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Rowdy Bear’s Smoky Mountain Snowpark in Pigeon Forge

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Rowdy Bear’s Smoky Mountain Snowpark is a great family destination for a lively time. Conveniently located beside the Local Goat Restaurant and across from The Titanic Museum, this exciting park is home to some exhilarating rides. Whether you’re looking to experience the rush of outdoor downhill tubing, test your skills at axe throwing, or ride the mountain coaster, Rowdy Bear offers an adventure for visitors of all ages.

Image courtesy of Smoky Mountain Snowpark

Tennessee’s Longest Outdoor Snow Tubing Hill

One of the park’s biggest attractions is Tennessee’s longest outdoor snow tubing hill. At over 500 feet in length with a thrilling 70-foot drop, this tubing hill is a treat. In winter, visitors can race down real snow-covered lanes, and in summer, the fun continues with a dry tubing experience. Speeds reach over 35 miles per hour, ensuring an adrenaline rush for every rider. To make the adventure even easier, the park provides Magic Carpet Conveyors that effortlessly transport guests to the top of the hill, for some grand views of the Smoky Mountains.

Year-Round Tubing Fun

Rowdy Bear prides itself on offering an exceptional tubing experience all year round. The winter months bring snow tubing with high-quality snow-making and grooming equipment, ensuring perfect conditions. When the warmer months roll in, guests can still enjoy the excitement of tubing without the snow. Whether riding solo or linking tubes with friends and family, visitors are guaranteed an exhilarating time. Nighttime tubing is also available, with LED lights illuminating the track for an even more spectacular ride.

More Than Just Tubing

Beyond the tubing hill, Rowdy Bear’s Smoky Mountain Snowpark features a range of exciting attractions. The Avalanche Snow Coaster allows riders to control their speed as they zip through the hills, choosing between a leisurely ride or a high-speed thrill. The Ski Lift Shootout Coaster offers a unique experience as North America’s first Alpine Flyer. This two-seater suspended coaster soars through the park, swinging and dipping along the way, and there’s a shootout option for added zest and family rivalry. Guests must be at least 40 inches tall to ride, making it a good ride for families with older children.

For those looking to try their hand at something new, the Outdoor Axe Throwing area provides the perfect challenge. Under the guidance of trained staff, guests can test their aim and see if they have what it takes to hit the bullseye.

Family-Friendly Fun

Rowdy Bear isn’t just for thrill-seekers, it’s also an ideal spot for families. The Rowdy Bear Playground offers a safe and fun environment for younger visitors, with netted play areas and slides designed for children ages two and up (with parental supervision). Between rides and activities, families can also enjoy a variety of treats at Sugar Bears Café and Creamery, which serves up coffee, hot chocolate, homemade ice cream, and delicious baked goods.

Useful Information

Rowdy Bear’s Smoky Mountain Snowpark
2155 Parkway, Pigeon Forge, TN 37863
Tel: (865) 365-1883
Web: rowdybearmountain.com

 

Soaky Mountain Water Park for Family Fun

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Soaky Mountain Waterpark in Sevierville is an expansive 50-acre destination offering water-filled adventures for visitors of all ages. Opened in 2020, the water park boasts a wide range of attractions, from heart-pounding thrill rides to relaxing, family-friendly experiences.

Image courtesy of Soaky Mountain Waterpark

Thrilling Attractions for Adventure Seekers

For the adventurous, Soaky Mountain Waterpark features a variety of exhilarating slides and coasters. The Avalaunch Watercoaster is a two-person ride that propels riders uphill before sending them on a series of thrilling drops and twists. Another standout ride is The Edge, a dueling watercoaster with two streams of riders competing with each other. It features a three-story mega drop, visual enhancements and some boomerang loops. The Whoop & Holler body slide adds to the excitement with a floor that suddenly drops away, sending riders plummeting into a splash zone.

If you prefer group rides, the Blue Mountain Mayhem and Rainbow Revenge offer five-person raft experiences that feature high walls and twisting turns. For those who love racing, the Splash & Furious mat slide offers a four-lane speed race packed with exhilarating twists and drops.

Family-Friendly Fun and Relaxation

While Soaky Mountain Waterpark has plenty of thrilling rides, it also caters to families and younger children with a range of fun yet gentler attractions. Black Bear Rapids, a unique take on the traditional lazy river, includes periodic waves and hidden surprises, making it a favorite with some visitors. The Soaky Surge wave pool generates waves up to six feet high, offering a fun and immersive beach-like experience.

For the little ones, The Hive and Boomer’s Bay provide safe and exciting play areas with mini versions of the park’s larger attractions. These sections include splash zones, water cannons, smaller slides, and interactive play structures designed for younger guests.

If you’re looking for a relaxing escape, Coyote Springs offers a cabana pool area where guests can lounge and unwind between rides. The park also provides over 50 private cabanas, which serve as a comfortable and shaded retreat for families looking to take a break while enjoying a meal or simply escaping the summer sun.

Dining and Amenities

The water park offers a variety of dining options to satisfy any appetite, including delicious offerings from Tacolicious, a double-decker food truck specializing in gourmet tacos. Grab a classic meal from Base Camp Bistro, or explore the other dining spots, including The Philly Up food truck, Bee Good Café, and The Candy Cabin, which serves hand-made sweet treats. For adults, Overlook Bar and Wipeout Bar provide a selection of refreshing cocktails, craft beers, and specialty drinks.

While the food inside the park is convenient and diverse, it’s on the pricey side, which may be a burden for families. And as is customary for a water park, outside food and drinks are not allowed, making on-site dining the only option.

Tips for Visitors

To make the most of your visit to Soaky Mountain Waterpark, consider these helpful tips:

  • Arrive Early. Shaded seating areas near pools fill up quickly, so getting to the park right at opening can help secure a comfortable spot.
  • Reserve a Cabana in Advance. If you prefer a dedicated shaded area for your family, booking a cabana ahead of time is recommended.
  • Be Aware of Weight Restrictions. Some rides have strict weight limits, with primary cutoffs at 230, 250, and 275 pounds. Checking the park’s website before your visit can help avoid any surprises.
  • Expect Crowds During Peak Season. This is a popular area, and in summer everyone’s looking for cool water. While lines can get long, the park’s efficient layout helps manage wait times.
  • Watch for Ride Closures. Some attractions may be closed for maintenance. Checking online for updates before planning your visit can prevent disappointment.

Seasonal Attractions and Special Events

The water park is open in summer, but Soaky Mountain Waterpark extends its fun into the winter months with Shadrack’s Christmas Wonderland, the famous drive-through light show, running from mid-November through early January. Additionally, Snowy Mountain Village offers holiday-themed entertainment, including festive lights, fire pits, seasonal crafts, and visits with Santa.

Useful Information

Soaky Mountain Waterpark
175 Gists Creek Rd, Sevierville, TN 37876
Tel: (833) 687-6259

Web: soakymountainwaterpark.com

New Year’s Eve in Gatlinburg & Pigeon Forge

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New Year’s Eve festivities in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge provide two exciting locations, each offering a blend of free concerts, live and DJ music, restaurant and theater specials, lively crowds, millions of dazzling lights, and a grand fireworks display to usher in the New Year at midnight.

Across the world, people gather outdoors late into the night to celebrate the year’s end, and the Smoky Mountains are no different. Gatlinburg’s Space Needle typically attracts 50,000 attendees to its New Year’s Eve event, featuring a special countdown and ball drop from the 400-foot tower, followed by a stunning fireworks show.

At the same time in Pigeon Forge, the energy builds at The Island, where free entertainment, a countdown, vibrant lights, and an impressive fireworks display await.

New Year's Eve in Gatlinburg & Pigeon Forge

New Year’s Eve in Gatlinburg

Gatlinburg hosts one of the nation’s largest New Year’s Eve celebrations downtown on December 31. The celebration takes place near traffic light #8 at Parkway and Historic Nature Trail, next to the Gatlinburg Convention Center. This prime location provides an excellent view of the Space Needle and the lighted ball drop leading up to midnight when the fireworks begin. The pyrotechnic display is highly regarded, and if you haven’t seen it before, it’s sure to leave an impression.

Here’s a mountainside view from 2023-2024 NYE, showing a scene from the drone displays leading to the ball drop as the Needle begins to fire up some sparks:

Image courtesy of Visit Gatlinburg

Arriving early gives you the chance to enjoy the warm, welcoming atmosphere of locals and visitors alike, with many nearby restaurants, wineries, distilleries, and shops offering special deals. For the latest updates, check the Space Needle Facebook page.

Here’s a clip from the ground:

New Year’s Eve in Pigeon Forge

For families with young children or groups looking for a more spacious venue, Pigeon Forge is a great alternative. The celebration at The Island is a little less crowded, but it still has its own unique charm. While there’s no ball drop, the countdown is followed by a spectacular fireworks show. Parking and entertainment are both free, making it an affordable option.

The Island is a magical spot with plenty of family-friendly attractions, rides, shops, and eateries, many offering specials for the holiday. The stunning observation wheel, lighted fountains, and Christmas lights create a festive atmosphere. The celebration also features live music, dancing, food, attractions, prizes, and much more. Don’t forget to take a ride on the observation wheel for a breathtaking view of the beautifully illuminated surroundings!

And for late-breaking information check The Island/s Facebook page, and check this clip from Smoky Mtn Drone Co:

And remember, no matter which town you choose for your destination, we have cabins across the whole area to suit your stay. Choose from our Pigeon Forge cabins, our Gatlinburg cabin rentals, and our Wears Valley cabins. Everywhere around here is pretty close to anywhere you want to be.

 

Top Outlet Malls in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge

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The Smoky Mountains offer some great shopping, from unique specialty shops and craft studios to national and global brand outlet-mall venues (see our TIP below for guides to all the shopping in the area). But here are the two main outlet malls in the Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge area.

Image courtesy of Tanger Outlets

Image courtesy of Tanger Outlets

Tanger Outlets Sevierville

Located just a short drive from both Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, Tanger Outlets Sevierville is the top outlet shopping destination in the region. This expansive mall boasts over 100 brand-name and designer outlet stores, offering everything from luxury fashion to sports equipment at reduced prices.

The layout is well-organized, making it easy to navigate and find your favorite stores. Popular brands include Nike, Coach, Polo Ralph Lauren, and Michael Kors, along with specialty shops like L’Occitane en Provence and Le Creuset, where you can find premium items at lower prices.

In addition to shopping, Tanger Outlets Sevierville offers amenities such as a food court, a children’s play area, and seasonal events like sidewalk sales. To help you save even more, Tanger’s Shopper Services provide a coupon book and discounts for AAA members, seniors, and military personnel.

Address: 1645 Parkway, Sevierville, TN 37862
Phone: (865) 453-1053
Website: Tanger Outlets Sevierville

Pigeon Forge Factory Outlet Mall

Known locally as the “Red Roof Mall,” Pigeon Forge Factory Outlet Mall is one of the area’s oldest shopping centers. It provides a more relaxed shopping experience compared to the larger, busier outlets.

This mall features a range of stores offering discounted prices on clothing, accessories, home goods, and more. Popular retailers include OshKosh B’gosh, Rack Room Shoes, and Big Dog Sportswear. Visitors can also discover unique gifts and local crafts at places like The Thomas Kinkade Gallery and Little River Soap Company.

While Pigeon Forge Factory Outlet Mall may not have as many stores as other outlets, it offers a charming, quieter shopping experience with an emphasis on great deals and one-of-a-kind finds, making it perfect for those who want to shop without the crowds.

Address: 2850 Parkway, Pigeon Forge, TN 37863
Phone: (865) 453-4195
Website: Pigeon Forge Factory Outlet Mall

TIP: When you want an outlet mall, only an outlet mall will do. But check out the exhaustive Shopping section in our Things To DO guide for ALL the shops in the area,and many of the most notable with their own write-up..And see our specific guides to Shopping in Gatlinburg: Our Favorite Spots, and Best Places for Shopping in Pigeon Forge, as well as our Best Places For Shopping in Sevierville.

Shadrack’s Christmas Wonderland is a Drive-Through Light Show

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Shadrack’s Christmas Wonderland is a spectacular drive-through holiday light show located at Soaky Mountain Waterpark, on the north side of Sevierville. It’s a magical experience for the whole family, and it charges per vehicle, not person, so load up the whole crew and head over for a unique light show.

The Shadrack’s Christmas Wonderland show lets the whole family and pets stay in the car and drive through a world of high-tech lighting synchronized to Christmas music. It’s a spectacular light show and driving through it ll with the windows cracked is a surreal experience – one to remember, and a great favorite of many people, both locals and visitors.

Shadrack's Christmas Wonderland is a Drive-Through Light Show

Images courtesy of Shadrack’s

The Shadrack season starts in November and then Shadrack’s is open every evening from 6 pm until 10 pm – including Christmas – and often a little later on weekends. This year the show remains through January 5, 2025.

Stay warm in the car as you drive into a world of Christmas animations made from millions of LED lights, synchronized in a high-tech animation that matches music that you tune your car radio to on the Shadrack channel. Split-second synchronizations make the scenery around you dance to the Christmas music.

Turn off the high beams and enjoy the slow drive through Shadrack’s maze of special constructs, Christmas lights, huge hanging ornaments and decorations. The programmed sound and lighting effects of Shadrack’s Christmas Wonderland are award-winning and nationally acclaimed for their creativity and inventiveness (audio-visual buffs will drool at knowing more than 1,600 signal channels create this Christmas magic).

Since its inception in Bristol, Tennessee, through today with five locations across the country, Shadrack has received numerous awards and national acclaim for its creative inventions and its button-down display choreography. It now offers walk through setups for customers to purchase for their own venues and occasions, as well as the component lights and parts of their technical magic.

Shadrack's Christmas Wonderland is a Drive-Through Light ShowMeanwhile, the big show on the ground at Soaky Mountain offers reasons to get out of the car, with Soaky Mountain Village, featuring children’s activities, photo opportunities, carnival games, kids’ crafts, a petting zoo and pony rides, as well as food and dessert vendors, and hot cocoa and coffee.

The course spans over 10 acres with a mile-long drive-through route. Look for different themes each year, and expect characters and cameos such as Santa getting stuck in a chimney, elves bustling in Santa’s workshop, and a reindeer training school. It’s a lot of fun.

Shadrack's Christmas Wonderland is a Drive-Through Light Show

Check the schedule to make sure that all activities are open before you head to Shadrack’s. Keep in mind that Saturdays and Sundays are the busiest days, so the entrance line might be a touch longer than usual. Be sure to leave room for enjoying food and drinks from local vendors. Hot chocolate with whipped cream and fresh kettle corn are the perfect accompaniment to your drive through the magical winter wonderland.

