Pigeon Forge Racing Coaster

Why go: Two tracks run side by side down the mountain here, so instead of coasting alone you launch next to someone you know, set your own speed, and finish with a time on the board to argue about.

About Pigeon Forge Racing Coaster

The Pigeon Forge Racing Coaster opened in June 2025 as the first side-by-side racing mountain coaster in the United States, and the business bills it as the only one of its kind in the world. Two parallel tracks run the length of the mountain, and sleds launch together from the top, which turns a ride that is usually a solitary glide into a head to head race with a winner at the bottom.

Each sled is pulled uphill by the lift, then the rider takes over. A brake lever controls the whole descent, so speed is a choice rather than a setting, and the coaster tops out around 30 miles per hour for anyone willing to leave the lever forward. The course is built for that: three full 360 degree spirals, an 80 foot double helix, a crossover bridge where the two tracks trade sides mid race, and a run of drops that keep the two sleds trading the lead. Runs are timed and posted to a live leaderboard, and a camera at the finish catches whatever face you make crossing it.

The coaster was co-founded by NASCAR Cup Series driver BJ McLeod and his wife Jessica McLeod, who run Live Fast Motorsports, and the racing background shows in how the attraction is put together. The coaster has even appeared as the primary sponsor on the team’s No. 78 car. It runs year round and late into the evening, when a custom LED system lights the track and changes the ride considerably.

Getting to Pigeon Forge Racing Coaster

The coaster sits at 115 Conner Heights Road, at the southern end of Pigeon Forge just off the Parkway, close to the point where the road hands off to The Spur toward Gatlinburg. Coming from the north end of town, stay on the Parkway heading south past the main strip and watch for Conner Heights Road on the right shortly before the traffic thins out into The Spur. From Gatlinburg, it is one of the first turns you reach after The Spur opens back up into Pigeon Forge, so it is an easy stop on the way in or out of the national park rather than a detour. The track climbs the ridge directly behind the building, which makes it visible from the Parkway once you know where to look.

Why Choose Pigeon Forge Racing Coaster

Pigeon Forge has no shortage of mountain coasters, and most of them offer the same basic thing: one track, one sled, one trip down the hill. This one is built around competition instead of scenery, and the differences are worth knowing before you pick which coaster to spend an afternoon on.

• Two tracks instead of one. You are racing an actual person in the next lane rather than riding alone and comparing notes at the bottom.
• Your run gets a number. Timed runs post to a live leaderboard, so the result is settled rather than debated on the walk back to the car.
• Everyone sets their own pace. The brake lever means a nervous first timer and a full throttle racer can ride the same track on the same afternoon without either one having a bad time.
• Tickets wait for you. They are good for a year from purchase, they are not tied to a date, and unused ones can be refunded, which is unusual for an attraction in this town.
• Group and multi park packages. Parties of ten or more get their own pricing, including bundles that combine the coaster with other area attractions.
• A motorsports pedigree that is not just marketing. The people behind it run a NASCAR Cup Series team, and the race format was the point from the first sketch rather than a feature added later.

Must Do

The course is short enough that most people ride more than once, and there are a few specific stretches worth paying attention to instead of just gripping the lever and hoping. These are the moments people talk about afterward.

• The 80 Foot Double Helix. The signature piece of the layout, a long stacked corkscrew that keeps you turning far longer than you expect and rewards anyone brave enough not to touch the brake.
• The Spiral Towers. Three full 360 degree turns spread through the course, each one a decision about whether to hold your speed or scrub it before the exit.
• The Crossover Bridge. The two tracks swap sides mid race, which is the one point where you get a clean look at exactly how far ahead or behind you are.
• A Night Run. After dark the LED system lights the whole track, and the ride reads more like a dark ride through the mountain than a daytime coaster. Worth planning a late visit for.
• The Finish Line Photo. A camera fires as you cross, and the result is either a victory shot or evidence. Either way it is the part of the visit that gets shared.

What to Expect

This is a physical attraction with real limits on who can ride, and the rules are checked at the gate rather than treated as suggestions. Reading them before you buy saves a difficult conversation with a child who has already picked out a lane.

• Height and age rules. A passenger must be at least 3 years old and 38 inches tall and ride with a driver who is at least 16. To ride alone you need to be 56 inches tall, with no separate age minimum once that height is met. In a two person sled the driver in the rear seat must be at least 16 and at least a head taller than the front passenger.
• Weight limit. The combined weight of driver and passenger cannot exceed 375 pounds in dry conditions or 330 pounds when the track is wet.
• Health and mobility. Riders need complete upper and lower body strength and control, and the operator asks anyone with a heart condition, back or neck injury, vertigo, an inner ear issue, or a fear of heights to sit it out. Pregnant guests are not permitted to ride. The official site publishes nothing on wheelchair access or transfers, so call ahead if that affects your group.
• Budget about ten minutes on the track. The layout includes two lift hills, so the ride is longer than a single trip down the hill, and the uphill sections are part of the experience rather than dead time.
• Nothing loose rides with you. Phones, cameras, hats, and loose or fluttering clothing all stay behind, and long hair goes in a bun rather than a ponytail. Anything dropped on the course is gone until the crew can retrieve it.
• Spacing is enforced and stopping is not allowed. Riders keep at least 80 feet between sleds, and at least 160 feet when the track is wet or icy. You can slow down as much as you like, but you cannot come to a full stop except in an emergency.
• Rain does not shut it down. The sleds can be fitted with rain shields, so a wet forecast is not automatically a cancelled plan, though the weight limit tightens in wet conditions.
• Buy online before you arrive. Advance tickets let you skip the ticket line and queue straight for a sled. Children ages 3 to 7 who meet the 38 inch height minimum ride free with a paying adult, and finish line photos are a separate purchase looked up after your run.

Nearby in Pigeon Forge

• Blake Jones Fun Center. An indoor and outdoor fun center on the Parkway that pairs with the coaster on the same multi park group package.
• Smoky Mountain Alpine Coaster. The long single track ride out on Wears Valley Road, and the natural comparison if you want to see how a traditional mountain coaster differs.
• Titanic Museum. A ship shaped museum a couple of miles up the Parkway, and a good indoor option when the weather turns.
• Parrot Mountain and Garden of Eden. A hillside aviary and garden off Wears Valley Road where the birds come to you, at roughly the opposite pace from a racing coaster.

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.