It's Your Smoky Mountains

08/30/2026

🦋💗 DOLLY MAY BE GONE… BUT DOLLYWOOD IS MAKING SURE SHE IS NEVER FORGOTTEN. 💗🦋

This one is going to be emotional for a lot of people.

Dollywood is planning a permanent memorial for Dolly Parton — a place where fans from around the world will be able to come, reflect, remember, and pay tribute to the woman who meant so much to the Smoky Mountains and millions of people everywhere.

And honestly… it is hard to imagine a more fitting place. ❤️

Dollywood wasn’t just a business to Dolly.

It was HOME.

It was the mountains she loved.

It was her childhood.

It was her family.

It was her faith.

It was her music.

It was her way of giving back to the people and the place that helped make her who she was.

Plans being discussed include a peaceful area near the chapel, a waterfall flowing through Craftsman’s Valley, and a sculpted guitar with stained glass — creating a place of reflection that can remain at Dollywood for generations. 🦋

Think about that for a moment…

Years from now, children who were not even alive during Dolly’s lifetime may stand there with their parents and grandparents.

They will hear the stories.

They will hear the songs.

They will learn about the little girl who grew up poor in the mountains of East Tennessee and became one of the most beloved entertainers in the world.

They will learn about “Jolene.”

They will learn about “Coat of Many Colors.”

They will learn about the Imagination Library and the millions of books placed into the hands of children.

They will learn about her generosity.

Her humor.

Her faith.

Her kindness.

Her love for the Smoky Mountains.

And hopefully they will understand that Dolly Parton was about so much more than fame.

She showed the world that you could become incredibly successful without forgetting where you came from.

❤️ That may be one of her greatest legacies of all.

Dollywood President Eugene Naughton has said Dolly will remain at the center of Dollywood’s future — and this permanent memorial will help ensure that her story continues to be told long after her life here on Earth.

Dolly once dreamed of creating something special in the mountains she called home.

She did.

And now those mountains will help keep her memory alive forever. 🏔️🦋

Dolly may have left this world…

but her music will still play.

Her books will still reach children.

Her story will still inspire dreamers.

And somewhere in the Smoky Mountains, there will always be a place to remember Dolly. ❤️

👇 What is YOUR favorite memory of Dolly Parton?

Maybe it was seeing her at Dollywood.

Maybe it was hearing one of her songs for the first time.

Maybe your child received an Imagination Library book.

Maybe you simply admired the kind of person she was.

Share your Dolly memory in the comments. 💗

And if Dolly ever made you smile, inspired you, or touched your life in some way…

🦋 SHARE THIS so her memory keeps traveling around the world.

We will always love you, Dolly. ❤️






















Photo from attraction magazine. They did one of the best pictures to capture the temporary Memorial.

08/29/2026

💖✨ KNOXVILLE IS HAVING A PARADE FOR DOLLY! ✨💖

East Tennessee is coming together for a beautiful and colorful celebration of the life and legacy of our beloved Dolly Parton. 🦋🌸🎶

On Friday, September 4, downtown Knoxville will host “What Dolly Did for Me: A Parade for Our Queen” — and everyone is invited to come out and celebrate the woman who meant so much to Tennessee and millions of people around the world.

📍 Downtown Knoxville, Tennessee
🗓️ Friday, September 4, 2026
⏰ Lineup: 6:30 PM
🎉 Parade begins: 7:00 PM
📍 Lineup begins at the City County Building lawn, 400 Main Street

The half-mile procession will make its way through downtown Knoxville before ending at Market Square near the Dolly Parton mural in Strong Alley.

And this won't be an ordinary parade! 💗

The Cattywampus Puppet Council will lead the celebration with its enormous and unforgettable “Big Dolly” puppet, along with the bright and lively Honkers, Bangers & Shakers community marching band. 🎺🥁✨

Everyone attending is encouraged to come dressed bold, bright, colorful and full of rhinestones — exactly the way Dolly would want it! 💎👢🌈

Bring signs, artwork, flowers or something meaningful that represents what Dolly meant to YOU. Some items can be left near the Dolly mural as a tribute to her incredible life.