You can purchase tickets online through the web site or directly from the comfort of your vehicle, and cash and credit cards are accepted for all vehicles. The location is here and you can follow Parkway all the way north from Gatlinburg through Pigeon Forge and Sevierville, or you can take the faster way along Veteran’s Boulevard (which you’ll know about if you’ve seen our guide to Back Roads & Shortcuts in the area).

For more information and directions check the Shadrack Web Site.

And here’s a favorite Christmas carol, performed the Shadrack way:

Everything to Know About Rocky Top Sports World in Gatlinburg

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Rocky Top Sports World is an acclaimed indoor/outdoor sports complex that spans 80 acres, featuring an impressive array of amenities designed to host a variety of sporting events and tournaments. On the edge of Gatlinburg in a magnificently scenic, Smoky Mountain setting, the complex is one of the largest sports facilities in the region. It’s been named one of the best sports campuses in the Southeast.

Image courtesy of Rocky Top Sports World

The complex offers 6 synthetic turf fields and 1 natural turf field, and these can be configured for up to 14 youth soccer fields. Amenities for spectators are comprehensive, with bleacher seating, picnic tables, and a children’s play area in the outdoor area.

Indoors, the venue supplies 86,000 square feet of space, housing 6 hardwood basketball courts and 12 volleyball courts, with additional courts for both sports that can be brought into play. The indoor facilities also include team rooms, event planning spaces, a grill area, and spectator viewing options designed for comfort and accessibility.

Events at Rocky Top Sports World

Rocky Top Sports World hosts a diverse range of events throughout the year, including tournaments, camps, leagues, and hospitality outings. It’s especially popular for youth sports events with its state-of-the-art facilities and its adventurous location at the entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The location on the edge of America’s most popular national park makes Rocky Top a great destination for families to enjoy a vacation in the Smoky Mountains and cheer on their kids in their sporting activities. And the scale of the place makes it attractive for large events, able to accommodate up to 2,000 people for events.

Rocky Top Sports World hosts a broad range of special events and camps for kids throughout the year, including for football, soccer, basketball, volleyball, lacrosse and wrestling, with affiliations ranging from national championship through regional events, to the support of local sports and activities. The complex is a great venue for homeschool championships, and offers holiday events such as Halloween and Christmas activities.

Especially popular annual events include the Harlem Globetrotters Summer Camp, for young kids age 6 to 14) and a chance to meet the Globetrotters. The complex offers several other camps including basketball, soccer and volleyball.

Rocky Top Sports World also hosts various tournaments, leagues, and special gatherings such as birthday parties and corporate events. The facility features both indoor and outdoor spaces, allowing for a wide range of activities tailored to different interests, and offers a special events team to assist with planning.

The Excellent Location of Rocky Top Sports World

Situated less than 10 minutes from downtown Gatlinburg and close to one of the entrances to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Rocky Top Sports World not only provides excellent sporting facilities but also serves as a gateway to numerous outdoor activities and attractions in the area.

Surrounding the complex are the Gatlinburg-Pitman High School, with its own fields for football and softball, and the Gatlinburg Community Center, which offers a swimming pool and bowling for some more indoor fun, as well as a library. Close by too is Mills Park, for more municipal outdoor activity, and the Gatlinburg Dog Park, if the family friend is getting restless.

The complex is located near the old town of Pitman Center, a tiny hidden gem packed with history. Look for the Emerts Cove Covered Bridge, even closer, as a favorite place for souvenir photos of your trip. And welcome to the Greenbrier area of the national park, one of the less visited (less crowded) parts of the park and also, in our humble opinion, one of the most beautiful, with old growth forest and lots of water.

If all this outdoor activity makes you hungry, another hidden gem is within easy reach of this location, Delauder’s BBQ, rated as some of the best barbecue in the nation, and just along the road (Hwy 321, East Parkway), from Rocky Top Sports World.

Useful Information

Rocky Top Sports World
1870 Sports World Blvd, Gatlinburg, TN 37738
Tel: 865-325-0044
Web: rockytopsportsworld.com

Complete Guide to the Ripken Experience in Pigeon Forge

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With realism, comfort, competition and support – mixed with some of the grit and dedication of Cal Ripken, Jr., the Ripken Experience in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, is a premier youth baseball facility that offers a unique blend of sports and family entertainment. Established in 2016, this state-of-the-art complex features six youth turf fields designed to replicate historic professional ballparks, providing players with an authentic Big League atmosphere. Each field is equipped with lights, batting cages, and bullpens, allowing for a comprehensive training and playing experience.

For young kids practicing baseball, nothing can keep the motivation fueled better than to feel the excitement of the professional game while still in training, and this is exactly what the Ripken Experience brings to the sport. Even if you’re not practicing yourself, you can’t help but be lifted up by the excitement of this superb baseball facility, with thousands of young players passing through all year, taking part in youth competitions, team tournaments and week-long baseball intensives that also combine with a family vacation in the Smoky Mountains.

Image courtesy of the Ripken Experience

The mountains are never far away at the Ripken facility, forming the backdrop for all of the activities, with Pigeon Forge sitting right on the doorstep of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This is America’s favorite national park, open all year and hugely scenic, the complete complement of nature for physical young kids, and with numerous attractions in park and town for less active fun-seekers of all ages in the rest of the family.

Features and Amenities at the Ripken Experience

The complex includes six turf fields modeled after famous stadiums like Camden Yards and Fluor Field, each one equipped with lights, batting cages, bullpens, and synthetic playing surfaces as used by professional and collegiate teams, as well as bleacher seating areas for spectators. Each stadium is different, and Ripken does a great job of emulating the original. The facility in all boasts fifteen batting cages and twelve bullpens, as well as two warm-up areas for teams to prepare before games.

By the way, the six original fields are now being expanded by four more, in Pigeon Forge’s nearby Wear Farm city park, which has been upgrading its fields to the Ripken standard, on order to provide overflow capacity for the insanely popular draw. The city has partnered with Ripken from the beginning, and reports stunning sports tourism success form the venture.

Adding comfort to the camaraderie, the 14,000 square foot clubhouse serves as the central hub for players and families, enhancing the overall experience with amenities such as food and shopping, and a superb view of the fields and the mountains, viewable from inside and from large deck spaces. Mindful of teams and families, there are play and picnic areas also.

Activities and Events at the Ripken Experience

The Ripken Experience hosts various tournaments and week-long baseball experiences that cater to young athletes looking to improve their skills while enjoying family time in the scenic Smoky Mountains. These events are designed to create lifelong memories for participants.

The facility hosts numerous youth baseball tournaments throughout the year, providing players with a chance to compete on professional-style fields. These tournaments often include player announcements and walk-up music, enhancing the big league experience for participants.

The All-Ripken Games are designed for players aged 8-14 and offer age-appropriate competition and structured formats that include both pool play and bracket play.

The week long experiences are family baseball vacations that offer a week-long program combining competitive play with family-friendly activities. Participants can enjoy a minimum of six games, skills competitions, and special events like private Q&A sessions with coaches. The Smoky Mountains are all around, and Pigeon Forge itself is jam-packed with fun attractions, shows, dining and shopping enough to last a lifetime, let alone a week.

 How to Visit the Ripken Experience

There are no mandatory lodging requirements to visit the Experience, so the choice is wide open. The area is teeming with accommodations ranging from hotels and lodges to camping or glamping and the kids-favorite luxury cabins packed with entertainment. Also, parking is free and there are no charges to come and watch, so families can share in the fun.

To book a week-long program at The Ripken Experience in Pigeon Forge, go to the website here and scroll to Pigeon Forge. For personalized assistance, you can call the Ripken team at 865-366-3101 or email at [email protected] to get guidance or answer any questions.

The week-long packages typically feature at least six games, skills competitions, coach and player gifts, and entertainment options for families. There are numerous attractions close by , including a water park and restaurants.

To register your team to enter a tournament, visit the official website to view upcoming tournaments. You can find information about various events and their schedules here. To register you’ll need to put down a deposit, but you can get onto a waitlist at no charge.

Families who register early for tournaments or events may receive discounts, although specific details on these discounts can vary by event and should be confirmed during the registration process.

Useful Information

The Ripken Experience Pigeon Forge
405 Jake Thomas Road, Pigeon Forge, TN 37863
Tel: 865-366-3101 (check the phone above)
Web: ripkenbaseball.com

 

The Apple Barn in Pigeon Forge & Sevierville

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The Apple Barn is actually not in Pigeon Forge but in the closely neighboring town of Sevierville, the historic county seat. How close? Well, if you know how to throw a stone you know how to mark the dividing space between Pigeon Forge and Sevierville, as the city limits are divided by a bend in the Little Pigeon River, where the Parkway of Pigeon Forge turns into the Parkway of Sevierville.

Keep that stone handy because if you turn off Parkway to the west on Apple Valley Road, just a stone’s throw after you cross the river heading north, you find yourself in the Apple Barn enclave nestled along the river bank. This valley is replete with history, and thousands of apples trees in a working farm that yields a bounty of treats for the visitor.

Images courtesy of the Apple Barn

Part of a working farm from the beginning, the Apple Barn is the old cattle barn built in 2010, now hosting humans with a Cider Mill and Bar, along with a General Store selling preserves and many other delicious items. The old farmhouse was renovated into the Applewood Farmhouse Restaurant, which we’ve featured as the superb and very popular restaurant that it is, along with the later addition to the enclave of the Applewood Farmhouse Grill. You won’t go away hungry from a visit to the Apple Barn property!

The Apple Barn, ALMOST in Pigeon Forge

The Apple Barn itself was built from chestnut and English walnut trees that grew on the property, and everything about this complex today is just as authentic and native to the farm operation. Both restaurants offer a farm-to-table experience, and the outlying establishments offer a chance to observe the farm’s work in progress, such as apple butter being made, candy apples being hand dipped, old-fashioned stick candy being rolled out, or apple cider being squeezed.

The Apple Barn History offers a fascinating glimpse of steady and productive Appalachian hard work turning over the years into a prosperity that has come to be shared with thousands of visitors and locals alike. Today, kids can play along the riverbank while the family rests after a fabulous meal at either restaurant, but meanwhile, let’s go shopping!

What to do at the Apple Barn

The Apple Barn Cider House offers hard cider tastings for visitors, and a Cider Bar to relax and enjoy a glass, and maybe a fried apple pie (legendary and delicious!) or other snack. To one side is the Apple Barn General Store, where you can purchase all of the products available here, including of course the famous Apple Butter, and bags of dried apples straight from the farm.

Tot the other side are the Apple Barn Creamery and the Apple Barn Candy Shop, where the kids will become extremely interested in the farm-fresh ice creams and desserts in the old-fashioned soda fountain, and the hand-crafted sweets such as candied apples and caramel fudge. For a mellower taste, walk next door to the  Apple Barn Winery, and sample and purchase apples and other fruit wines with a notable Tennessee taste.

And while you’re here in Applewood Valley, save a winter errand by visiting the year-round Christmas & Candle Shop, where it’s Christmas every day, and browse the huge variety of Christmas items for purchase. Candles are hand made on the premises, with over 30 fragrances, including the now familiar smell of crisp, fresh apples.

So that’s the tour of the Apple Barn, just a stone’s throw outside of Pigeon Forge, nestled in pretty much its own world along the riverbank. This is fun world to visit, and a great place to eat.

Useful Information

The Apple Barn and Cider Mill
230 Apple Valley Rd, Sevierville, TN 37862
Tel: (865) 453-9319
Web: applebarncidermill.com

The Best Escape Rooms in Pigeon Forge & Gatlinburg

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Escape rooms have become a popular trend, offering a mix of adventure, puzzle-solving, and teamwork. Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, boast a fantastic selection of these fun venues. Whether you’re looking for a family-friendly challenge or a thrilling escapade with friends, the escape rooms provide unique experiences for everyone.

What is an Escape Room?

Escape rooms are live-action adventure games where players solve puzzles, find clues, and complete tasks within a set time limit to achieve a specific goal. This goal often involves escaping from a locked room, but can also include solving a mystery or completing a mission. These games require teamwork, critical thinking, and keen observation skills. Participants are put into a themed environment, which can range from historical settings to futuristic scenarios, adding an extra layer of excitement and immersion to the experience.

Gatlin's Escape Games

What are Rules for Escape Rooms?

Escape rooms come with a set of rules to ensure a fun and safe experience for everyone. Here are some common guidelines:

  1. No Force Necessary: The puzzles and clues are designed to be solved without using brute force. If something doesn’t move easily, it probably isn’t meant to.
  2. Respect the Environment: Treat the props and furnishings with care. They are integral parts of the game and need to be preserved for future players.
  3. No Phones or Cameras: Most escape rooms prohibit the use of phones and cameras to maintain the integrity of the game and to keep the experience spoiler-free for others.
  4. Listen to the Game Master: The Game Master monitors the game and can provide hints if needed. They are also there to ensure safety and answer any questions you might have.
  5. Time Limits: Adhere to the specified time limit, usually 60 minutes. This adds to the challenge and excitement of the game.

How Long Do Escape Rooms Last?

Typically, an escape room experience lasts around 60 minutes. This can vary slightly depending on the complexity of the room and the venue. Some rooms may offer shorter experiences of 30-45 minutes, while others might provide extended adventures lasting up to 90 minutes. It’s important to arrive at least 15 minutes early for a briefing and to understand the rules and storyline. Post-game, you might spend additional time discussing the experience and taking photos.

Tips for Having the Best Time

  1. Assemble a Balanced Team: A mix of different skills and perspectives can be incredibly beneficial. Include people who are good at puzzles, observant, and able to think outside the box.
  2. Communicate: Share discoveries and ideas openly with your team. Collaboration is key to solving puzzles quickly and efficiently.
  3. Stay Organized: Keep track of which clues you’ve used and what tasks are still pending. This helps avoid confusion and ensures you don’t miss any crucial steps.
  4. Ask for Hints: If you’re stuck, don’t hesitate to ask the Game Master for hints. It’s better to seek guidance than to waste too much time on a single puzzle.
  5. Have Fun: Remember, the main goal is to enjoy the experience. Stay positive, even if you don’t escape in time.

Escape Room Venues in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge

Gatlin’s Escape Games

Address: 716 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN 37738
Website: Gatlin’s Escape Games

Gatlin’s Escape Games offers a variety of immersive and challenging rooms. Their themes include “The Legend of Atlantis,” where you explore an ancient underwater city, and “Moonshine Hill Hootenanny,” a fun, Southern-style adventure. Each room is designed to provide a unique and exciting experience, suitable for all ages.

The Escape Game Pigeon Forge

Address: 131 Island Dr, Suite 9139, Pigeon Forge, TN 37863
Website: The Escape Game Pigeon Forge

The Escape Game Pigeon Forge is known for its high-quality production and engaging storylines. Their rooms include “Gold Rush,” where you search for hidden gold, and “Mission: Mars,” a space-themed adventure. The venue is praised for its attention to detail and interactive puzzles, making it a must-visit for escape room enthusiasts.

