Pigeon Forge KOA will always hold a special place in my heart. This is the place where we stayed when we first visited the Great Smoky Mountains. We started to feel the pull towards the mountains and that eventually led us to move to Tennessee. It all started at this campground and every time I camp there it is like going back to revisit an old friend. It is both warm and inviting and to me will always be the best KOA in Tennessee.

We decided to take a slow-paced trip back to the place that started it all and really embrace a weekend spent in the campground. Most of the time when we go we will also visit the national park, but this time we intentionally decided to relax and not go anywhere for the whole weekend.

I got up early and made my family breakfast. The sizzling sausage and our egg muffins popped on the stove as they warmed. My family lounged around the back deck of the cabin we were staying in and listened to the birds sing their morning song.

After breakfast, we walked down to the children's area so our two girls could go on the train ride. These brightly colored seats bounced around and weaved in a fast-paced tour of the campground. The worker was super fun and even made a tight circle in the parking lot as the kids laughed and squealed with delight.

When I came out of the camp store I was surprised to see my wife was also seated and had a smile from ear to ear. As her hair flicked in the breeze the train came to a stop where she informed me that it was as fun as it looked.

I took my puppy over to the dog area while my girls kept playing on the playground. This large area was free of any other dogs, but he ran wild and had the time of his life leaping through the tunnel and he had a plethora of new smells to enjoy.

The bounce pillow is a KOA staple and the pad at this campground allows kids to jump high in the air like you're soaring with the birds. The Smokies are visible from this spot in the campground so we sat and watched our girls jump with the best view in Tennessee in plain sight.

I am also a big kid at heart so I have spent a good amount of time on that jump pillow too.

As the day started to warm up, it was time to hit the pool, which is the best part of the Pigeon Forge KOA. The whole pool area is beautiful with a shallow kids' pool which leads into the lazy river.

We love swimming in the lazy river as the jets propel you forward and we get to race from one spot to the next, or simply lay on a raft and float. I can’t sit still for too long and eventually end up acting like a shark and chasing my children, which is just the best.

The pool area has a big fire if you don’t have your own firewood and this has become the hub of activities throughout the weekend. I have seen families gather around and trivia nights all happening around the flames. Whenever we camp we end every night with a campfire burning late into the night as we share s'mores.

Near the cabin we were staying in is "The Backyard." This is where all of the fun lawn games are located like bocce ball and corn hole. At night you can still play with string lights illuminating the area and creating an inviting atmosphere for families to play games even when the sun sets.

Out of all of the campgrounds in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, the Pigeon Forge KOA will always be our favorite. There are many other great places, but when you have nostalgic memories attached to a place nothing can beat it. If you want to book a night, make sure you head on over to the Pigeon Forge / Gatlinburg KOA Holiday website.

I would always suggest taking part of your trip and spending it exploring the Smoky Mountains which are only minutes away from the campground. To make the best use of your time, make sure you have the AllTrails app so you can download all of the trails beforehand.

Pigeon Forge is also filled with all kinds of wild fun attractions so make sure you visit a few of those too. If you want to see some highlights of the campground feel free to watch this Adventuring in the Moment we made to showcase our favorite spot to camp.