This is more than a parade.

It's East Tennessee saying THANK YOU, DOLLY. ❤️

Thank you for the music.
Thank you for Dollywood.
Thank you for the Imagination Library.
Thank you for never forgetting where you came from.
Thank you for giving back to the people of East Tennessee again and again.

From the mountains of Sevier County to Knoxville, Nashville and all around the world, Dolly's legacy will live on forever. 🦋

Who plans on being in Knoxville for the parade? And if you could carry ONE sign telling Dolly what she meant to you, what would it say?

👇 Share this with every Dolly fan you know!

08/28/2026

🌟 ATTENTION DOLLY PARTON FANS! 🌟

It’s Your Smoky Mountains is proud to announce the launch of our brand-new page dedicated entirely to the life, music, legacy, and incredible story of Dolly Parton.

💗 ALL ABOUT DOLLY is here to give a tribute to Dolly Parton and her amazing journey through life.💗

👉 www.facebook.com/allaboutdolly

This page is being created as a place for Dolly fans from around the world to celebrate everything that has made her such an important part of music, Tennessee, the Smoky Mountains, and American culture.

🎶 On All About Dolly, you’ll find:

🎤 Dolly Parton’s music and legendary career
📖 Stories and history from throughout her life
📸 Classic, historic, and memorable photos
🎢 Dollywood history, news, attractions, and memories
🏔️ Her roots in Sevier County and the Great Smoky Mountains
💼 Dolly’s businesses and entrepreneurial ventures
❤️ Her incredible generosity and charitable giving
📚 The Imagination Library and the millions of lives it has touched
🎬 Movies, television appearances, concerts, and performances
👗 Her unforgettable style, personality, humor, and wisdom
⭐ Rare stories, interesting facts, throwback moments, and much more

From growing up in a small cabin in the mountains of East Tennessee to becoming one of the most recognized entertainers in the world, Dolly Parton’s story is unlike any other.

But All About Dolly isn’t just about fame and music.

It’s about the songwriter.

The entertainer.

The entrepreneur.

The philanthropist.

The Smoky Mountain girl who never forgot where she came from. 🏔️💗

Whether you’ve been a Dolly fan for 50 years or you’re just discovering her story, we want this page to become a community where everyone can celebrate the memories, music, history, and legacy of Dolly Parton.

🦋 Help us build the Dolly community!

👉 FOLLOW All About Dolly
👉 LIKE the page
👉 SHARE it with your friends
👉 INVITE every Dolly fan you know

💗 Follow here:

👉 www.facebook.com/allaboutdolly

We have a LOT planned, and we’re just getting started! Post will be happing very soon.

A Place Where Everyone Can Go And Talk About Dolly Parton

08/28/2026

Just to show how down to earth Dolly Parton. This will be her resting place. She came from humble beginnings and she wanted to end that same way.

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

08/26/2026

🚨 BREAKING NEWS: DOLLY PARTON HAS PASSED AWAY AT 80 AFTER A BRIEF BATTLE WITH CANCER 💔🦋

This is something no one knew in public. To be honest its a shocker. While she was very public about things. Her health was very private

The Smoky Mountains have lost one of their brightest lights.

Dolly Parton, the little girl from the mountains of Sevier County, Tennessee, who grew up with very little but dreamed bigger than anyone could have imagined, has passed away at the age of 80 following a brief battle with cancer.

For those of us who love the Smoky Mountains, Dolly was never simply a country music superstar.

She was one of us.

Born in 1946 and raised as one of 12 children in a poor family in the mountains of East Tennessee, Dolly never forgot where she came from. She sang in church as a little girl, began writing songs at an early age and eventually left the mountains carrying dreams that would take her around the world.