Trapped Escape Game

Address: 2530 Parkway, Suite 22, Pigeon Forge, TN 37863
Website: Trapped Escape Game

Trapped Escape Game offers rooms like “Alcatraz,” where you attempt to escape from the infamous prison, and “Asylum,” a creepy, thrill-inducing challenge. This venue is noted for its intense and immersive environments, providing a thrilling experience for those looking for a bit of a scare.

HeadCase Escape Adventures

Address: 1105 Parkway, Suite 1, Gatlinburg, TN 37738
Website: HeadCase Escape Adventures

HeadCase Escape Adventures stands out with its unique and innovative rooms. “Quest for the Throne” offers a medieval adventure, while “Nashville” challenges you to recover a stolen music record. Their rooms are designed to be highly interactive and engaging, ensuring an unforgettable experience.

Kryptology Escape Rooms

Address: 3784 Parkway, Pigeon Forge, TN 37863
Website: Kryptology Escape Rooms

Kryptology Escape Rooms features a variety of themes, such as “Vanished in Roswell,” where you investigate an alien abduction, and “Da Vinci’s Challenge,” which takes you into the world of Renaissance art and secret codes. This venue is appreciated for its clever puzzles and well-crafted storylines.

Go Have Fun!

Escape rooms in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge offer a diverse range of experiences, from historical quests to thrilling adventures. Whether you’re a seasoned escape room enthusiast or a first-time player, these venues provide exciting and immersive challenges that are sure to entertain. By understanding the rules, preparing adequately, and working together with your team, you can make the most of your escape room experience and create lasting memories. So gather your friends or family, choose a room that piques your interest, and enjoy the thrill of solving puzzles and uncovering secrets in these captivating escape rooms.

Smoky Mountain Jeep Tours: An Adventurer’s Guide

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Nestled on the border between North Carolina and Tennessee, the Smoky Mountains offer a breathtaking backdrop for those seeking adventure and nature in its purest form. One of the best ways to experience this natural wonder is through a Jeep tour.  These open vehicle tours get you close to nature while letting someone else do the driving. Plus, local guides know the best places to go and

Buckle up and get ready for an exhilarating journey through rugged terrain, winding mountain roads, and serene valleys as we explore the leading Smoky Mountain Jeep tour operators, typical itineraries, and the costs involved.

Leading Tour Operators

1. Pink Jeep Tours

Renowned for their distinctive pink Jeeps, Pink Jeep Tours is a leader in off-road adventures across the United States. Their Smoky Mountain tour options include:

  • Newfound Gap Tour: A scenic tour along the Newfound Gap Road, offering views of mountain peaks and valleys. Stops include Rockefeller Memorial and Clingmans Dome, the highest point in the Smokies.
  • Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail Tour: This rugged off-road journey takes you through the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, a lush landscape with cascading streams, old-growth forest, and historic homesteads.
  • Foothills Parkway Tour: Take in the sweeping views from the Foothills Parkway, known as the “Prettiest Drive in America.”

Cost: Prices vary depending on the tour, ranging from $80 to $130 per person.

Time Required: Tours typically last 2.5 to 4 hours.

2. Smoky Mountain Jeep Tours

Smoky Mountain Jeep Tours, a family-owned business, specializes in personalized off-road adventures. Their tours include:

  • Sunset Jeep Tour: Witness the sun setting over the Smokies, painting the sky in vivid hues while your guide provides insights into the region’s rich history and natural beauty.
  • Newfound Gap Tour: Explore the famed Newfound Gap Road with stops at key points of interest like Mingus Mill, Mountain Farm Museum, and Clingmans Dome.
  • Foothills Parkway Tour: This tour takes you to some of the most scenic overlooks on the Foothills Parkway.

Cost: Tour prices range from $60 to $120 per person, depending on the tour selected.

Time Required: Tours generally last 2.5 to 4 hours.

3. USA Raft Adventure Resort

While known primarily for their white-water rafting adventures, USA Raft Adventure Resort also offers exciting Jeep tours in the Smoky Mountains. Their featured tours include:

  • Smoky Mountain Backroads Adventure: Experience the lesser-known backroads of the Smokies, guided by a local expert.
  • History and Scenic Views Tour: Learn about the rich history of the region while enjoying stunning vistas.

Cost: Prices range from $75 to $120 per person.

Time Required: Tours last between 3 and 5 hours.

4. Wildland Trekking

Specializing in guided hiking and backpacking tours, Wildland Trekking also offers Jeep-based adventures through the Smokies. Their unique itineraries combine hiking with off-road exploration.

  • Guided Jeep Tour & Hike: After an off-road Jeep ride, embark on a guided hike to hidden gems like waterfalls or highland meadows.
  • Wildlife Safari Tour: A combination of Jeep touring and guided walks aimed at spotting local wildlife, such as black bears and elk.

Cost: Tours range from $150 to $250 per person, depending on the chosen itinerary.

Time Required: Expect to spend 6 to 8 hours on these tours.

5. Great Smoky Mountain Jeep Club Adventures

This club specializes in curated Jeep tours for off-road enthusiasts looking to explore the Smoky Mountains on a deeper level. Their tours include:

  • Custom Jeep Tours: Tailored to your preferences, explore the Smokies’ less-traveled paths with expert guides.
  • Family-Friendly Tours: Focused on safe but exciting off-road adventures suitable for all ages.

Cost: Custom pricing applies based on group size and tour length.

Time Required: Tours vary between 3 and 8 hours.

Typical Itineraries

Newfound Gap Tour

  1. Departure: From Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge, head up the scenic Newfound Gap Road.
  2. Oconaluftee Visitor Center: Explore exhibits on the region’s history and culture.
  3. Mingus Mill and Mountain Farm Museum: Learn about early settlers and traditional Appalachian farming.
  4. Clingmans Dome: Reach the highest point in the Smokies for unparalleled views.
  5. Return Journey: Descend via the scenic road, stopping for photos at key viewpoints.

Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail Tour

  1. Departure: From Gatlinburg, head towards the Motor Nature Trail entrance.
  2. Noah “Bud” Ogle Cabin: Explore this historic homestead and surrounding trails.
  3. Grotto Falls: Take a short hike to this beautiful waterfall.
  4. Historic Structures and Scenery: Visit the old mills and cabins dotting the trail.

Foothills Parkway Tour

  1. Departure: From Pigeon Forge or Townsend, head to the Foothills Parkway.
  2. Look Rock: Stop for panoramic views from the observation tower.
  3. Scenic Overlooks: Marvel at the expansive mountain views from multiple stops along the parkway.

Cost and Time Required

Cost

  • Pink Jeep Tours: $80 – $130 per person
  • Smoky Mountain Jeep Tours: $60 – $120 per person
  • USA Raft Adventure Resort: $75 – $120 per person
  • Wildland Trekking: $150 – $250 per person
  • Great Smoky Mountain Jeep Club Adventures: Custom pricing

Time Required

  • Short Tours: 2.5 – 4 hours
  • Extended Tours: 5 – 8 hours

Final Thoughts

Smoky Mountain Jeep tours offer a unique way to experience this stunning region, combining adventure with education and breathtaking scenery. Whether you’re a thrill-seeker looking to conquer rugged terrain or a family seeking a fun and informative day out, there’s a tour for everyone. So, gear up and book your adventure with one of these top operators for an unforgettable Smoky Mountain experience.

Smoky Mountain Alpine Coaster in Pigeon Forge

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Located just a little over a mile west of the Parkway in Pigeon Forge, the gravity propelled Smoky Mountain Alpine Coaster offers visitors a combination of big thrills, mountain views, family fun, and even a touch of romance for nighttime riders. It was the first mountain coaster in the Smokies in 2013, and is still (2019) the longest alpine coaster in the United States.

Image courtesy of Smoky Mountain Alpine Coaster

Image courtesy of Smoky Mountain Alpine Coaster

Relax and enjoy the beautiful Smoky Mountain scenery on the way up as a cable pulls your cart to the top. The five-minute ride up the mountain is serene and scenic, with no sharp twists or turns and great views of the surrounding area. Signposts along the route provide altitude information and caution riders not to stand or bump the cart ahead. An overhead banner at the top displays a reminder on how to use the brakes, and signals that gravity is about to take over.

Safe for the Whole Family

The Smoky Mountain Alpine Coaster lets you enjoy a thrilling ride down the mountain, or take your time and take in some mountain views on the way down, as well. All carts come equipped with handbrakes so that you control the pace. A magnetic braking system also prevents the carts from exceeding a safe speed or colliding with slower riders in front. Carts accommodate one or two people, so the little ones, or more cautious riders, never need to go it alone.

Plenty of Big Thrills Too

First and foremost, however, the Smoky Mountain Alpine Coaster is a “thrill ride,” and a long one at that. Mountain coasters hold a distinct advantage in that they cover more ground and offer longer ride times than traditional roller coasters. Speeds on the way down can reach almost thirty miles per hour, and riders enjoy more than a dozen twists and turns and four switchbacks over the two-and-a-half minute trip to the bottom.

A Different Ride at Night

Three-hundred-thousand LED lights illuminate the track at night and offer a uniquely different experience from the daytime. Families might find the ride up to the top a bit magical; couples might find it romantic, everyone will find the multi-colored LED lights against the Smokey Mountain night sky exhilarating. It’s well worth it to do both day and nighttime rides if you have the time.

Useful Information

Rider Height and Age Requirements. The rider controlling the sled must be at least fifty-six inches tall and sixteen years old. Secondary riders must be at least thirty-eight inches tall with no minimum age requirement. The maximum height for all passengers is eighty-four inches. The coaster also has a weight limit of up to three-hundred-and-seventy-five pounds per sled in dry conditions, and three-hundred-and-thirty pounds in wet weather conditions.

Hours. The coaster operates year-round. Hours vary depending on the season but, the ride typically opens early to mid-morning and remains open well into the evening. The ride also stays open through most weather conditions except for thunderstorms and heavy rain.

How to Find it. Smoky Mountain Alpine Coaster is located just a little over a mile off the Parkway in Pigeon Forge on Hwy 321, Wears Valley Road.

Smoky Mountain Alpine Coaster
867 Wears Valley Road
Pigeon Forge, TN 37863
(865) 365 – 5000
www.smokymountainalpinecoaster.com
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Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies – TripAdvisor’s #1 Aquarium in America

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Have 1.4 Million Gallons of Fun at Ripley’s Aquarium in Gatlinburg

Images courtesy of www.ripleyaquariums.com

Images courtesy of www.ripleyaquariums.com

This Gatlinburg aquarium is no ordinary aquarium – it’s Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies, one of the top aquariums in the nation, and voted the #1 aquarium in America by TripAdvisor. Here, you and your family get to experience the mystery and adventure of the seven seas.

Ray-Bay-with-diversYou can find all the creatures you’d expect, such as penguins, stingrays, and sharks, amid the coral reefs.  But you can also experience awe-inspiring adventures like the many winding underwater tunnels that let you visit sea creatures up close and personal.

As you’d expect in Gatlinburg, the food at the Aquarium is delicious, but don’t get so distracted by it that you don’t check out all the aquarium has to offer.

What You Can Expect to See At The Aquarium

  • Explore the lush, unique and beautiful worlds of the Tropical Rainforest, Ocean Realm, Coral Reef, and Gallery of the Seas, and the Best Shark Exhibit in the Most Spectacular Underwater Tunnel in Shark Lagoon.
  • Enjoy entertaining dive and feeding shows in Coral Reef, Stingray Bay and Penguin Playhouse. 
  • Pet horseshoe crabs and stingrays in the Discovery Center and Touch-A-Ray Bay. 
  • Enjoy playful penguins swimming, pop up on the penguins’ private beach and get nose-to-beak in Penguin Playhouse, voted by USA Today Travel 10 Best List as one of the best places to see penguins in the world! 

shark tunnelWant a Unique Experience? Experience Sleeping With the Sharks, Behind the Scenes Tours, Educational Programs, Splashing With the Stingrays, Penguin Encounter and Painting programs! Fun-Filled family experience and MUCH, MUCH MORE!

If you’re brave enough, make sure you check out the deadly but amazing Gallery of the Seas exhibit.  When you complete that adventure, relax by petting live stingrays in Stingray Bay.  They glide by in the shallow waters, but don’t worry – petting stingrays is completely safe and harmless.

Besides having fun, you learn a lot too.  Instructors stand by at each exhibit, answering all of your questions and giving you astonishing details about the realities of marine life.

Have you ever spent the night at an aquarium?  Nothing’s impossible in Gatlinburg, and you can sleep over at Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies.  Families can camp in Penguin Playhouse, and for children brave enough, there’s the “Sleep with the Sharks” kids adventure and sleepover.

How to Get There

Traveling to this Gatlinburg aquarium couldn’t be easier.  The best way to get around town in general, and to get to the aquarium, is to use Gatlinburg’s trolley system (all trolleys go to the Aquarium). You can park at City Hall or any of the Welcome Centers for free, and then you just pay 2-3 dollars for an all-day trolley pass.

Gatlinburg is very compact and a busy tourist destination, so parking can be competitive at times. But the Aquarium is the Gatlinburg center, and you’ll want to either take a trolley or walk for the easiest, most convenient experience.

Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies offers a Fun-Filled family experience!

For more information on the aquarium and its adventures
Visit: http://www.ripleysaquariumofthesmokies.com
Call: 1-888-240-1358
Location: 88 River Rd., Gatlinburg, TN 37738

Beyond the Lens! in Pigeon Forge

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Beyond the Lens! in Pigeon Forge is a unique attraction that appeals to adults and kids alike. It’s a huge indoor environment with over 150 interactive exhibits, including a LOT of virtual reality. It’s total immersion from the beginning, from buckling in for the sensory FlyRide trip across America that feels like you ARE the flying camera, to escape rooms, interactive adventures, arcade style attractions, and compelling pop culture facts, mysteries and explorations. It’s also filled with unique settings for one-of-a-kind selfies and photo ops – including on the moon!

Get a FREE VIP Pass to Beyond The Lens! worth $26.99, plus over $700 in other coupons, when you book a cabin. Call us at 866 34 SMOKY.
Beyond the Lens! in Pigeon Forge

Beyond the Lens! can keep the entire family captivated and having fun for several hours – get the VIP pass and plan to spend half a day. The attraction offers both a virtual reality adventure that is out of this world – or actually, above it – and an augmented reality trail that features hidden items that can only be found through your phone app.

The pinnacle experience of this star-studded attraction has to be the FlyRide, a new form of experience with theater seats you strap into, in rows stacked vertically and in front of a massive 4-story curved screen that presents an immersive view of the world around and in front of you. Meanwhile the seats move, dipping, rising and falling as the scenes change. And scents and wind, along with other special effects engage your senses as you experience this flight across some of America’s most jaw-dropping vistas. It’s truly a memorable experience.

