Pigeon Forge · McCarter Hollow Rd · Bird park
Parrot Mountain and Gardens
Hundreds of tropical birds in about four acres of hillside gardens behind Dollywood. Hand-feed lorikeets with nectar and visit the baby-bird nursery.
Official site opens the park’s own website. The entrance road is steep, so RVs should use the lower lot and ride up.
Details checked October 2026
Type
Bird park and gardens
Walk-through aviaries, nursery and landscaped paths
Admission
$29.95 adults
Kids 2–10 $19.95, seniors 65+ $27.95
Hours
10 a.m.–5 p.m. now
Nov–Dec; 10–6 March–October
Time needed
2–3 hours
Tripadvisor’s suggested visit length
Parking
Free lots; steep road
RVs: park at the lower lot and ride up
Birds
146 species
Parrots and softbills on about four acres
What you’ll see
What to see at Parrot Mountain and Gardens
This isn’t a show park. You walk shaded garden paths past parrot cottages, a waterfall and a secret garden where toucans and other birds fly free. Then you hand-feed lorikeets and watch staff hand-feed the babies in the nursery.
Photo: Joelk75 on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Start here
Hand-feed the lorikeets
The Lory Aviary is home to Australian and Indonesian lorikeets, and visitors can feed them nectar from a small cup. Recent visitor reports put the nectar at about $3 a cup, and a 2026 guide says the aviary ticket is sold at the main counter. Afterward, stop by the baby-bird nursery, where young birds are hand-fed.
RV tip: go early. A 2026 guide suggests arriving near the 10 a.m. opening, because the summit lots fill at busy times and late arrivals get sent to the lower lots.
More to see
- Baby-bird nurseryWatch staff hand-feed young parrots, and pet some of the chicks. Some nursery birds are for sale, with staff teaching new owners how to care for them.
- Secret gardenA walk-in garden where toucans and other birds fly free overhead, near the park’s waterfall.
- Parrot cottagesDecorative bird houses along the garden paths, each with a different style of roof. You can feed seed to the parrots in the bird garden.
- Deli and gift shopEat lunch on the deck after your walk. A 2026 guide recommends the deli’s Fletch Burger. There’s also a gift shop on site.
Why go
Why Parrot Mountain is a good RV-trip break from the Parkway
Parrot Mountain and Gardens sits in the hills off McCarter Hollow Road, about a mile from Dollywood. The same family has run it since 2002. It has hundreds of tropical birds, including macaws, cockatoos, lorikeets and toucans, on about four acres of landscaped gardens, and the Pigeon Forge chamber notes it bills itself as the largest eco-tourist bird park in the Southeast.
The visit is quiet and hands-on. Instead of shows, you get close to the birds: nectar for the lorikeets, seed for the roughly 70 birds on open perches in the bird garden, the baby-bird nursery and the chance to pose for a photo with a bird. Tripadvisor reviewers rate it 4.8 from more than 6,700 reviews.
It’s a hillside park, though. Paths are steep in places, and the entrance road climbs sharply to the main lot. RVers should plan to leave the big rig in the lower lot and ride up, or bring the tow car. Golf-cart rides are available for an extra fee if walking the slopes is hard.
Photo: Joelk75 on Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
Why it made our list
- Hand-feed lorikeets and see baby birds up close
- Rated 4.8 on Tripadvisor from 6,700+ reviews
- Close to Dollywood but well off the Parkway
- Calm, shaded garden walk that takes 2–3 hours
- Lower lot and ride-up option for big rigs
For RVers
Bringing the rig to Parrot Mountain
The road up to the main lot is steep. RVers have two easy options: bring the tow car, or park low and get a ride up.
Don’t drive the motorhome up the hill
The main parking is at the top of a steep entrance road, with a sharp incline near the end. RoadsideAmerica’s directions say drivers of RVs or heavily loaded vehicles should park on the right at the bottom and wait to be driven up. A 2026 guide also describes lower lots with a ride uphill when the summit lots fill. Call (865) 774-1749 to confirm before you go.
Getting there off Veterans Blvd.
From TN-449/Veterans Blvd., turn east at the stoplight onto McCarter Hollow Rd. Stay left, past the Dollywood entrance, and drive about 1.5 miles to the Parrot Mountain sign on the left. This keeps you off the Parkway entirely. McCarter Hollow Rd. is also Dollywood’s access road, so expect park traffic around opening and closing times.
