatfield & McCoy Dinner Feud is another dinner show that entertains and feeds lots of families and groups in Pigeon Forge. An actual family feud that took place in Appalachia and endured for generations is depicted in good-natured fun during this music-filled, dance-driven version of the well-known story.

To register for Select Traveler Conference 2027 in Pigeon Forge, visit selecttravelerconf.com.