The ingenuity of the place is what makes it so engaging – literally countless things you never thought of to interact with. How about a walk down a Hollywood red carpet with paparazzi clamoring for your picture (speaking of photo ops), and leave your hand print on the sidewalk like a celebrity.

The Virtual Reality games include King Kong and Beat Saber, with Augmented Reality for a scavenger hunt. Searching for Bigfoot makes an irresistible selfie opportunity, and lying on a $50 million stack of bills makes a pretty unique backdrop too. And Elvis is on hand too for that super-authentic photo op. Things get wild with a walk through the Human Kaleidoscope, for a trip down the rabbit hole in an ever-changing set of lights and colors.

And for some outright physical fun, try jumping into the Alien Egg Pit, which is a large ball pit that adults can’t resist – one of the great ways that Beyond the Lens! puts a grin on the faces of the grown-ups as they re-discover the fun that kids enjoy all the time.

The virtual reality adventures include a Jurassic Park romp and a plank-walk 60 stories above the ground – pretty exhilarating stuff – as well as futuristic Robo Wars. The augmented reality scavenger hunt involves spotting celebrity pets that can only be seen using the app, for a prize when you collect them all.

Besides the many regular video games at Beyond the Lens! the interactive exhibits feature unsolved crime conspiracies and compelling items of pop culture that we may have encountered but never really studied in depth before.

Throughout your visit to Beyond the Lens! there are countless opportunists to snap a shot of you and your group, as well as staged ops by the friendly cast of staff members. The VIP pass lets you copy all this to your phone. It’s a great way to get high quality (and low cost) keepsake shots from your vacation in the Smoky Mountains.

Beyond the Lens! is one place to take the kids where the parents are going to have a blast as well, a unique experience.

Useful Information

Beyond the Lens! – Open Daily
2115 Parkway, Pigeon Forge, TN 37863
Tel: 865-366-1609
Web: beyondthelens.com

Beyond the Lens! in Pigeon Forge

Top Jump Trampoline Park in Pigeon Forge

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Trampolines give us the unique opportunity to feel the rush of briefly flying through the air with the fun of the bounce when you land. Top Jump Trampoline Park in Pigeon Forge takes that experience to its limits with numerous areas to jump to your heart’s content, and a variety of other attractions and features that make for a fun family excursion.

Top Jump

Bouncing opportunities aplenty

If you want to bounce the day away in a unique and safe environment, Top Jump Trampoline Park is the answer you’ve been waiting for. The trampoline park room is truly expansive, and it’s filled with a variety of trampolines and more. There is a giant air bag for you to live out your craziest skydiving fantasies, a trampoline basketball court, and a dodge-ball area where you can partake in organized games.

Lest you think you have to structure your jumping, have no fear. You are welcome to just enjoy the free jump area while bouncing, somersaulting, and twisting your way around. There’s enough to do for you to customize your trampoline experience however you see fit.

Ready to test your skill at jumping obstacles? Then make your way over to the trampoline ninja course. You might even get a chance to see how you fare on some obstacles you’ve seen on TV. Top Jump even has a kid zone that is reserved only for jumpers under 42 inches. As for parents, you might not be able to pass up the opportunity to soar through the air on the trampolines yourself, but if you want to sit out that’s okay. There’s a viewing area where you can sit and relax while keeping an eye on the entire park.

An immersive climbing center

If you aren’t content with defying gravity on the trampolines, then you might want to check out the Clip ’N Climb climbing center. People of all climbing skill levels are encouraged to try their hands at the various activities there, and there are multiple levels to accommodate any type of climber. The Clip ’N Climb structure was inspired by a climbing center in New Zealand, and Top Jump’s is the largest such center in the united States.

A full slate of amenities and activities

The jumping and climbing get most of the attention, but there are several other fun activities available at Top Jump. For instance, it features the comprehensive Sugar Rush candy store filled with almost every type of confection imaginable. There’s no doubt that a sweet treat will sound pretty good after a day of bouncing.

Top Jump is also home to a 5,000-square foot arcade with a mix of new and classic games. They also can accommodate parties and group events if you are looking to organize an outing.

With great trampoline facilities and a variety of activities for the family, Top Jump Trampoline Park will make a worthy excursion during your next Smoky Mountains vacation. Keep in mind that Top Jump does limit the number of jumpers and climbers at a given time, but you can schedule sessions and buy tickets in advance through the Top Jump website.

 

Dolly Parton’s Life Story at the Chasing Rainbows Museum in Dollywood

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A trip to Dollywood is not complete without a tour of the Chasing Rainbows Museum. The largest museum of its kind, all its exhibits lead you through Dolly Parton’s rags-to-riches story, showing you just why the world finds her so endearing. To get there, you just have to follow the rainbow path through the Adventures in Imagination. Then you can go on a self-guided tour to remember, which all starts with a warm welcome as you come through the doors.

Chasing Rainbows Image courtesy of Dollywood

Images courtesy of Dollywood

Get a Warm Welcome from the Queen of Country

Although Dolly would undoubtedly love to greet every museum guest in person, she’s far too busy writing, recording, and performing her hit songs to make it happen. So, as a compromise, her hologram awaits the chance to welcome you into the museum.

As you watch the digital greeting, you can feel the genuine love and appreciation Dolly has for all her guests. Then, at the end, she transforms into a butterfly, sending that Dollywood magic your way as you head off into the museum.

Explore Dolly’s Humble Beginnings and Beyond

To kick off your tour, you’ll get to explore Dolly’s humble beginnings growing up dirt poor in the shadow of the Great Smoky Mountains in East Tennessee. You’ll get to see a replica of the one-room cabin she grew up in with her 12 siblings and parents, Avie and Robert.

Then, you can explore similar replicas of her childhood schoolhouse, grandfather’s church, and the Greene’s Rolling Store bus that traveled around her hometown. The exhibits continue to follow her personal life through her marriage to her husband and beyond. You can even listen to interviews from her family and many wonderful friends she made through the years.

From a Coat of Many Colors to Glamorous Sequin Gowns

Dolly Parton has always had a stunning sense of style – and it all started with the coat of many colors hand-stitched from rags by her mother. While its design was born of necessity, this modest coat was worn with pride by young Dolly who instantly recognized the love put into every stitch. Although she grew up to afford all the glamorous gowns in the world, her gratitude for life’s little gifts never wavered.

All across the museum, you get to explore her literal journey from wearing rags to enjoying all the riches in the world. A replica of her famous coat of many colors stands on display right next to the laundry slip where she penned her heartwarming song in its honor. On the other side of the equation, her most iconic sequined gowns also sit on display, showing what passion, gratitude, and plenty of hard work can do.

Honor a Lifetime’s Worth of Hard Work and Dedication

Many more exhibits take you on a walk through Dolly’s early career, starting with the Cas Walker Show and her first record, “Puppy Love.” Then, you can explore all her handwritten lyrics and listen to her famous tunes to your heart’s content – Dolly has penned over 3,000 songs! After that, check out all the costumes from her movie career and time hosting The Dolly TV show.

Serving as evidence of her ability to turn all she touches into gold, there’s even a two-story case filled with awards of all kinds. Her Grammy’s, Academy of Country Music awards, and many other career accolades glimmer from the stand.

Gaze at All of Dolly Parton’s Most Treasured Mementos

Growing up poor made Dolly treasure all the things life has ever brought her way. As a result, she has collected everything from old love letters and paintings to quilts and dressing room signs. And they’re all on display throughout the museum.

In one section, dubbed Dolly’s Attic, you get to hear Dolly share stories about many of the item’s origins and meaning to her. Plus, there’s an exhibit set up where you can get answers to all your most pressing questions about her treasures, life’s work, and so much more.

Once you’re finished exploring the museum, don’t miss the chance to check out Dolly’s old tour bus parked right out front. You can board the bus to take a peek around, and then come back out for a photo to hold dear forevermore

Dolly Parton’s Life Story at the Chasing Rainbows Museum in Dollywood

Crave Golf Club in Pigeon Forge: Mini Golf and Candy

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Crave Golf Club in Pigeon Forge is a candy-themed adventure center perfect for families with children, if sweets are on the agenda. Crave features both indoor and outdoor miniature-golf courses – and the outdoor one is on the rooftop! There are also mini-bowling, two escape-room challenges, an ice-cream parlor, and a sweet shop full of colorful treats. Crave is also handicap accessible.

Image courtesy of Crave Golf Club

Image courtesy of Crave Golf Club

Mini-Golf

There are two candy-themed miniature golf courses at Crave:

  • The 19-hole Indoor Course
  • The 19-hole Rooftop Course

Each course features both challenging holes and those that are easier for kids to master. This makes the courses ideal for families who want to have fun together.

In addition to playing a traditional round of putt-putt on either course, guests can also partake in an additional layer of fun at each hole with Crave Style. To play this way, before teeing off at each hole, spin the disk and follow the directions you receive. Make sure you mark down whenever someone in your group lands on an ice cream cone or candy icon. If you gather 19 ice cream cones or 19 candies, head to the concessions counter after your golf round and you can win a prize.

Escape Rooms

Two new 30-minute escape-room challenges have recently been added to the facility.

  • Mayday Escape Room: Set in an exotic submarine cruise, this challenge has you and your party trapped inside as water begins to overtake the vessel. Your job is to save yourself and your crew by ensuring that all the water-tight doors are completely sealed.
  • Zombie Escape Room: A deadly Zombyte virus is creating hideous creatures out of cybernetically enhanced humans, and you and your group are in a laboratory cut off from the outside world as the creatures close in. Use your dwindling time wisely — it’s up to you to find a cure for the virus so you can make your escape.

Mini-Bowling

Mini-bowling is just as the name suggests: A mini version of traditional bowling. This means mini pins, mini bowling balls, and mini (shorter) lanes. The result is a faster-paced game and more fun for kids, although adults love it too. No special bowling shoes are required.

Ice Cream Parlor & Sweet Shop

Crave is known for its tasty ice cream. Visit the ice cream parlor for a cone, cup, shake, or slush. For some added sweetness, check out the Crave Sweet Shop and the supersized Sour Patch Kids, Nerds, pixie sticks, and more.

Useful Information

Crave Golf Club
2925 Parkway, Pigeon Forge, TN 37863
(between Lights 4 & 5 on Parkway)
Phone: 865-366-3403
Web: www.cravegolf.com
Hours: Open 9:00 AM-Midnight Daily

Rocky Top Mountain Coaster in Pigeon Forge

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Rocky Top Mountain Coaster is one of the newest attractions in Pigeon Forge, and it’s already creating legions of fans thanks to its immersive ride experience and exciting drops, twists, and turns. Learn why this coaster makes a great excursion for every member of your group, and get ready to embark on a thrilling ride during your next Smoky Mountains vacation.

Get a FREE Ticket to the coaster ride with purchase of same, plus over $700 in other coupons, when you book a cabin! Call us at 866 34 SMOKY.
Image courtesy of Rocky Top Mountain Coaster

Image courtesy of Rocky Top Mountain Coaster

Ride a coaster that really puts the “top” in Rocky Top

Riding a mountain coaster is all about being among the mountains and combining the thrill of the experience with the beauty around you. Rocky Top Mountain Coaster in Pigeon Forge delivers on these fronts, as it gives you ample time to appreciate the beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains and delivers plenty of excitement for the entire family.

Savor the beautiful Smoky Mountains scenery on the way up …

One of the main reasons why Rocky Top Mountain Coaster is different from some other coasters in the area is that it features four different uplifts spaced throughout the coaster course. As you slowly ride up these parts of the track you can take your time to look around at the mountain vistas nearby and really develop an appreciation for the natural beauty of this area. The entire ride lasts more than nine minutes, so you know that you’re not just paying for a quick trip that will be over before you know it.

And experience some thrills as you come down

Of course, every time you go up you must come down, and that’s where Rocky Top Mountain Coaster brings the thrills. The track features some downhill drops where you can really gather some speed, and they are interspersed among other exciting elements such as tunnels and hairpin turns. As you zoom through some of the beautiful 20 acres of the course, you’ll feel like you’re in the midst of a real mountain adventure.

Include the Rocky Top Coaster in your fun-filled family adventure in the Smokies

Rocky Top Mountain Coaster may be action-packed, but it’s also appropriate for a family outing. Everyone age three and older who is 38 inches tall is allowed to ride, and those under 56 inches tall must ride with another person who controls the sled. The sled features variable speed control, so you can customize your ride depending on how fast you and your family would like to go. Whether you’re a young one going on your first coaster or just a kid at heart, you’ll find the experience at Rocky Top Coaster well worth the trip.

Already top rated at TripAdvisor, Rocky Top Mountain Coaster also features a vast array of lights for night-time coasting fun!

Useful Information

Rocky Top Mountain Coaster
2940 Veterans Blvd., Pigeon Forge, TN 37863
Tel: 865.453.0033
Web: rockytopcoaster.com/

Also check out our guides to Things to Do in the Smoky Mountains, our Smoky Mountains Activities for outdoors adventures, and especially our Things to Do in Gatlinburg With Kids.

Rowdy Bear Downhill Adventures in Gatlinburg & Pigeon Forge

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For a special experience that is a blast for both kids and adults, consider a trip to the Rowdy Bear Mountain Adventure Park. Its two award-winning rides combine the thrill of an amusement park with the natural beauty of the Smoky Mountains. Rowdy Bear has the newest mountain coaster in the Gatlinburg, Tennessee, area. Kids as young as three love riding the gravity-powered roller coaster that winds through gorgeous trees by day and colored lights at night. There’s a second ride too, the Mountain Glider, which feels like a combination of hang gliding and free falling. Staff members here get high marks for being helpful and nice.

Image courtesy of Rowdy Bear

Image courtesy of Rowdy Bear

Rowdy Bear Alpine Coaster

Propelled by gravity, the Rowdy Bear coaster can reach speeds up to 35 mph. How fast you go is up to you. Each coaster comes with a brake that you control. Some people who go on multiple rides start off slow, then go a little faster on their next ride, and then build up the courage to go at top speed.

Being able to slow the coaster down makes this ride ideal for young children. Kids as young as three can ride, as long as they are at least 38″ tall. Kids from three to nine must ride with a coaster driver who is at least 16 years old. The ride is both thrilling and safe, thanks to an Intelligent Distance Control System.

The coaster winds through the beautiful wooded Rowdy Bear mountainside, offering peaceful views during the day. At night, multi-colored lights surround the whole track, creating an experience that feels magical.

You can buy a ticket for an individual ride, a combo ticket for the coaster and the glider, or a pass for unlimited coaster rides for an hour. The pass is the best deal. Some people have been able to ride 10 times in their hour but that will depend on how many people are in line when you go and how fast or slow the coasters are going. To get the most value from your hour pass, go to Rowdy Bear on off-peak hours.

