Parrot Mountain and Garden of Eden

Why go: Four acres of hillside garden where hundreds of tropical birds sit on open perches within arm’s reach, and feeding a lorikeet nectar from a cup in your hand is the ordinary visit rather than an upcharge.

About Parrot Mountain and Garden of Eden

Parrot Mountain began with a vision the owner had in 1995, when he left Mississippi for the Tennessee mountains and started planting a garden on a wooded ridge above town. What grew out of it is four acres of landscaped grounds holding hundreds of tropical birds, tens of thousands of flowers and plants, and a canopy of hardwoods that turns gold and orange every fall.

The collection runs to 146 species of parrots and softbills from Asia, Africa, Australia, Indonesia, and Central and South America. Many of them live in hand built English style cottages roofed in slate, clay tile, cedar shake, and water reed rather than in wire cages, and many more sit out in the open on perches lining the paved pathways. The park runs a captive breeding program for endangered and threatened species and takes in donated, neglected, and unwanted birds for life.

The Garden of Eden half of the name is not decoration. Scripture is planted throughout the grounds, and a prayer garden at the back of the property holds a manger scene, a replica of the crucifixion, a replica of the empty tomb, and a seven foot statue of the resurrected Christ. Church groups make up a meaningful share of the visitors here, though nothing about the layout asks you to be one.

Getting to Parrot Mountain and Garden of Eden

Parrot Mountain sits on the Dollywood side of Pigeon Forge, up a wooded ridge just past the theme park and Splash Country. Leave the Parkway on Dollywood Lane and follow the signs toward Dollywood, then stay with the road as it bends away from the park entrance onto McCarter Hollow Road, which climbs the last stretch to the gate. That final approach is narrow and winding, and the parking area sits on a grade with loose gravel in places, so take it slowly on the way up and give yourself room on the way out.

Why Choose Parrot Mountain and Garden of Eden

Pigeon Forge has no shortage of animal attractions, but most of them keep the animals behind glass or wire. Parrot Mountain is built the other way around, with the birds out on open perches and staff who expect you to feed them, photograph them, and take your time about it.

• Hands on by design. Letting a lorikeet land on your arm or feeding seed from your palm is what admission buys, not a separate encounter you book on top of it.
• A conservation park rather than a roadside aviary. The breeding program targets endangered and threatened species, and rescued birds are kept for life instead of rotated out.
• Gardens that stand on their own. Staff plant tens of thousands of flowers, shrubs, and trees each year, and the grounds are worth the walk even for someone indifferent to birds.
• Quiet, by Parkway standards. Set back on a ridge instead of the strip, so the soundtrack is birdsong and a waterfall rather than engines and arcade noise.
• Built for groups. Church groups, school field trips, birthday parties, and reunions each have their own program, including a live educational bird show for students.
• Rain is not a washout. The park stays open in wet weather, there is cover along the route, and the birds are noticeably livelier for it.

Must Do

The route through the park runs as a loop, laid out so that each stop hands you off to the next. These are the ones worth slowing down for.

• The Secret Garden. A little yellow door opens onto an enclosed jungle where toucans, magpies, and a silvery cheeked hornbill fly loose overhead.
• The Bird Garden. Roughly 70 birds on open perches, seed cups in hand, and the best photographs of the day.
• The Lory Aviary. Walk in holding a cup of nectar and Australian lorikeets come down onto your hands and arms to drink from it.
• The Baby Bird Nursery. Newly hatched parrots in incubators and chicks at every stage of development, hand fed by staff while you watch.
• The Prayer Garden. The quietest corner of the property, tucked at the back behind the flowers and the birds.
• The Waterfall Benches. Butterfly, dragonfly, and peacock benches sit beside a waterfall near the end of the loop, and they are the place to sit down for a while.

What to Expect

Allow two to three hours if you want to work through the feeding stops properly, and longer if you plan to eat on site. The park is open daily through its season, and the terrain is the thing most worth knowing about before you drive up.

• The whole site is a hillside. The parking area sits on a grade with loose gravel in spots, and there is a climb up to the ticket booth before the paved pathways begin. Wear shoes with grip.
• Accessibility. The park states no wheelchair, stroller, or mobility policy on its website, and the ground is genuinely steep in places, so call ahead if anyone in your group needs to know what the route involves.
• Season and holidays. The park runs from late winter into December and closes on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
• December is weather dependent. The park will not open on very cold or snowy days, so call first before driving up late in the year, particularly if you bought tickets online.
• Food on site. A deli serves sandwiches, hot dogs, meatball subs, pizza, popcorn, and soft serve ice cream, with a deck and picnic areas looking out over the mountains.
• The gift shop. An English style cottage near the end of the loop, stocked with bird and garden items rather than the usual Parkway souvenirs.
• Birds are for sale. The nursery sells hand fed babies, and staff will walk you through feeding and care or arrange shipping. Worth knowing before a child falls in love with one.
• Bring a camera. Birds will land on you without much prompting, and souvenir photos holding a parrot are offered in the Bird Garden.
• Groups need to call. Group rates start at 35 people and reservations are required.
• Ticketing by age. Children under 2 are admitted free, with a separate children’s rate through age 10 and a senior rate from 65.

Nearby in Pigeon Forge

• Dollywood. The next door neighbor, and the reason most visitors are on this side of town in the first place.
• Big Rock Dude Ranch at Ponderosa. Guided horseback rides on wooded trails a few minutes away, for a second animal stop in the same afternoon.
• Pigeon Forge Racing Coaster. Side by side mountain coaster tracks for anyone in the group who wants speed after a slow morning in the gardens.
• Tennessee Bible Museum. A small Wears Valley Road collection of rare Bibles and printing history that pairs well with a slow garden morning.

Explore More

My Smoky Mountain Guide Pigeon Forge is a great resource for finding things to do and places to eat.

• Pigeon Forge Food & Beverage Guide. Restaurants, dinner shows, breweries, distilleries, and eateries throughout Pigeon Forge, from sit-down meals to grab-and-go stops.
• Pigeon Forge Outdoor Adventure. Mountain coasters, UTV rentals, rafting, helicopter tours, and other ways to experience the Smokies from outdoors.
• Pigeon Forge Attractions. Museums, escape rooms, mini-golf, arcades, and other family-friendly stops across the city.
• Pigeon Forge Entertainment. Dinner shows, live music, comedy, magic, and theater experiences throughout Pigeon Forge.