Those dreams became songs that generations would know by heart.

🎶 Jolene
🎶 Coat of Many Colors
🎶 9 to 5
🎶 I Will Always Love You
🎶 Here You Come Again

But Dolly Parton's story was about so much more than music.

She brought part of East Tennessee with her everywhere she went — her unmistakable accent, her humor, her faith, her kindness and her love for the Smoky Mountains.

And when she became successful, she brought that success home.

Dollywood helped transform Pigeon Forge and the surrounding Smoky Mountains into one of America's most popular family vacation destinations. Her Imagination Library placed books into the hands of millions of children. She supported education, families, disaster relief, medical research and countless causes, often helping people she would never personally meet.

Despite worldwide fame, Dolly never seemed embarrassed by her humble beginnings.

Quite the opposite.

She made the mountains part of her identity.

From a small cabin in the hills of Sevier County to becoming one of the most recognizable entertainers on Earth, Dolly Parton's life became one of the greatest American success stories ever told.

But here in the Smokies, her legacy feels much more personal.

Drive through Sevierville, Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg and her influence is everywhere. Talk to families who worked at Dollywood, children who received their first books through the Imagination Library, or people who experienced her generosity after tragedy, and you begin to understand just how many lives she touched.

Today, there is an emptiness in these mountains that is difficult to put into words. 💔

The world knew her as Dolly Parton, the superstar.

Tennessee knew her as Dolly.

And the Smoky Mountains will always be proud to call her one of our own. 🦋⛰️

Rest in peace, Dolly.

Your voice may have fallen silent, but your music, generosity, laughter and love for these mountains will live on for generations.

From the hills of East Tennessee to the entire world — thank you for never forgetting where you came from. ❤️

🦋 1946–2026

08/26/2026

💔🦋 AT NOON TODAY, SEVIER COUNTY WILL PAUSE FOR DOLLY.

Today at 12:00 noon, something very special will happen across Dolly Parton’s beloved home county.

For a few moments, the busy Smoky Mountains will become a little quieter as Sevier County honors the life of Dolly Parton.

🔔 In downtown Sevierville, the historic Sevier County Courthouse bell will begin a solemn five-minute toll.

Just below that bell sits the familiar bronze statue of Dolly — barefoot, holding her guitar and looking out over the hometown she never forgot.

🏫 At the same time, Sevier County schools will observe a moment of silence in her memory.

And whether you're in Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, Seymour, Kodak, the mountains, at work, at home, or visiting the Smokies, we hope you'll consider stopping for a moment too.

Because Dolly wasn't simply a celebrity who happened to come from Sevier County.

She was part of Sevier County.

She grew up in these mountains.

She went to school here.

She sang about these mountains.

She built businesses here.

She created jobs here.

She helped families here.

She gave children books.

And when tragedy struck her neighbors during the 2016 wildfires, she stepped forward and helped her people.

Dolly traveled the entire world, became one of the biggest stars the world had ever known, and could have called almost anywhere home.

But she never stopped reminding the world where she came from.

The Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. ❤️

So today, when that courthouse bell begins ringing at noon, maybe stop what you're doing.

Turn the radio down.

Put the phone away.

Stand quietly for a moment.

Think about the music.

Think about the laughter.

Think about the generosity.

Think about the millions of children who received a book because Dolly believed they deserved one.

And think about that little girl from the mountains who dreamed bigger than anyone could have imagined — and then spent much of her life helping other people dream too.

🦋 At noon today, let's make the Smoky Mountains quiet for Dolly.

Just for a moment.

Because after everything Dolly Parton gave Sevier County…

the least we can give her is a moment.

Rest easy, Dolly.

Your mountains will always remember you. ❤️🏔️

Please SHARE this so others throughout Sevier County and the Smoky Mountains know about today's moment of silence.

08/25/2026

💔 THE SMOKY MOUNTAINS HAVE LOST ONE OF THEIR BRIGHTEST LIGHTS.