Rowdy Bear Mountain Glider

Have you ever wanted to fly through the treetops? The Mountain Glider may be the next best thing. It’s the first ride of its kind in the world. You glide through the trees suspended from a rail. Like the coaster, the glider is both exciting and safe. Kids must be at least 48″ tall to ride the glider.

Rowdy Bear Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge

Rowdy Bear Mountain Adventure Park is open year round – Open Every Day 9am-11pm.  You can check for updated holiday hours on their Facebook page. They’re located at 306 Parkway in downtown Gatlinburg. Make a reservation by calling (865) 409-5045 or by visiting the Rowdy Bear website.

And now Pigeon Forge hosts Rowdy Bear Ridge at 2155 Parkway, with another Glider and also a year-round outdoor tubing hill – the longest run in Tennessee. Reaching speeds up to 35mph, the tubing hill is 500 feet long with a 70 foot drop. Day and night time tubing available. Escalator up, tube slide down! Pigeon Forge hours are 10 am to 9 pm Sun-Thurs, and until 10 pm Fri-Sat.Check the Rowdy Bear Ridge website or Facebook page for more.

Image courtesy of Rowdy Bear

And remember, whichever location in the Smokies is your favorite, we have a cabin for you. Check us for your Gatlinburg cabin or your Pigeon Forge cabin rentals (and we even have Wears Valley cabins).

Our Favorite Go Kart Tracks in Gatlinburg & Pigeon Forge

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Feel the Need for Speed? Get Your Thrill (Safely)!

Lucky for you, the Smoky Mountains offers a ton of kart racing venues in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. Read on to find the best fit for your family, considering rates, car types, and venue options (both indoor and outdoor).

Kart racing is the ultimate family activity. On the track, adults feel like kids and kids feel like adults as the whole family drives go-karts, bumper cars, scooters, or other fun vehicles, racing and bumping each other like it’s NASCAR.

Gatlinburg has it all – except go-karts. Pigeon Forge is the hotspot for go-karts, with many venues located between Lights #5 and #7. There’s something for every taste and budget, and several venues offer more than just go-kart racing, including bumper cars and boats, arcades, mini-golf, and thrill rides.

Xtreme Racing Center and Arcade in Pigeon Forge is a prime spot for family karting without breaking the bank, featuring two of Tennessee’s longest outdoor concrete road courses and an arcade for the kids. Rates range from $11 to $30 for single to combo races, with top-notch Sodi GT-5 and RT-8 karts that reach speeds of 30 MPH and 40 MPH, respectively.

image courtesy of Xtreme Racing Center

image courtesy of Xtreme Racing Center

If the weather isn’t cooperating and your family wants to have fun, look no further: the Blake Jones Racing Center offers plenty of amusement. The only indoor kart racing venue in the Smoky Mountains, this Pigeon Forge spot features a covered figure 8 slick track, an indoor oval drift track, and spin zone bumper cars. Their electric go-karts are silent, eco-friendly, and offer various speed settings for both rookies and experienced drivers.

Prices range from $10 to $26, with rules stating that single car drivers must be 10 years old and 56″ tall. Double car drivers must be 16 years old, with their passengers at least 36″ tall. Have younger kids? This venue has spin zone bumper cars for children 5 years old and up.

If you’re looking for a good package deal, try the one-day Parkhopper Pass that gives you 5 different activities at these 3 go-kart and amusement locations:

You can buy the pass at any of the three venues. For $30, you get access to all three go-kart venues, with multiple tracks, two laser tag arenas, two modern arcades, and one 18-hole indoor black light golf course. Safety rules on the kart racing courses are similar to those mentioned above.

If you want to add even more options for your family, try The Track, an all-in-one family recreation center. The Track offers hours of fun with go-karts, mini-golf, bumper cars, blaster boats, kids’ rides, arcade games, and adrenaline rides. The go-karts race around a three-tiered wooden track in either a single or double-seated kart. The Gator Golf mini-golf course winds through dark tunnels, jungle habitats, and beautiful waterfalls. Just watch out for the gators!

Next, smash into your friends and family in the bumper cars, or douse them with a water cannon in the blaster boats for a unique ride. For younger family members, Kids Country offers the Rio Grande Train, the Carousel, the Red Baron ride, Spin Tops, Swings, a ferris wheel, and the Noah’s Lark swinging boat. A fun day that will keep the little ones very happy!

For those seeking more action, The Track offers thrill rides like bungee jumping and skyflying (simulating the thrill of skydiving), as well as arcade games and Skee-Ball.

Top Go Kart Racing Centers

Xtreme Racing

Xtreme Racing Center – Pigeon Forge Go Karts

3144 Parkway
Pigeon Forge, TN 37863
Web Site: xtremeracingcenterpigeonforge.com
Tel: 877-920-6294
Open 7 Days a Week
Prices: Xtreme Track:
GT-5 single run: $19.99
GT-5 & RT-8 combo race: $29.99 + tax
Elevated Track:
Single kart: $10.99 + tax
Double kart: $12.99 + tax

Blake Jones Racing CenterBlake Jones Racing Center

2891 Parkway
Pigeon Forge, TN 37863
9 AM to 9 PM Most Days of the Week
Web Site: blakejonesracingcenter.com
Tel: 865-774-5998
Prices:
Single GoCarts: 1 Race: $10 / 3 Races: $20
Double GoCarts: 1 Race: $12 / 3 Races: $26
Bumper GoCarts: 1 Ride: $10 / 3 Rides: $20

 

Speed Zone Fun ParkSpeed Zone Fun Park

3315 South River Road
Pigeon Forge, TN 37863
Web Site: familyfunatspeedzoneinpigeonforge.com/
Tel: 865-908-7255
10 AM to 10 PM Most Days of the Week
Parkhopper Pass for Kart Racing and More: $30

 

The Track Family Recreation CenterThe Track Family Recreation Center

2575 Parkway
Pigeon Forge, TN 37863
Web site: pigeonforgetrack.com
Tel: 865-453-4777
Check Hours and Tickets

 

An Insider’s Guide to the Best Rides at Dollywood

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Dollywood is far and away the top attraction in Pigeon Forge, and it’s definitely one of the top amusement parks in the nation, if not the best. Extremely family-friendly and with rides catering to all ages, the park is known for its dedication to excellence. With several innovations and national firsts for the theme park industry under its belt, Dollywood has an inventory of rides and special attractions that continues to grow. Here are some notable rides.

Thrill Rides

Lightning Rod (Jukebox Junction)
This hybrid wooden coaster is the fastest of its kind in the world, reaching speeds of up to 73 miles per hour. It features a thrilling launch and a series of airtime hills, sharp turns, and a breathtaking drop.

Big Bear Mountain (Wildwood Grove)
As the longest coaster at Dollywood, this family-friendly ride spans nearly 4,000 feet with three launches and multiple airtime hills. It offers an immersive experience as riders search for the legendary Big Bear.

Wild Eagle (Wilderness Pass)
This is America’s first wing coaster, providing the sensation of flying with seats on either side of the track. Instead of sitting within the roller coaster riding right over the top of the track, you sit stretched out on eagle’s wings to the side – there’s nothing but air below! It boasts a 210-foot height and a 135-foot drop, along with several inversions.

Wild Eagle - images courtesy of Dollywood

images courtesy of Dollywood

 

Mystery Mine (Timber Canyon)
A steel coaster that combines indoor and outdoor elements, it features a vertical lift and an 85-foot drop. Themed around an abandoned mine, it includes multiple inversions and special effects for added thrills.

Tennessee Tornado (Craftsman’s Valley)
This classic coaster features three inversions and speeds of up to 63 miles per hour. It simulates the chaotic experience of being caught in a tornado..

Thunderhead (Timber Canyon)
At the time when it was first built in 2004, this ride offered the first station fly-through, and Amusement Today chose it the best wooden coaster in 2005 and 2006. The ride offers 14 bridges, 32 crossovers, and 22 turns, with a 100-foot drop and a top speed of 55 mph.

Thunderhead - images courtesy of Dollywood

Family-Friendly Rides

Dollywood Express (The Village)
This scenic steam train ride offers a relaxing journey through the Smoky Mountains, making it a great option for visitors of all ages. The ride lasts about 20 minutes and provides stunning views.

FireChaser Express (Wilderness Pass)
In 2014 this was the first dual-launch rollercoaster in the country, whihc means it takes you forward and backward. It runs through fire-themed scenes with pyrotechnic displays at moderate speeds, making it suitable for younger riders.

firechaser - images courtesy of Dollywood

Dragonflier (Wildwood Grove)
A suspended family coaster that mimics the flight of a dragonfly, it provides gentle thrills with a lower height requirement, making it perfect for younger children.

Smoky Mountain River Rampage (Rivertown Junction)
A water ride that promises fun splashes on hot days, this adventure takes guests through rapids and waterfalls.

Blazing Fury (Craftsman’s Valley)
An indoor coaster that combines dark ride elements with roller coaster thrills, featuring fire-fighting themes throughout its journey.

If you have any questions about the rides, their safety, or availability, you can check the Dollywood web site or call 865-428-9488. And check out Dollywood’s full catalog of rides.

Dollywood Vacation Packages

We have lots of cabins just minutes from Dollywood. Combine your cabin with our Dollywood vacation package to get tickets and skip the long lines. Call 866 34 SMOKY to arrange the package.

Dollywood’s Splash Country: a Great Pigeon Forge Water Park

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Dollywood’s Splash Country is the perfect summer spot to escape the heat and dive into refreshing fun in the Smoky Mountains. During the summer months, the warmth and humidity in the foothills can drive you to seek ways to cool off on your vacation. Luckily, Dollywood’s Splash Country operates from Memorial Day to Labor Day each year, offering a fantastic day of water activities, slides, and attractions that Dollywood is known for.

This Pigeon Forge water park boasts a variety of slides, attractions, dining options, and entertainment, all spread across 35 acres next to the main Dollywood theme park. When the temperatures rise, Splash Country provides an excellent way to enjoy the outdoors during your Smoky Mountain getaway.

Splash Country At A Glance

Dollywood’s Splash Country features a variety of exciting rides and attractions. Here are some of the most notable:

  • RiverRush: This is the park’s first and only water coaster, offering an exhilarating ride that combines uphill sections and thrilling drops.
  • Fire Tower Falls: A towering slide that sends you plummeting down at high speeds, perfect for thrill-seekers.
  • Mountain Scream: A multi-slide experience where you can race against friends down steep and twisting slides.
  • Raging River Rapids: This attraction simulates a white-water rafting adventure with thrilling twists and turns.
  • Butterfly: A family-friendly slide that provides a fun experience for all ages, featuring gentle curves and drops.
  • The Cascades: A large, lagoon-style pool with interactive water features, perfect for relaxing or playing.
  • Downbound Float Trip: A lazy river experience where you can float and soak in the scenic surroundings.

And there are several safe areas for infants and young children to enjoy the water:

  • Little Creek Falls: This area features gentle slides and shallow water, making it perfect for little ones to play safely.
  • The Cascades: This lagoon-style pool has shallow sections where young children can splash around under supervision.
  • Downbound Float Trip: While the lazy river is suitable for all ages, parents can easily keep a close eye on their children as they float along in this calm water.
  • Play Areas: Various play zones with interactive water features are designed specifically for younger kids, allowing them to explore in a safe environment.
  • Shallow Pool Areas: Throughout the park, there are shallow pools designed for small children to enjoy while being monitored by parents.
Image courtesy of Dollywood Splash Country

Image courtesy of Dollywood Splash Country

The thrilling attractions are the highlight of any water park, and Splash Country excels in offering both excitement and relaxation. For the thrill-seekers in your group, exhilarating water slides like Fire Tower Falls, Mountain Scream, and the Butterfly are sure to get your adrenaline pumping. You can also experience the thrill of white-water rafting on Raging River Rapids and RiverRush without needing a guided tour.

If you prefer a more laid-back experience, Splash Country has ample spots for relaxation. You can cool off in the Cascades, a large lagoon-style pool with fun interactive features, or leisurely float along the Downbound Float Trip lazy river while enjoying the scenic mountain views. Private retreats and canopies are available for rent if you want a secluded space to unwind.

Make it a fun day for the whole family When you need a break from the slides and pools, Splash Country offers various other entertainment options. With diverse dining choices, including a taco stand, campsite grill, and ice cream shops, you can easily spend the whole day enjoying everything the park has to offer. You can even pre-book a picnic for your family to enjoy. There are several shops on-site for essentials or souvenirs to take home from your visit.

Check Out Dollywood Too

Combine your water adventure with a trip to Dollywood A fantastic reason to visit Dollywood’s Splash Country is its proximity to Dollywood Theme Park, which features over 125 acres of thrilling roller coasters and attractions. For more information on the exciting activities available at Dollywood, check out our Dollywood Theme Park page.

Combo tickets for entry to both Dollywood Theme Park and Dollywood’s Splash Country are available, along with multi-day tickets and season passes for those planning multiple visits. Visit our Dollywood tickets and season pass page to find the best deals.

Dollywood’s Splash Country is a top-notch water park that you won’t want to miss if you’re looking to cool off and have a blast in the water during your Smoky Mountains stay. For more details about the park, visit the Splash Country website or call (865) 428-9488.

Ropes Courses in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge

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There are several Ropes Courses in the Smoky Mountains area around Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. Many of them are part of larger networks of ziplines, sky bridges and play areas in the tree tops, with net tubes, swings and actual tree houses. Some of these are in the trees, some are on framework structures, and some of them are even indoors.

While kids love to climb, and these tree-top adventures certainly offer that, ropes courses are fun for all ages, acclaimed for providing many positive personal achievements. From the very young to the corporate teams, ropes courses provide the variable degree of challenge and exhilaration to suit everyone. And the view, of course, is usually pretty inspiring.

Images courtesy of venues mentioned here

Ropes Courses in the Smoky Mountains

Gatlinburg Ziplines

Gatlinburg Ziplines offers a 9-zipline canopy tour and a Tree Trek made up of a 14-element adventure of bridges, ladders, log steps, and sky bridges high in the trees. This is one of the oldest operations in the area, fully in the trees, yet convenient to downtown Gatlinburg. The company also operates the Dome Ziplines in Pigeon Forge.

Web: zipgatlinburg.com
Phone: 865-430-9475

Anakeesta

Anakeesta is a little world on the mountain with several attractions including dining, and an enclosed gondola leaving from downtown Gatlinburg to get up there (see our feature story on Anakeesta). Anakeesta has created a Tree Canopy Walk of 16 connected sky bridges, more than forty feet above the ground in the tree tops. It’s educational with extensive signage, immersive in nature, and with stunning views.

There’s also a Children’s Treehouse Village Playground that kids will love. They’ve built in physical and educational elements, with multiple bridges, a log walk and a plank walk, a tube net crawl and a climbing adventure.