Golf carts for the steep paths
The paths inside the park also climb. Golf-cart tours are available for an extra fee and are a good choice for families with strollers or anyone who finds the slopes hard. One visitor reported paying $60 for an employee to drive a group of four, on top of admission. Ask for the current rate at the counter.
Pets: call before bringing a dog
The park doesn’t post a pet policy. BringFido lists it as dog-friendly with leashed dogs welcome, but with free-flying birds in the secret garden, call (865) 774-1749 first. Don’t leave a dog in a parked car or RV during a 2–3 hour visit.
What visitors say about Parrot Mountain and Gardens
The visitor report card
We don’t copy other sites’ reviews, but the published scores are worth reading together. Scores checked October 29, 2026.
2026 admission prices
From Parrot Mountain’s operating schedule and pricing page, checked October 29, 2026. Group rates are for 35 or more people with a reservation; under 2 is free.
Good to know
Lorikeet nectarExtra; about $3 a cup per recent visitors
Golf-cart ridesExtra fee; helpful on the steep paths
Birds for saleNursery birds can be bought; staff explain care
Under 2Free
Prices and hours from parrotmountainandgardens.com, checked October 29, 2026. Nectar and golf-cart prices are visitor reports and may have changed.
Know before you go
Plan your visit
Parrot Mountain and Gardens
- Address1471 McCarter Hollow Rd., Pigeon Forge, TN 37862
- HoursOpen daily, rain or shine: 10 a.m.–6 p.m. March through October and 10 a.m.–5 p.m. in November and December, weather permitting. The park won’t open if it’s very cold or snowing, so call first in winter. It’s closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas. The 2026 season opened February 28.
- Phone(865) 774-1749
- TicketsAdmission is $29.95 for adults (11 and up), $27.95 for seniors (65 and up) and $19.95 for children 2 to 10; under 2 is free. Groups of 35 or more get lower rates with a reservation. Lorikeet nectar, golf-cart rides and souvenir bird photos cost extra.
- Getting thereFrom Veterans Blvd. (TN-449), turn east onto McCarter Hollow Rd. at the stoplight, keep left past the Dollywood entrance and go about 1.5 miles. Turn left at the Parrot Mountain sign. You can do the whole drive from most Pigeon Forge RV parks without using the Parkway.
- ParkingParking is on the property, with the main lot at the top of a steep road and more spaces lower down. RVs and heavily loaded vehicles should park in the lower area and get a ride up. Call ahead to arrange the ride, especially when it’s busy.
Wear good walking shoes for the hillside paths. Bring small bills for nectar cups and seed. Allow two to three hours, plus lunch at the deli if you like.
Where to stay nearby
RV parks near Parrot Mountain and Gardens
These are the Pigeon Forge-area parks we’ve written up, closest first. Drive times are estimates for a normal day; Parkway traffic can stretch them on busy evenings.
Camp Riverslanding
Private park with full-hookup sites along the Little Pigeon River, a short drive from the Old Mill end of town.
Creekside RV Park
Full-hookup park off Henderson Springs Road with a seasonal pool. Closed January and February.
Up the Creek RV Camp
Wooded full-hookup sites beside a creek off Little Valley Road. No restrooms, so bring a self-contained rig.
Helpful answers
Frequently asked questions
The questions RVers ask most before pulling in.
Daily · Nov–Dec 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Plan your visit to Parrot Mountain
Call ahead on cold days and to arrange a ride up from the lower lot if you’re bringing the RV. Then budget a few dollars for lorikeet nectar.
Thank you to the people behind these photos and this video. Please support them by giving their work a look. Photos: Joelk75 (a toucan in the gardens; CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons), Joelk75 (a parrot at Parrot Mountain; CC BY 2.0, via Flickr); the images were resized. Video: The Scott Gold Experience on YouTube (Exploring Parrot Mountain & Gardens). Review-site logos are trademarks of their owners.
Disclaimer
RV-Roundup is an independent, community-based resource created to help RV travelers and to support and promote the places we feature. RV-Roundup is not owned by, operated by, or officially affiliated with Parrot Mountain and Gardens unless otherwise stated.
The information on this page was prepared using the most current details available at the time of publication, including published materials from Parrot Mountain and Gardens and publicly available sources. Hours, pricing, rules and other details are set by the attraction and may change at any time without notice. Before you travel, please confirm all details directly with Parrot Mountain and Gardens at parrotmountainandgardens.com or (865) 774-1749. RV-Roundup is not responsible for errors, omissions, or changes made after publication.
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