a magical theme park in the mountains!
About Anakeesta
What does Anakeesta mean?
Anakeesta is a Cherokee Indian word referring to high ground, literally meaning “the place of the balsams.”
Today, the word is most often associated with a massive rock layer known as the Anakeesta Formation that encompasses many of the peaks in our part of the Smoky Mountains. You can see it high above Gatlinburg in Charlie’s Bunion, Chimney Tops, and Mount Kephart. We chose the name Anakeesta to capture the authentic Smokies heritage that our guests will experience among the treetops at the summit of Anakeesta Mountain.
We welcome you to join our Anakeesta family to discover the magic in the mountains!
Our Story
A mountain playground for all ages
Over 100 years ago, even before the National Park was established, the Pi Beta Phi fraternity for women identified the Appalachian region of Gatlinburg, Tennessee as the population most in need for access to literacy and healthcare. They traveled to what was then a remote mountain village and worked alongside the community to create a school, healthcare facility and a cottage industry of weaving textiles and creating crafts for sale throughout the United States.
With the establishment of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 1934, Gatlinburg flourished and the community of residents continued to welcome what is now an influx of over 11,000,000 guests per year to Gatlinburg.
In 2014, the Pi Beta Phi Fraternity chose to sell the 55+ pristine acres of mountain forested land to Bob and Karen Bentz and their family as they exhibited a vision towards environmental stewardship of the property encouraging a family oriented mountaintop experience in the Smokies.
Today, the Anakeesta family welcomes you to our mountain home in the hopes that you will create memories with your family that will last a life time.
Enjoy, relax and play in the Smokies.