Web: anakeesta.com
Phone: 865-215-9238

Rafting in the Smokies

This operation is out at Hartford, about a 35-minute drive from Pigeon Forge. The ropes course is definitely in the trees, and offers a fully harnessed and safe experience. You might not drive that far just to play in the trees, but Hartford is also the start of some of the best river rafting adventures. You might want to plan for some river action and follow it up with a climb in the trees, for an exhilarating day out from the cabin. The course offers 12 different activities for different skills, including climbing nets and rope bridges.

Web: raftinginthesmokies.com
Phone: 800-776-7238

See our Gatlinburg Whitewater Rafting page for more details on this operation. And note that we offer our cabin guests a free ticket to the Rafting in the Smokies rafting trips, as part of our Trip Cash book of Gatlinburg Coupons & Pigeon Forge Coupons – worth over $700! – to local attractions.

The Island

Closer to home, The Island offers two ropes course. One is lower to the ground and made for the small ones in the family, with lots of different elements, and low enough that parents can walk alongside the kids while they test their skills. The other course reaches 3 stories in height and offers multiple challenges and attractions. There are also two ziplines and a Free-Fall simulation!

In all cases, participants are fully harnessed and with certified staff in attendance. See our feature on all the attractions of The Island, and check here for the ropes courses:

Web: islandinpigeonforge.com
Phone: 865-286-0119

Wonderworks

For an indoor experience, as part of a trip to WonderWorks in Pigeon Forge, you can enjoy the indoor ropes course. It’s four stories tall, with 50 challenges of different kinds, including swinging steps and a tremor bridge. It’s a thrill to conquer your fears and build balance – it’s also a black-light, glow-in-the-dark experience!

The ropes course is part of general admission to this educational and astonishing science museum. See our feature for more information on all the attractions of WonderWorks. And see here for info on the ropes course:

Web: wonderworksonline.com/
Phone: 865-868-1800

Gatlin’s Fun Center

Meanwhile in Gatlinburg, Gatlin’s Fun Center offers an indoor framework structure designed to test your agility in complete safety. The Rugged Ropes Adventure Course is fully harnessed to an overhead track so falling is not and issue and any slips are fun and harmless.

Web: gatlinsfuncenter.com
Phone: 865-219-2211

For those who want even more activity in the trees, there are several zipline operations in the area – see our guide to Ziplines in the Smoky Mountains. There are also several Sky Lifts, Mountain Coasters, an Aerial Tramway and even the longest Sky Bridge in North America!

As with all the overhead adventures in the area, all participants are always safely harnessed or enclosed, and experienced and accredited staff are always on hand. Safety comes first, and certain medical or other conditions may not be allowed.

Some of these venues require reservations, and most of them are worth calling ahead anyway to check the lie of the land – even in the air!

~ ~ ~

See our guides for more Things To Do in the Smoky Mountains, especially for more things to outdoors in our Smoky Mountain Activities section, and also for more family fun with the kids see our Things to do in Gatlinburg With Kids section.

And for accommodations in the area, hopefully you already know the best way to visit here is to enjoy cabin living in the mountains. See our Gatlinburg cabin rentals and our Pigeon Forge cabins. And if you like to be on the Quiet Side of the Smoky Mountains, try one of our Wears Valley cabins!

Coaster Rides in the Smoky Mountains

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There’s more than one way to enjoy the mountain, and riding down it on a coaster is one of the most fun!

For many travelers, the perfect Smoky Mountain vacation means relaxing in a rocking chair and taking in those world-famous views. Plenty of other people, however, crave a little adventure and excitement when they visit the Gatlinburg area. Fortunately, when you stay at one of our cabins you’ll have access to both!

Here is a quick guide to the mountain coaster rides in the Smoky Mountains region that will satisfy your craving for thrills.

Gatlinburg Mountain Coaster is a family-friendly ride that whisks you down the side of a mountain at exhilarating, yet safe speeds. The track is open both day and night, so it makes a great excursion at any time of day.

There are several other popular coasters in the downtown Gatlinburg area, including the Ski Mountain Coaster at Ober Mountain, the premier ski area in the region. But the fun doesn’t stop when the snow melts. The Ski Mountain Coaster treats you to beautiful views as you climb up a 1,000-ft. incline, and then allows you to control your own speed as you cruise through the twists and turns on the way down.

Another destination is Rowdy Bear Mountain, which features a traditional coaster that can reach speeds of up to 35 mph for all the speed demons out there. Rowdy Bear also recently introduced its newest attraction, the Mountain Glider. This unique thrill is the first of its kind, which is a suspended, single-rail coaster that features two lines – essentially a coaster suspended in mid-air. It’s a must-try for any adventure seeker. This venue has also opened a new place in Pigeon Forge, the Smoky Mountain Snowpark, with a coaster and a year-round tubing slope. Meanwhile the Gatlinburg operation has been taken over by Ripley’s. See below for all the new details.

The Anakeesta Rail Runner Coaster is a blast for riders of almost all ages (3 and up with a companion). This coaster allows you to ride lower to the ground than most others, which means you get a unique vantage point of the tree-lined mountain scenery as you race through tunnels and across bridges.

If you’re in Pigeon Forge, you can also find some excellent coasters to conquer. The coaster at Goats on the Roof features some of the tightest turns and most expansive views in the area. Oh, and the name is literal—there are actual goats on the roof!

You’ll also find the Smoky Mountain Alpine Coaster in Pigeon Forge. It’s the original alpine coaster in the Smoky Mountains region, and many people still consider it to be one of the best. Its mile-long track gives you plenty of time to enjoy the speed and savor the views that you can only get in the Smokies. Best of all, you can score a free ticket to the Smoky Mountain Alpine Coaster when you book a stay with Cabins of the Smoky Mountains or Gatlinburg Falls Resort!

A recent arrival in Pigeon Forge is Rocky Top Mountain Coaster, a new style of coaster with uplifts as well as drops – four of each, so the ride is a good 9 minutes long and features time to relax and enjoy the mountain scenery as the cart ascends another hill, in preparation for the rush of the downhill run.

Coaster Rides in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge

Smoky Mountain Alpine Coaster
867 Wears Valley Road
Pigeon Forge, TN 37863
865-365-5000

Rocky Top Mountain Coaster
2940 Veterans Blvd.
Pigeon Forge, TN 37863
865-453-0033

Get a Free Ticket to Rocky Top (with purchase of same) when you book a cabin. Call 866 34 SMOKY for details.

(This free ticket is just one of many in our Trip Cash book of free Gatlinburg coupons and Pigeon Forge coupons, worth over $700, that you receive when you book one of our cabins!)

Rowdy Bear’s Smoky Mountain Snowpark
2155 Parkway
Pigeon Forge, TN 37863
865-365-1883

Ripley’s Mountain Coaster in Gatlinburg
(Formerly Rowdy Bear)
386 Parkway
Gatlinburg, TN 37738
865-409-5045

Gatlinburg Mountain Coaster
(originally named Gatlinburg Mountain Coaster)
306 Parkway (Traffic Light #2)
Gatlinburg, TN 37738
865-430-5577

The Coaster at Goats on the Roof
1341 Wears Valley Road
Pigeon Forge, TN 37863
865-366-7337
thecoastertn.com

Ober Mountain Tennessee Flyer Coaster
1001 Parkway Suite 2
Gatlinburg TN, 37738
865-436-5423
obermountain.com

Anakeesta Mountain Coaster
576 Parkway
Gatlinburg, TN 37738
865-325-2400
anakeesta.com

 

Ripley’s Mountain Coaster Lets You Down Easy (or Fast!)

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Ripley’s Mountain Coaster in Gatlinburg is a self-operated, gravity-propelled mountain coaster that offers a ride down the mountainside on a rail-mounted coaster cart, with a speed you can control. This was formerly the Rowdy Bear coaster, taken under Ripley’s management in 2022. Kids as young as three love riding the gravity-powered roller coaster that winds through gorgeous trees by day and colored lights at night.

There’s a second ride too, the Mountain Glider, which feels like a combination of hang gliding and free falling. Have you ever wanted to fly through the treetops? The Mountain Glider may be the next best thing. It’s the first ride of its kind in the world. You glide through the trees suspended from a rail. Like the coaster, the glider is both exciting and safe. Staff members here get high marks for being helpful and nice.

Images courtesy of Gatlinburg.com

The advantage with ticketing is the large number of other Ripley’s attractions in Gatlinburg – including the famous Aquarium of course – so it makes sense to “combo up” with tickets and save money on multiple attractions.

Propelled by gravity, the Rowdy Bear coaster can reach speeds up to 35 mph. How fast you go is up to you. Each coaster comes with a brake that you control. Some people who go on multiple rides start off slow, then go a little faster on their next ride, and then build up the courage to go at top speed. At night, multi-colored lights surround the whole track, creating an experience that feels magical.

The coaster operation also offers the innovative glider, a monorail experience that combines hang-gliding with ziplining, with the additional coaster feel of the curves and spiral courses.Nighttime is very different, and very special on any mountains coaster, and Ripley’s coaster has a dazzling array of sparkling lights along the track for an enchanting evening ride – a great date-night excursion, lots of fun.

On balance this works out well for everyone,with Ripley’s adding the Gatlinburg coaster to its efficient management and happy staff, and its expansive menu of attractions, and Rowdy Bear playing in the snow, where its heart seems to be (and we like the results).

Useful Information

Ripley’s Mountain Coaster
386 Parkway Gatlinburg, TN 37738
Tel: (865) 430-7800
Web: Ripley’s Mountain Coaster

Check our Gatlinburg cabins, Pigeon Forge cabins and our Wears Valley cabins for your best place to stay in the Smokies.

Wild Bear Falls Water Park in Gatlinburg

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Wild Bear Falls Water Park in Gatlinburg is an indoor water park that stays open year-round through all the seasons, a great place to splash even in the worst of weather. It features a retractable roof for maximum advantage of sunshine, and heated water that doesn’t care about cold temperatures outside. And during the summer, it’s a great place to cool down, for locals and visitors alike.

Image courtesy of Wild Bear Falls

Wild Bear Falls is part of the Westgate Resorts chain, but accommodation here is not required – the water park operates on a separate ticket. So you can stay in a cabin and make a day trip excursion to the water park at will.

The water park offers a variety of courses tailored for different age groups, including a zero-depth splash pad for the tiniest tots on your crew – no one gets left out here. The kids will quickly find the interactive treehouse as well, amid the water slides. Float down the lazy river while you choose your own favorite attraction.

The various water courses and attractions of the 60,000 square-foot water park are named after the natural waterfalls and flowing waters of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, emulating the features of each famous place.

Find your favorites from these attractions in Wild Bear Falls Water Park:

  • Ramsey Cascades – rushing waters, an interactive treehouse, flowing water and a 300-gallon water dump to get you laughing. Slides and water spouts, and not too deep at 1.5 feet.
  • Little Pigeon River – for the tots to splash at zero depth.
  • Cades Cove – 900-foot lazy river for tubing, 3.5 feet depth.
  • Clingman’s Dome – a high point to slide down from, a 350-foot tube glide, ending in a splash!
  • Laurel Falls – fully enclosed, twists and turns, 300 feet long – adrenaline time!
  • Moonshine Hollow – indoor-outdoor sauna with jets and 3.5-feet max depth – chill and relax!
  • Grotto Falls – all ages, hot tub warm embrace.
  • The Swimming Hole – try some laps or water basketball, no deeper than 4.5 feet.

Westgate Resort offers cabana and spa facilities as well as other amenities to satisfy both grown-ups and kids, and it’s centrally located in Gatlinburg just a block over from Parkway.

Useful Information

Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort & Water Park
915 Westgate Resorts Road, Gatlinburg, TN 37738
Tel: (865) 430-480
Web: Wild Bear Falls Water Park
Hours: Daily 11 am – 7 pm

Check our Gatlinburg cabins, Pigeon Forge cabins and our Wears Valley cabins for your best place to stay in the Smokies.

Indoor Snow Tubing Year Round at Pigeon Forge Snow

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Rain or shine, we now have an attraction in Pigeon Forge that offers Snow Tubing indoors and all year round! Pigeon Forge Snow is America’s first indoor snow park, the first facility of its kind in the country, with real snow made from ordinary water, just as nature makes it.

Images courtesy of Pigeon Forge Snow

While the air temperature inside is comfortable enough to wear shorts, the indoor slopes are covered in fresh powder, made from advanced technology (similar to the snow guns used at Ober Gatlinburg) – and the kids report that it feels just like sliding down the mountain!

Unlike the mountain, however, this run has a conveyor belt so you don’t have to drag your tube back up the hill. This means more time for down-slope runs – you should be able to get a good dozen trips in an hour. There’s also a play area at Pigeon Forge Snow with more of the same fresh snow, so you can build a real snowman or have a snowball fight!

Pigeon Forge Snow is a very active experience, useful for giving the kids some fun and wearing them down a little too! It doesn’t require a reservation, so you can drop in anytime. And there’s no entrance fee, so everyone can come in and watch, regardless of who goes tubing.

What do you need to know before dropping by?

  • The snow is made out of water, no harsh chemicals or colors to worry about.
  • No reason to break out the heavy winter coats; the building is kept at a comfortable 70 degrees.
  • Minimum age is 3 years old and 36 inches in height.
  • If you get tired of sledding, there’s a separate snow play area with no age restrictions.
  • You can also relax in the viewing area, letting you keep an eye on family members on the hill while you enjoy beverages and snacks.

Useful Information

Pigeon Forge Snow
2533 Teaster Ln
Pigeon Forge, TN 37863
1-865-366-1334
website: https://pigeonforgesnow.com/
Open daily 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM

 

Ober Gatlinburg Ice Skating Rink: Cool Year Round

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Ober Gatlinburg is more than a ski resort, it has year-round fun activities. One of these is ice-skating in the resort’s huge indoor ice arena – especially fun in the middle of the summer heat. The skating is affordable, and the atmosphere is vibrant.

Ober Gatlinburg Ice Skating Rink: Cool Year Round

Images courtesy of Ober Gatlinburg

If you don’t skate and don’t trust yourself to learn, rest easy in one of the Ice Bumper Cars! It’s a cordoned off section, so no worries about collisions, except with other bumper cars of course. Bump, spin and zoom around on the ice.

Ober Gatlinburg Ice Skating Rink: Cool Year RoundThe arena is 140 feet by 75 feet, which is large enough to have hosted the ISI Team Competitions in the past, and some spectacular Christmas on Ice events. The area has a lot of ice skaters, and local talent alone can offer a great show.

Ober Gatlinburg’s program of events is continually changing so we don’t know from year to year if we’ll see any of these events again, or if there will be something new. Either way, it’ll be fun on the mountain.

