Just in time for late spring camping, a Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park Camp-Resort location will open close to Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. The current Bear Cove Village campground is being given a multimillion-dollar renovation by its new owners, Knoxville-based Blue Ridge Development, LLC. The property, which borders Dollywood, was operated by a different owner as a Jellystone Park location until 2024, according to a press release.
Jellystone Park Camp-Resorts are renowned for their attractions, including pools and jump pads, non-stop family activities such as foam parties and wagon rides, up-close fun with the Yogi Bear characters, premium RV sites and glamping-style accommodations. With more than 75 franchised locations across the United States and Canada, Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park Camp-Resorts operates in partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Experiences.
Starting June 1, families will again enjoy taking pictures with Yogi Bear, Cindy Bear and Boo Boo. A full schedule of organized activities, including the popular Hey Hey Hey wagon rides featuring the Jellystone Park characters, as well as theme weekends, will debut.
Reservations for the spring and summer camping seasons are now open. Visit https://www.campjellystone.com/tennessee/jellystone-park-pigeon-forge for more information and to be among the first to experience the new Jellystone Park Pigeon Forge.
“We are upgrading every area of the park and adding new activities that were not offered previously,” said Dan Barnett, founder of Blue Ridge Development. “Jellystone Park Pigeon Forge will be the perfect place for families to stay, no matter whether they are RVers or prefer to stay in luxury cabins. Families will be able to take advantage of all the fun that makes Jellystone Park so special while also enjoying everything the local area has to offer.”
Major work has been underway at the campground all winter, including:
- Refurbishing cabins, including new flooring, front decks and mattresses
- Installing Wi-Fi
- Adding a jump pad and a Gaga Ball pit
- Repaving roads and RV sites
- Creating big rig-friendly sites
- Remodeling the Ranger Station/camp store
- Fully remodeling both pools, including replacing furniture and expanding the main pool’s deck
- Adding a community fire pit
- Upgrading the private bathhouse rooms
Carpenters, roofers, painters and landscapers have been busy refreshing the entire park. The fishing pond area has been renovated to accommodate foam parties, a family favorite. A new activity center, called the Bear’s Den, will open this fall.
“The Pigeon Forge area is among the country’s top family travel destinations, making it ideal for a Jellystone Park location,” said Rob Schutter, president of franchisor Camp Jellystone. “We could not be happier that Dan and Blue Ridge Development are bringing the Jellystone Park experience back to Pigeon Forge.”
Schutter noted that Pigeon Forge Jellystone Park will complement the Watts Bar Lake location that opened in Tennessee last year.
Jellystone Park Pigeon Forge will be open year-round, with a limited number of seasonal RV sites available.