Today is an incredibly sad day for Tennessee, the Smoky Mountains, country music, and millions of people around the world.

Dolly Parton has passed away at the age of 80.

For those of us who love the Smoky Mountains, Dolly was so much more than a country music superstar.

She was one of us.

Born and raised in Sevier County, Dolly never forgot where she came from. No matter how famous she became, she continued to carry the mountains, the people, the stories, and the spirit of East Tennessee with her everywhere she went.

🎶 She gave us songs that became part of American history.

📚 She gave millions of children books through the Imagination Library.

🎢 She helped transform Pigeon Forge and the Smoky Mountains through Dollywood.

❤️ She gave back to her community again and again, often helping people without asking for attention in return.

But perhaps Dolly's greatest gift was the way she made people feel.

She could make you laugh.

She could make you cry.

She could make someone who had very little believe that where they came from didn't have to determine where they could go.

From a small cabin in the mountains of East Tennessee to becoming one of the most recognizable entertainers in the world, Dolly Parton showed generations of people what was possible while never forgetting home.

The Smoky Mountains will never quite feel the same.

But every time we hear one of her songs…

Every time a child opens a book from the Imagination Library…

Every time families walk through the gates of Dollywood…

And every time someone drives through those beautiful mountains Dolly loved so much…

A piece of her will still be here.

Rest in peace, Dolly. 🦋❤️

Thank you for the music.

Thank you for the memories.

Thank you for what you did for East Tennessee.

And most of all…

Thank you for never forgetting where you came from.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Dolly's family, friends, the Dollywood family, and everyone whose life she touched.

🙏 What is your favorite Dolly Parton memory, song, or moment? Share it below. Let's fill this post with memories of a true Smoky Mountain legend.

08/23/2026

🚗🤫 LOCALS KNOW THESE BACK ROADS — 8 WAYS TO AVOID SMOKY MOUNTAIN TRAFFIC!

If you've ever spent HOURS crawling through Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, or Gatlinburg traffic, SAVE THIS POST! 📲

Some of these routes are a little unconventional...

But when the Parkway is bumper-to-bumper and you're just trying to get back to your hotel or cabin, knowing these roads can be a lifesaver. 🏔️

Here are some Smoky Mountain back roads every frequent visitor should know 👇

1️⃣ DOLLY PARTON PARKWAY → TN-416 → TN-454 → US-321 🚗

Coming through Sevierville and traffic toward Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg is TERRIBLE?

Instead of following everyone down the main Parkway, consider heading east on Dolly Parton Parkway and working your way toward Gatlinburg using:

➡️ Dolly Parton Parkway
➡️ TN-416 / Pittman Center Road
➡️ TN-454 / Birds Creek & Buckhorn Road area
➡️ US-321 / East Parkway
➡️ Gatlinburg

This takes you around the EAST side of Pigeon Forge and brings you into Gatlinburg from the US-321 side.

⚠️ It's longer and definitely more winding than the Parkway.

But when traffic is backed up for miles, sometimes MOVING is a whole lot better than sitting! 😂

2️⃣ CAMPBELL LEAD ROAD — THE ONE MANY TOURISTS NEVER DISCOVER 🤫

This is one Smoky Mountain road worth remembering.

Campbell Lead Road connects with the Gatlinburg Bypass and winds through the mountain ABOVE downtown Gatlinburg.

One direction can take you toward the Bypass...

The other direction, through the Greystone Heights area, can bring you down BEHIND Ripley's Aquarium! 🦈

YES... behind the Aquarium.

It also takes you through the mountain above downtown near the SkyPark area. 🌉

If your cabin or hotel is on the west side of Gatlinburg, this route can be extremely useful when downtown traffic is barely moving.

⚠️ WARNING: This is NOT the Parkway.

It's a winding mountain road, can be narrow in places, and isn't a route we'd recommend for someone uncomfortable driving mountain roads.

But experienced Smoky Mountain visitors definitely know about it.