With all eyes focused on the snows outside, it’s easy to overlook the indoor shopping mall at Ober Gatlinburg, and the huge ice skating rink in the center of it. But it’s a great rink for experienced and beginning skaters alike, and for many area skaters it’s never far from their minds.

More Activities at Ober Gatlinburg

While Ober Gatlinburg is best known for its winter skiing and its long-season snow tubing, it’s open year-round and runs the chairlift all summer as a fun way to get up on the mountain and take in the stunning scenery. Back at base, there are lots of kids activities, including a climbing wall and a water slide – as well as the mountain coaster. See the Ober Gatlinburg site for a list of activities and rates.

Indoors at Ober Gatlinburg, there’s dining at the Ober Restaurant, also famous for its Oktoberfest in season. There’s also a bar and lounge with a large dance floor. And there are several other eateries, for snacks, pizza, sandwiches – as well as a fudge shop!

Ober Gatlinburg offers shopping too, from the Shops at Ober, down at the base of the Aerial Tramway in downtown Gatlinburg, to the indoor mall up on the mountain with a variety of wares, and the huge ice arena in the center.

Ober Gatlinburg Ice Skating Rink: Cool Year Round

TIP: Ober Gatlinburg is within minutes of most of our Gatlinburg cabin rentals, Pigeon Forge cabins, and Wears Valley cabins.

Gatlinburg’s RainForest Adventure Zoo – A Great Kids Activity

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If you’re looking for a fun and educational day trip near Gatlinburg, RainForest Adventures Discovery Zoo is an excellent destination for families with children. Offering a touch of the tropics, the zoo features over 600 tropical and temperate-zone animals as well as educational programs, live shows, animal petting and feeding, and a large gift shop. It’s also indoors, so it makes a perfect rainy-day excursion from the cabin.

This hidden gem of an experience is an educational, entertaining, exotic outing that engages people of all ages, the whole family. It’s known as one of the finest small zoos in the country and it’s a fascinating place that can keep you spellbound for hours.

RainForest Zoo is home to more than 130 animal species, including various types of reptiles, amphibians, mammals, birds, and insects – all with an exotic aspect and with vivid colors. You and your children may recognize many of these species from shows on channels like Discover or Animal Planet.

Many of the animals were born or hatched at the zoo or in some form of captivity, and many of them are very comfortable around humans, and playing with kids. The mammals include a lot of furry and cute creatures including lemurs, wild cats, the African hedgehog, and of course, the Golden-Headed Lion Tamarins, pictured here, some of the smallest and rarest monkeys on Earth.

raimforest

Image courtesy of RainForest Adventures Zoo

There are many multi-colored birds, both large and small, as well as amphibians such as frogs with distinctive faces and great personality, and the reptile family which includes various snakes of course, and turtles, crocodiles, lizards (gecko!) and tortoises. And all of them seem to be amazingly more colorful than the domestic creatures we are used to.

One primary focus of the zoo is to disseminate education about rain-forest inhabitants to children and adults alike. Staff members are often on-site in the petting area to answer questions, or else conducting educational programs with hands-on learning.The zoo welcomes school and other groups – up to 250 people! – and knows how to put on a fascinating and engaging show.

Many of the attractions of the Smoky Mountains are perfect for home-schooling parents who want to provide a fun vacation filled with sights that broaden the mind, and RainForest Zoo is certainly one of those.

RainForest Zoo Tickets, Parking, and Getting There

RainForest Adventures Discovery Zoo is open year-round and features on-site parking and reasonably priced tickets. Discounts are available for children and seniors. There are also group discounts offered if your party is made up of 10 or more. If you plan on visiting often during the same year, the “Zoo Pass” gives you unlimited visits to the RainForest Zoo for an entire year.

The zoo is located in the fun town of Sevierville, just up the road from Pigeon Forge, and about 15 miles north of Gatlinburg. At stoplight 13.4 in Sevierville, you’ll find the zoo behind the NASCAR Café restaurant and adjacent to the Tanger Outlet Mall. Many other attractions and restaurants are located nearby if you opt to make a day of it.

As you plan for your trip, be sure to pack your camera – photography and video recording is welcomed at the zoo – and find a good place to enjoy lunch or an early dinner, since there are no food offerings in the Zoo itself.

The gift shop, however, is overflowing with attractive items. Amazon Traders offers books, puzzles, games, clothing, furry toys and many other things from around the world, including carvings, animal mementos and gift items. You can buy Iguana Hot Sauce and you can of course get a penny pressed with an animal motif for your keepsake form this distinctive, exotic zoo.

RainForest Adventure Discovery Zoo – Contact Information

Web: rfadventures.com
Phone: 865-428-4091

Consider planning to make RainForest Adventures a part of your Gatlinburg cabin rental vacation or Pigeon Forge cabin rental vacation. And remember that while cabin living is a great way to have a family reunion, the RainForest Zoo can cater to your group as well: Family Groups at the RainForest Zoo.

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Mirror Mazes in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge

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Both Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge are full of things to do, places to go, and definitely things to “see” like the creative mirror mazes where things aren’t always what they seem. Find out more about these attractions with a little “reflection” on what each maze has to offer. Each attraction is open daily.

Amazing Mirror Maze – 919 Parkway, Gatlinburg

Amazing is exactly what to expect when entering the Amazing Mirror Maze, the largest in Gatlinburg at over 2,400 square feet. Challenge your senses as you enjoy the visual journey of a state-of-the-art show with colorful lights and pulsating music. With so many images leading the way, you won’t know which way to turn (which is the whole point of the maze).

Before entering, you’ll put on plastic gloves, to prevent anyone from leaving smudge marks and fingerprints on the glass as clues pointing you in the right direction – and there’s a lot of touching mirrors and people in this game, trying to decide which is real. Never fear, there is an emergency exit with an alarm if you can’t find your way out. The maze takes about 15 minutes or more, and while on the premises you can re-enter the maze as many times as you like.

Ripley’s Mirror Maze – 800 Parkway, Gatlinburg

Believe It or Not! Ripley’s has what it takes to show you plenty of smiles on the reflected faces of those traversing the maze. Come face-to-face with yourself, multiple times, along with the faces of other adventure seekers as each of you attempts to navigate the maze from start to finish. Lights on the floor and ceiling reflect flashing colors that add to the surreal challenge. Add a pair of 3-D glasses and take the excitement to another level of fun.

On average, it takes about 10 minutes to find your way out. You don’t have to worry about getting lost as there’s an emergency exit and the staff does periodic checks. Each ticket allows entry into the maze, again and again, up until midnight on the day of your visit.

Gatlin’s Island Mirror Maze, Pigeon Forge

Over 3,000 square feet await your attention at Island Mirror Maze where sense and sensibility are tested to the max. Find out how well your internal navigation system works as the challenge lies before you of conquering the intricate labyrinth of kaleidoscope glass.

Nothing is as it seems, at first glance, as the mind-blowing experience distorts your view of reality with endless reflections and unnerving illusions. Each step will leave you guessing whether your decision to go this way or that way leads out of the maze, or you’ll if you’ll continue going around in circles.

Open daily with unlimited maze attempts for the day of your visit, Gatlin’s Mirror Maze, located in The Island, is a fun-filled destination every step of the way. While here, you may want to explore all the adventures available at Gatlin’s Fun Center, with 2 locations in Pigeon Forge and 2 more in Gatlinburg.

Hannah’s Maze of Mirrors, Pigeon Forge

You’ll be the star attraction at Hannah’s Maze of Mirrors at the Hollywood Wax Museum. While in search of Princess Hannah of Savannah, mirrored corridors and archways cast distorted reflections as you work your way through a maze of over 280 twists and turns.

Let King Oscar, the Wizard of the Golden Globe, or Queen Emmy help you find the princess among the many images. This one is great for kids, and it carries some inspiring mythology too.

The Odyssey at MagiQuest, Pigeon Forge

A true adventure into creative imagery, The Odyssey tests your mind and senses with a variety of unforgettable experiences. See our feature article on the MagiQuest attraction with 4 great adventures in one venue.

The 5,000 square foot maze of sparkling lights illuminates the way among a network of hallways leading to interesting destinations. Let your mind wander into infinity and beyond once you reach the infinity room or holograph hallway. In the dance room, show off your latest moves and watch as the walls dance along with you.

No matter when you plan to visit Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, enjoy the “reflections” of each city for a vacation to remember!

Smoky Mountain Llama Treks – Let’s Go Trekking!

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Everyone loves llamas, especially if they’re tame and friendly, and even more so if the whole family can take them on a trail in the Smoky Mountains – and you guessed it, now you can!

Llamas are sometimes used to carry supplies on trails in the Smokies, and many hikers hope to get a glimpse of them during their trip. Thanks to Smoky Mountain Llama Treks you can do even better than just see them, you can go on a hike alongside them.

Image courtesy of Smoky Mountain Llama Treks

Hiking with llamas?

For many visitors, communing with nature through the experience of a peaceful trek through a Smoky Mountains hiking trail is one of the absolute best ways to experience the beauty and uniqueness of the region. So what could make the experience even better? Why not add some friendly, fluffy, and oh so cute llamas to guide you on your journey?

Yes, llama trekking has made it to the trails of the Smokies, and enjoying some time in the great outdoors with these fantastic animals is destined to be one of your most treasured vacation memories. The llamas will help carry your gear and enjoy snacking on the vegetation along the trail while you have time to savor the scenery and take some photos. And don’t worry, despite what you may have heard the llamas won’t spit on anyone, and they are all incredibly friendly.

Plan a trek that works best for your needs

Smoky Mountain Llama Treks offers a variety of different trail experiences to suit any group according to skill level and availability. From short trips on a trail right near their farm to extended overnight trips with camping gear provided, you can book the type of experience that makes sense for you. Llamas are not built to take humans riding on their back, so the trekking is all done at a walking pace.

All of the hikes proceed at a fairly relaxed pace to allow the llamas time to pace themselves and graze along the way, so it never ends up being too strenuous for most hikers. Please keep in mind that advanced booking is required for all trek trips. No matter what adventure you choose you’ll still get to spend some time in the beautiful outdoors and hang out with some llamas.

Visit the llama farm, let the kids pet some animals, and more

What kid doesn’t love some one-on-one time with a cuddly animal? If you prefer to skip the trekking and instead check out the llama farm while petting the llamas, that’s always an option as well. You’ll have an opportunity to pet them, feed them, and learn about their history and habitat. It’s an educational and fun experience for all involved, and families are raving about this unique experience.

If you and the kids can’t get enough of the animal adventures on your Smoky Mountain vacation, consider fitting in some other attractions such as the Smoky Mountain Deer Farm and Exotic Petting Zoo, Parrot Mountain and Gardens, and the Rainforest Adventure Zoo. These are all located on the east side of the region near Smoky Mountain Llama Treks. You can combine multiple excursions in a single day to spend even more time with these exotic animals.

Smoky Mountain Llama Treks is located in the Cosby area to the east of Gatlinburg just a few miles.

For more information call (616) 430-0775 and see the website.

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For more places to take the kids see our guide to Things to Do in Gatlinburg With Kids as well as our Things to Do in the Smoky Mountains. For more great outdoor activities see our Smoky Mountains Activities guide.

Parrot Mountain and Gardens: Birds and Beauty

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Parrot Mountain and Gardens is nestled above Pigeon Forge close to Dollywood and Splash Country, in four acres of landscaped gardens. It’s a bird sanctuary that’s home to hundreds of exotic birds, plants and flowers from around the world. But at Parrot Mountain, you can actually hold these birds and play with them.

Think about a trip with the kids to Parrot Mountain. The name alone ought to get their attention. One thing’s for sure, when you get there, it will charm you. Don’t be surprised if you never want to leave.

Parrot Mountain and Gardens: Birds and Beauty

images courtesy of Parrot Mountain

You can spend the whole day at Parrot Mountain, exploring the gardens, paths and nurseries, against the backdrop of the Smoky Mountains. You come across exotic birds everywhere, sitting on branches or a fence, or hopping across a lawn.

Some of the birds live in unique cages like little cottages. Most of them seem to fly freely around the area. They’re all eager to meet YOU. Don’t be surprised if you find a colorful toucan walking up your arm and shoulder as if to say yes, he is hungry, and please feed him.

Secret Garden

At Parrot Mountain and Gardens you can meander as much as you like, as long as you like, to take in the birds and scenery. Follow the paved pathway leading to the little yellow door that’s the entrance to a beautifully tended “secret” garden, home to all kinds of tropical birds. Toucans, magpies, silvery-cheek hornbills, and more, all flying through the air above you.

Outside of the secret garden is a bird garden with more than 70 species of birds with brilliant plumages, resting on open perches. You can feed them with seed from your hand, and take pictures with them – DON’T forget your camera! Actually video with sound would be the best way to capture all the different calls of the birds.

There’s an aviary teeming with small to medium-sized, garishly colorful tree-birds called lories and lorikeets. They’re very friendly to visitors, and you can feed them nectar from a cup in your hand.

Parrot Mountain and Gardens: Birds and Beauty

 

Just outside the aviary is a scenic waterfall area, home and hangout place for a brilliant population of peacocks, butterflies and dragonflies. Parrot Mountain is also home to a baby-bird nursery where you can pet the babies and watch them be fed. You can even choose one to take home with you!

Parrot Mountain is dubbed the largest eco-tourist park in the Southeast, and comes even more alive in the Fall, as its own hundreds of trees combine with the Smoky Mountains all around in a blaze of colors.

When you’re at Parrot Mountain and Gardens take the time to linger over the sanctuary’s casual lunch, and make your plans for how soon you can come back – again and again – for this unique experience.

Parrot Mountain and Gardens Information
(Open March through November)

1471 McCarter Hollow Rd
Pigeon Forge, TN 37862
(865) 774-1749
http://www.parrotmountainandgardens.com/

 

The Pigeon Forge Community Center Is a Family-Friendly Hidden Gem

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The Pigeon Forge Community Center is a hidden gem in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park area, a relaxing place to chill out where you and the family can experience simple good family-friendly fun. In a town filled with prominent attractions, this well kept secret often falls under the radar of visitors. To learn more about the center and what it offers, here’s an overview of everything you need to know.

Pigeon Forge Community Center Amenities

This 86,000-square-foot recreation complex was built in 2000. It boasts numerous activities for people of all ages to enjoy. The facilities include the following:

  • Three basketball courts
  • A racquetball court
  • A Walley ball court
  • Aquatic center (indoors and seasonal outdoor amenities)
  • 10-lane bowling center
  • Two aerobics rooms
  • 1/10th mile walking track
  • Fitness center and exercise equipment
  • Group fitness classes
  • Shower facilities (family-friendly also)
  • Courts to put up a pickleball net

Additionally, the center offers a meeting room, a wellness center, and a childcare center. Everything the Pigeon Forge Community Center offers is reasonably priced, which is a big plus during a vacation trip. Guests with small children who want to spend some time doing adult-sized activities often use the childcare facility to care for their little ones.

