Inside: Read the review and get a first-hand account of riding and racing on the NEW Pigeon Forge Racing Coaster, with all the information and details you need to go!
Imagine flying on twists and turns on the side of a mountain and racing your kid, friend, or partner to see who can complete the course first. If it sounds like go-kart racing, it is modeled after racecar driving, but the brand-new Pigeon Forge Racing Coaster is even cooler since it’s faster, has amazing views, and you can totally trash-talk your competitor the whole time since you’re racing on parallel tracks.
If you love high-flying, fast adventure, put the Pigeon Forge Racing Coaster on your list the next time you visit the Smokies! Special thanks to the Pigeon Forge Racing Coaster for inviting us to experience this unique adventure.
Watch Us Race!!
About Pigeon Forge Racing Coaster
The racing coaster is the only one of its kind in the entire world. There is no other parallel mountain coaster like this one, and as someone who has ridden several mountain coasters, I can confirm this one is completely unique.
Pigeon Forge Racing Coaster is owned by BJ and Jessica McLeod. BJ is a NASCAR race car driver, and he and his wife own Live Fast Motorsports. They happened to visit Pigeon Forge and had the idea of a racing alpine coaster. It was literally sketched out on a napkin!
The coaster has two parallel racing tracks and is a timed course. Since there were three of us who went, I rode with my youngest daughter so we could race my other daughter but I saw two adults ride the car together so you could make it work with however many people you have with you.
There are basically two courses that you ride with your ticket and these tracks are fast and fun – and long. They total 7,714ft, nearly 1.5 miles, together. And while you’re pushing hard on the throttle, don’t forget to enjoy the stunning views of the mountains and Pigeon Forge. The tracks even include an 80-foot double helix and a 360-degree spiral tower. It’s a very smooth ride since it’s a double track on the car and not a single track.
Racing the Coasters: “We built this one to start fights between cousins.”
I’m ridiculously competitive by nature and sometimes my daughters like to join in on the trash talking, which we could totally do on this ride because we were side by side. My daughter smoked us on both tracks but even though I lost, I would do it again 100% because it was so much fun.
The ride can get up to 30 mph and there are cameras on the car itself plus others that take photos during the ride and clock your speed. We both got up a little over 25 mph but it felt faster – we were flying around the curves! I was also easily distracted by the views because I just love mountains. The views were stunning.
The founders of the Pigeon Forge Racing Coaster set the tone for the ride starting with their website. You know these people are fun when the website reads: “This isn’t just another mountain coaster. It’s the one everyone else is going to wish they built first. We didn’t come to Pigeon Forge to play it safe. We came to build something no one else had the guts to pull off…We built this one to start fights between cousins.”
You know what I’m doing? Going on that coaster.
Nighttime Rides
We rode the coaster during the day but the night photos and videos we saw made us want to come back in the dark! The coaster has an extensive collection of LED lights that run the entire length of the track. You can go race in the dark and start fights with your cousin then.
The coaster is open until 10 pm most nights and some nights until 11 pm. See their website for current hours.
Know Before You Go
It’s important to know these things before you book your ticket:
- Must be at least 56″ tall to ride alone.
- Weight limit: 375 lbs. in dry weather and 330 lbs. in wet weather conditions.
- Riders with back, neck, or other injuries, or those who are pregnant, are not permitted to ride.
- Proper footwear recommended, no loose items like hats on the ride.
- If you drop something on the ride, you’re not getting it back.
Tickets are $25/adult (ages 13+) and $18/youth (ages 7-12). You can purchase coaster tickets online. Kids ages 3-6 (who are at least 38″ tall) ride free with an accompanying adult ticket. Discounted tickets are sold for further rides and photos and videos of your ride are available for purchase.
Pigeon Forge Racing Coaster
115 Conner Heights Road, Pigeon Forge, TN | 865.999.8115
Pigeon Forge Racing Coaster Website
Looking for more fun in the Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg area?
Check out our big guide to the area to plan your trip!
