No, Dolly Parton doesn't live in the sky-high cabin seen on the Tennessee Tornado and Dollywood Express trains. But if she did, she would have an amazing view of the theme park. Earlier this year, I visited the park and woke up early to fly my drone to visit a rare spot at Dollywood.
Disclaimer: I am a drone pilot holding an FAA Remote Pilot Certificate under the FAA's Small UAS Regulations (Part 107) and have not flown my drone over Dollywood property.
A long, winding road leads to a cabin on a hill.
The panoramic views of the Smoky Mountains are truly amazing.
aerial dollywood photo
Pigeon Forge Parkway is not far.
This photo captures almost the entire park from the eastern border looking west.
Most of these prospects are “new” Dollywood. Everything to the right of the Tennessee Tornado and the large Blazing Fury show building were built in the last 20 years.
The trees had not yet bloomed during my visit. Otherwise, the Tennessee tornado and surrounding structures would have been much less noticeable.
This angle shows how strange the Tennessee Tornado's towering “spiro loop” looks compared to the typical vertical loop seen on the Arrow Coaster.
Pictured above is the entire Wildwood Grove, including Dollywood's longest coaster, the new-for-2023 Big Bear Mountain.
It was too far away on the other side of the park to capture much detail, but the Lightning Rod's lift hill (previously released) towers high above the park's jukebox crossing area.
The building behind the lightning rod consists of an international dormitory that provides on-site accommodation for international staff.
Lightning Rod and Wild Eagle are the two tallest coasters at Dollywood, but I always thought Lightning Rod utilized the terrain much better.
Wild Eagle's lift hill height is approximately 210 feet, but due to the terrain, the first drop height is only 135 feet. But don't get me wrong. Still an amazing coaster.
If you look just left of center, you'll see the old Plaza in the Wilderness Plaza area, which has been relocated to a rumored new restaurant.
Dollywood is breathtakingly beautiful when viewed from above. But looking down from above, I was reminded of my respect for this park and how much it has grown since I first visited 20 years ago.
Watch the video below to see what one of the Dollywood Cabins looks like from the inside.
If you're in the area, try one of the thrilling Alpine coasters. If you're not sure which one, check out our comprehensive guide to Alpine Coasters in the Smoky Mountains.