Fun Events at the Pigeon Forge Community Center

While the everyday amenities are great in themselves (for instance, on weekend evenings the center’s bowling facility holds “Cosmic Bowling”), the community center also hosts other fun events throughout the year, and especially for holidays.. Seasonal events that people love to attend include:

  • Easter Egg Hunt and Breakfast with the Easter Bunny. Another free event held the Saturday before Easter that adds lots of fun to any holiday trip.
  • Halloween Trick-or-Treating. This is a non-scary event that is free and fun for all ages – very popular with locals and visitors alike. This event just seems to get bigger every year.
  • Christmas Tree Lighting. Every year on the first Tuesday in December, the center hosts a tree lighting, along with free entertainment, games, and snacks. Santa himself makes an appearance too!

Other events that have been hosted in the past include:

  • Youth sports leagues and tournaments, such as basketball, soccer, and volleyball.
  • Swim meets and aquatic competitions.
  • Senior citizen activities and classes.
  • Health and wellness programs, such as yoga and Pilates.
  • Summer day camps for children.
  • Concerts, dances, and other special events.

To learn more about other activities held at the community center, visit the facility’s special events page.

What Does it Cost to Use the Community Center?

The center does charge fees, but they are reasonably priced. Non-residents have a variety of options to choose from, including a day, weekly, or monthly pass. Staying longer? You can buy an annual membership. Certain amenities, such as the pool and bowling center, are fee-based but the costs are nominal and far less expensive than the commercial counterparts in the region. If you’re looking for simple fun, you can find it here.

Where to Find the Pigeon Forge Community Center

And where is “here”? Close to both Parkway and Wears Valley Road, and easily accessible to spend the day or drop in for a quick game or a swim, the Pigeon Forge Community Center is located at 170 Community Center Drive, Pigeon Forge, TN 37863.

The center’s hours are Monday-Friday from 6 am to 9 pm, Saturdays from 8 am to 6 pm, and Sundays from 1 pm to 6 pm. Hours may vary depending on holidays, weather, or other events. Check with the center’s website to see the current schedule.

Be sure to check on other amenities in town from the Community Resources listings in the Pigeon Forge website. And on the subject of great civic amenities, don’t overlook the wonderful Riverwalk Greenway that runs through the heart of town along the river, from Patriot Park to The Island, and then on to the Community Center itself.

Smoky Mountain Deer Farm & Exotic Petting Zoo

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The Smoky Mountain Deer Farm & Exotic Petting Zoo in Sevierville is a 143-acre farm and petting zoo just a few miles north of Pigeon Forge, and perfect for families with kids. The petting zoo allows visitors to get up close and personal with some of the world’s most interesting animals while the riding farm is perfect for brand-new or seasoned riders.

Images courtesy of Smoky Mountain Deer Farm & Petting Zoo

The Petting Zoo

Come at any time during opening hours to enjoy spending time with a variety of fun and friendly animals at the petting zoo. Children and adults of all ages love walking among the goats, zebras, emus, mini horses, reindeer, elk, kangaroos, and more. Visitors are invited to watch, pet, feed, and snap photos of the animals, according to the farm’s safety guidelines.

All animals at the petting zoo are well cared for by loving and professional staff. Habitats are kept clean and safe, and each animal receives regular veterinary visits and care.

Riding Stables

Schedule a horse ride while you’re visiting the farm. Choose from a 30, 45, or 60-minute ride with trained professional riders who will take you and your group on a fun and safe trail trip.

Like the petting zoo animals, rest assured the riding horses at Smoky Mountain Deer Farm are some of the happiest, healthiest, and most well cared for in Tennessee. Each one gets at least two days off a week, time in the shade between rides, and is well groomed and loved by staff and riding attendants.

Pony Rides

For youngsters (or anyone under 100 lbs. and 56” who isn’t ready for a horse ride), pony rides are an extra special treat. Friendly and trained pony-ride attendants will help your child safely mount a sweet and gentle pony. Parents or guardians can then lead the rider and pony on a slow-paced, sandy track in the shade.

All attractions at the Smoky Mountain Deer Farm & Exotic Petting Zoo are open year-round, 7 days a week (only closed on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day).

For more information visit the Smoky Mountain Deer Farm & Exotic Petting Zoo website or Facebook page, or call (865) 428-3337.

Love animals? Here are some other family-friendly animal attractions you may enjoy

Parrot Mountain and Gardens Open through November, Parrot Mountain features fabulously landscaped pathways and four acres of beautiful habitats for birds of all sorts — over 70 species

RainForest Adventures Discovery Zoo Open year-round, RainForest Adventures Discovery Zoo features over 600 animals (that’s 130 species!) from rain forests around the world.

Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies Voted the #1 aquarium in America, Ripley’s Aquarium lets you watch penguins swim and play, be surrounded by sharks in the Underwater Tunnel, and even pet live stingrays.

Overlap your petting zoo trip with one of the area’s annual festivals

For double the fun, consider coinciding your trip to the Smoky Mountain Deer Farm & Exotic Petting Zoo with one of the following annual festivals.

May: Bloomin’ Barbeque & Bluegrass Festival Held every year in Sevierville during the latter part of May, the Bloomin’ Barbeque & Bluegrass Festival features live bands, a vocalist contest, arts and crafts, kid-friendly games and activities, and lots of delicious barbeque.

September: Dumplin Valley Bluegrass Festival See the best of bluegrass at this annual festival in Kodak. Alcohol-free and very family-friendly, the Dumplin Valley Bluegrass Festival features on-the-hour performances from noon until 11 at night and delicious Southern cooking served at each evening’s supper.

 

The Gatlinburg SkyBridge: Already a Legend

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While the Gatlinburg SkyLift has long been one of the town’s oldest and most popular attractions, the Gatlinburg SkyBridge is one of its newer offshoots. Featuring as an intrinsic part of the newly developed SkyPark (which was rebuilt following the wildfires of 2016), it was a hit from the beginning, when it opened in May 2019 as the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in North America.

Image courtesy of the Gatlinburg SkyBridge

Gatlinburg SkyBridge: What to Know

The Gatlinburg SkyBridge is now one of the most popular visitor attractions in Gatlinburg. It’s a pedestrian suspension bridge that spans 680 feet (about 207 meters) across a deep valley in the Smoky Mountains overlooking the town. Here are some key features and points about the Gatlinburg SkyBridge.

  • Length. It spans 680 feet, and stands as an impressive feat of engineering.
  • Height. The bridge sits at a height of about 140 feet (about 42.6 meters) at its midpoint, providing breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains and forests.
  • Design. As a pedestrian suspension bridge, it features a combination of steel beams and cables for support. The design allows for minimal obstruction of the views for those crossing it.
  • Glass Panels. A notable feature of the SkyBridge is its glass panels set into the floor in the middle section, offering visitors a unique perspective (somewhat giddying for some people) as they walk across and look down into the valley below.
  • Experience. Visitors can get to the bridge via the SkyLift, a chairlift-style ride that takes them from downtown Gatlinburg to the bridge’s starting point.
  • Attractions. In addition to the bridge itself, there are other attractions around the SkyBridge area, including an observation deck, gift shop, and cafe.

How does the Gatlinburg SkyBridge compare with other similar bridges around the country and the world?

  • Capilano Suspension Bridge (Vancouver, Canada). This bridge is one of the most famous suspension bridges globally, spanning 450 feet (137 meters) across the Capilano River in British Columbia. It offers views of the surrounding temperate rain forest.
  • Royal Gorge Bridge (Colorado, USA). This bridge spans the Arkansas River and is one of the highest suspension bridges in the world, standing at 955 feet (291 meters) above the river.
  • Charles Kuonen Suspension Bridge (Switzerland). Located in the Swiss Alps, this pedestrian suspension bridge holds the record for the longest pedestrian suspension bridge globally, spanning 1,621 feet (494 meters) across a valley. It offers stunning views of the Matterhorn and Weisshorn mountains.
  • Sidu River Bridge (China). This bridge is known for being one of the highest suspension bridges globally, sitting at a height of 1,627 feet (496 meters) above the Sidu River in Hubei Province, China.
  • Langkawi Sky Bridge (Malaysia). Situated on the island of Langkawi, this curved pedestrian bridge offers panoramic views of the Andaman Sea and the surrounding islands. It is suspended at a height of about 328 feet (100 meters) above ground.

Each of these bridges offers a unique experience, whether it’s crossing deep valleys, traversing lush forests, or enjoying breathtaking mountain vistas. They serve as both engineering marvels and popular tourist attractions, drawing visitors from around the world. And the Gatlinburg SkyBridge has joined these ranks.

Tuckaleechee Caverns: the Tallest Underground Waterfall in the U.S.

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Exploring Tuckaleechee Caverns in Townsend, Tennessee, is a thrilling adventure for kids — and for adults too. People who have gone on the mile-long guided tour of these 30-million-year-old underground caverns beneath the Great Smoky Mountains say they felt like they visited another planet. You’ll see dramatic formations, a room as large as a football field, and the biggest underground waterfall in the U.S.

Tuckaleechee Caverns is a family-run attraction that earned AAA’s highest rating of five stars. Though the caverns started forming about 30 millions years ago, they are still active, with new formations growing all the time.

Guided tours take you on a mile-long walk on lighted pathways through the caverns. The guides are enthusiastic and knowledgeable. The whole family will learn a lot and enjoy themselves at the same time. There are many photo opportunities along the tour, so get ready to take some great shots.

Water plays an important role in the caverns. The site used to contain inland seas. Today, an underground river runs the length of the caverns. The beautiful formations extending down from the ceiling and up from the floor are created by dripping water leaving mineral deposits behind, a slow process that can take millions of years.

One of the highlights of the tour is the spectacular Big Room, which is longer and wider than a football field. The ceiling is almost 150 feet high and contains other-worldly formations that extend all the way down to the floor. It is the largest room in a cavern or cave that is open to the public in the Eastern U.S.

At the end of the tour, you will come to a beautiful underground waterfall, the tallest one in the U.S. The waterfall drops 210 feet in two tiers. The water there is so clean that people bring bottles to take some home with them.

The caverns also play a role in national security. The bedrock there can pick up vibrations all the way on the other side of the planet. The Department of Defense has seismic sensors installed in the caverns that can detect nuclear tests around the world, as well as earthquakes and hurricanes.

After your tour, don’t miss the popular home-made fudge in the gift shop.

Useful Information

To visit the caverns, you should be able to walk more than a mile and climb 400 steps. Cavern temperature is about 58 F. Bring good walking shoes and a light jacket. Tours take about an hour to an hour and a half. You don’t need reservations. Just show up, and you’ll get into the next available tour.

Tuckaleechee Caverns is open from March 15 to November 15 and closed for the winter. Hours are 10-5 in March and November and 10-6 in April through October. The address is 825 Cavern Road in Townsend, Tennessee. From Gatlinburg, take Highway 321 to Old Tuckaleechee Road, then to Old Cades Cove Road, Dry Valley Road, and Cavern Road. For more information, call (865) 448-2274 and see the Tuckaleechee Caverns website.

This part of the area calls itself the Quiet Side of the Smoky Mountains, and it has a point. Many people like to stay in the Wears Valley end of things to escape the bustle of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. A scenic way to get here from Gatlinburg is along Little River Road, with many beautiful spots along the way.

We have rental cabins all over the area, including Wears Valley cabins, as well as our Gatlinburg cabins and our Pigeon Forge cabin rental.

Mini Golf Courses in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge

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Mini Golf is a perfect family activity that mixes young and old energy in the same great fun, and the miniature golf courses in the Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg area of the Smoky Mountains are some of the wildest and cutest you’ll see. Here’s a guide to some of the local mini golf venues you may want to try during your stay here.

barnyard-characters

Images courtesy of Ripley’s Mini Golf

 

If your kids love Ripley’s Believe It Or Not, try taking them to either of two mini golf courses, in Sevierville and Gatlinburg, both operated by Ripley’s.

In Sevierville just a few minutes up the road from Pigeon Forge, Old MacDonald’s Farm Mini Golf and Arcade features one of the area’s newest courses of mini golf. Old MacDonald’s offers three mini golf courses comprising 54 holes in all. No simple mini-golf course, this one has animated fantasy characters everywhere striking fun poses, water features, and interactive elements at each hole.

A video game arcade complements the mini-golfing for a change of pace while Tanger Outlet Shopping Center is right across Parkway for a more sophisticated time of shopping for gifts and best deals.

crockett-facadeMeanwhile, back in Gatlinburg, Ripley’s other mini golf adventure offers a splendid view of the Great Smoky Mountains in the background. This is Davy Crockett Mini-Golf, with two beautifully landscaped, 18-hole courses that are dotted with animated characters and interactive displays. Each hole has its own interesting layout and some even creatively employ water streams to get your ball in the hole.

The themed course replicates the days of old when Tennessee hero Davy Crockett roamed the hills of the Smokies. Ripley’s Davy Crockett mini-golf park also offers free parking, as well as package discounts for Ripley’s other attractions.

Another great mini golf course is Hillbilly Golf in Gatlinburg, which offers two 18-hole courses – all on terraces cut into the mountain slope, which offers some challenging and fun miniature golf. Extra fun comes from taking the tram up the side of the hill to get to the courses – kids love this.

A new mini golf course is Crave in Pigeon Forge, with an indoor and outdoor (on the roof) course. Crave is themed around candy, and offers a great candy and milkshake store, as well as mini bowling.

Fantasy Golf in Pigeon Forge offers 2 miniature golf courses, one hilly and one flat. The theme is prehistoric, with outsize creatures everywhere.

Gatlin’s Mini Golf in Gatlinburg offers two award-winning 18-hole miniature golf courses, beautifully landscaped in a serene setting. Gatlin’s also offers a Blacklight Mini Golf course (see our guide to Blacklight Mini Golf in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.)

Mini Golf Courses in Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville

Old MacDonald’s Farm Mini Golf and Arcade
Traffic Light #13
1639 Parkway
Sevierville, TN 37862-2851
(865) 428-1699
www.ripleys.com

Davy Crockett Mini-Golf
Traffic Light #1
188 Parkway
Gatlinburg, TN 37738-5149
(865) 430-8851
www.ripleys.com

Hillbilly Mini Golf
340 Parkway
Gatlinburg, TN 37738-4962
(865) 436-7470
See our Feature Story

Crave Golf Club
2925 Parkway
Pigeon Forge, TN 37863
865-366-3403
www.cravegolf.com/

Fantasy Golf
3263 Parkway
Pigeon Forge, TN 37863
(865) 428-7079
Facebook Page

Gatlin’s Mini Golf
Reagan Terrace Mall
716 Parkway
Gatlinburg, TN 37738
(865) 436-2326
www.gatlinsfuncenter.com

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