3️⃣ GATLINBURG BYPASS 🏔️

If you DON'T need to be in downtown Gatlinburg, why drive straight through the middle of it?

The Gatlinburg Bypass allows you to go around downtown and connects with Campbell Lead Road.

And you get some pretty incredible views along the way! 🌄

4️⃣ VETERANS BOULEVARD — PIGEON FORGE 🎢

One of the most useful roads to know around Pigeon Forge.

Veterans Boulevard can help you avoid sections of the Parkway and is especially useful around the Dollywood area.

5️⃣ TEASTER LANE 🚙

Running behind much of the Pigeon Forge Parkway area, Teaster Lane gives you another north/south option instead of automatically joining Parkway traffic.

6️⃣ JAKE THOMAS CONNECTOR

This connection between the Teaster Lane/Jake Thomas Road area and Veterans Boulevard gives you another way to move across Pigeon Forge without relying entirely on the Parkway.

7️⃣ RIVER ROAD — DOWNTOWN GATLINBURG 🌊

Already IN Gatlinburg?

Don't forget about River Road.

It runs behind part of the Parkway and can sometimes save you from crawling through the center of downtown traffic.

8️⃣ BASKINS CREEK BYPASS

Another road worth learning if you regularly visit Gatlinburg.

Depending on where you're headed, it can help you work around portions of downtown congestion instead of staying on the Parkway.

🔥 THE BIGGEST "SECRET" OF ALL?

Don't automatically follow the route your GPS gives you!

During peak tourist season, fall weekends, holidays, Rod Runs, and major events, thousands of people can be following the SAME navigation route.

Look at the traffic map BEFORE you leave your cabin, hotel, restaurant, or attraction.

Sometimes the alternate route may be several miles longer...

But we'd rather drive 35 minutes through the Tennessee countryside than sit almost completely still for an hour or two. 😂🚗

⚠️ IMPORTANT:

These are alternate routes — NOT guaranteed shortcuts.

Traffic conditions change constantly. Some roads are narrow, steep, and winding. Weather, accidents, construction, special events, and road closures can completely change which route is best.

Never blindly follow a shortcut onto a road you aren't comfortable driving. Check current navigation and road conditions first.

📲 SAVE THIS POST BEFORE YOUR NEXT SMOKY MOUNTAIN VACATION!

Better yet...

SHARE IT with the person who always drives on your Smoky Mountain trips! 😂👇

And for those of you who know the area...

🤫 What's YOUR favorite back road when the Parkway turns into a parking lot?

Follow **It's Your Smoky Mountains** for the tips tourists don't always hear about — traffic tricks, hidden gems, restaurants, attractions, scenic drives, and everything you need to know about Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Sevierville, and the Great Smoky Mountains! 🏔️❤️

08/15/2026

08/15/2026

🎥 Well… apparently this video has been sitting in my phone waiting for its moment. The video is far from professional so dont beat us up too bad. We never even edited it like other people you see posting. So the ride up is either a love it or hate it. If you been on the Crystal Express you know which way you think😅

We took the Crystal Express up to Anakeesta in Gatlinburg and somehow completely forgot to post the video! We have not seen anyone post a complete video up yet or down. Maybe wrong but haven't seen it

So here it is… better late than never. 😂🏔️.

And once you get to the top, you’ve got mountain views, food, drinks, shops, attractions, and plenty of places to just sit back and enjoy being in the Smokies. There are a few new things at the top. The end of the treetop walk finally is finished. There is a large, we mean large building everyone is sayin will be for employees but its huge right at the top and a little large to be a employee break room. Also, there is a bear paw print now near the restaurant. It is a great veiw of downtown Gatlinburg. 🌲⛰️

Have you ridden the Crystal Express up to Anakeesta yet? And be honest… are we the only ones who take videos and then forget to post them? Did you notice the fairly new modifications to the welcome area when you get off the ride up? 😂👇