Enjoy a one-of-a-kind family destination!
ADVENTURE AWAITS AT ANAKEESTA!
Ride the WORLD’s ONLY fixed-grip scenic Chondola or Ridge Rambler adventure vehicle to the to enjoy all day, unlimited access to Anakeesta.
A full day of outdoor adventure is included in our general admission pass. Stroll along our 16-bridge Treetop Skywalk. Climb Anavista Tower and enjoy 360 degree views from downtown Gatlinburg’s highest point. Walk the meandering pathways in Vista Gardens, a multi-sensory experience with botanical beauty, whimsical sculptures, musical instruments and scenic overlooks where you can capture the perfect selfie. TreeVenture challenge course and BearVenture play area are located in Vista Gardens as well as our picturesque Heart Twigloo that perfectly frames Mt. LeConte. And, families of all ages will let their imaginations run free at the Treehouse Village Playground.
Looking for more thrills? Add to your adventure on the Dueling Zipline Adventure course, soar on the Rail Runner mountain coaster and find your treasure at Anakeesta Gem Mining.
The mountains are a place for adventure and relaxation, exploration and wonder. A place where people of all ages can discover nature and family entertainment. You and your family will find lots of fun things to do in the Great Smoky Mountains at Anakeesta.
RIDE THE SCENIC CHONDOLA OR RIDGE RAMBLER
Enter Anakeesta via our scenic Chondola. This is the WORLD’s ONLY fixed-grip Chondola where our guests choose to ride in an open-air 4-person chair with a safety bar or select an enclosed gondola cabin with seating for 6. This scenic ride takes you up 600’ to the summit of Anakeesta Mountain where you will enter the whimsical Firefly Village.
Soar above the City of Gatlinburg and leave the sounds of the City behind. Below the Chondola is a historic campus and natural habitat that is home to our neighbors and many forest friends. If you are quiet you just might see a bear! Please be sure to keep your voices low and secure all loose items.
OR experience a ride like no other via our Ridge Rambler vehicles. These passenger trucks take you on a scenic guided tour through the forest as you journey to the summit of Anakeesta. This is at no extra cost and has unlimited rides included in your admission.
Enjoy the ride and get ready to experience the magic in the mountains!
Race on a Dueling Zipline
Fly through the treetops on Anakeesta’s Dueling Zipline Adventure. Stretching high over the forest floor, all three lines offer beautiful views of the Smokies while zipping side-by-side next to your friends or family. Along the way, you’ll be able to test your courage when you rappel off our platforms and enjoy a controlled descent to the platform below. Zipline guests end their journey via a short downhill path to our mid-station and ride the Chondola back to the summit of Anakeesta to continue your adventures!
Rail Runner Mountain Coaster
Take an exhilarating ride on our unique single rail mountain coaster, the only one of its kind in the U.S! Race through the trees while flying down the mountain on the Anakeesta Rail Runner! With a 400 ft. elevation change and speeds of 25 mph, our coaster is the first one of its kind in the U.S! Experience 1,600 feet of downhill twists and turns before a scenic uphill ride brings you back to the top of Anakeesta Mountain. Riders can ride solo or tandem with a small child. Our Rail Runner carts feature back and headrests for a comfortable and safe ride.
Join us Friday and Saturday nights during the month of October for a haunted ride on the Rail Runner. Beginning at sunset, race down a spooky mountainside with only strobing lights to guide your way through the foggy darkness of night. There may be some other surprises along the way so this is not for the faint of heart… we are offering Single Rides only.
Rail Runner is weather dependent.
Additional Information:
SINGLE RIDERS
- Maximum weight: 270 lbs.
- No one under the age of 7 years old may ride alone
- Riders must be at least 48″ tall
TANDEM RIDERS
- Combined weight cannot exceed 270lbs
- Passengers must be 3 to 7 years old and a minimum of 38″ tall
- Passengers must be no taller than the driver’s shoulders
- Driver is fully responsible for passenger in front when riding tandem and must be able to control braking lever at all times
ANAVISTA OBSERVATION TOWER
AnaVista Tower is downtown Gatlinburg’s highest point! With 360⁰ views of the Smokies and the only one of its kind in the world, it is surrounded by Vista Gardens, a lush botanical garden with meandering walking trails and interactive areas of play. Guests will climb 78 steps to a large observation platform atop AnaVista Tower. From the top deck scenic views as far as Kentucky will surround you. Interpretive signs identify mountain ranges and peaks and two glass panel floors allow guests to peer down into the garden 60 feet below!
SPLASH PAD
Located in Black Bear Village, a new family-friendly splash pad, designed to resemble a Tennessee mountain stream complete with waterfall, is a great place to stay cool! Splash and dance the day away as woodland creatures and pebble jets spray water from every direction! Guests can enjoy listening to live music from the Black Bear Village stage or relax together while overlooking the forested peaks and valleys of the country’s most visited national park.
Visit our calendar to see our line up of special events.
TREETOP SKYWALK
Discover the longest tree-based skywalk in North America with more than 880’ of spectacular hanging bridges suspended 50-60 feet in the air! Immerse yourself in the beauty of nature as you stroll through the canopy. Experience what it feels like to be a bird in the treetops. Keep a sharp eye, you may spot a bear on the forest floor below or a woodpecker nearby.
Be sure to bring your camera for the perfect vacation memory that you will want to share with everyone!
- Guests must be able to walk unassisted
- Infants in secure baby carriers attached to an adult are allowed
- No strollers please
TREEVENTURE CHALLENGE COURSE
Anakeesta’s treehouse adventure adds more outdoor fun and imaginative play for families. Climb, swing, crawl and slide your way through three levels of play in these interactive treehouses. Six netted bridges and three treehouses offer a different challenge that will delight children of all ages. Climb to the top to enjoy the views from above then slide to the bottom level to begin the fun all over again.
BEARVENTURE
Coordination is key as you travel across logs, moving obstacles, and tightropes in BearVenture! Located in Vista Gardens, this interactive play course is designed for kids of all ages to travel through lush pathways before reaching shaded pergolas and our iconic 20′ sculpture of Willow, the “keeper of the forest.”
TREEHOUSE VILLAGE ADVENTURE
Children of all ages will love playing in the trees in this whimsically themed treehouse village interconnected by multiple bridges of varying challenge. Physical and educational elements designed to build strength and confidence will surprise guests at nearly every turn. Trek along a log walk to an elevated bird nest to learn about how an American Goldfinch cultivates its home, navigate a plank walk to a maze encapsulated by a house in the trees, and crawl through a tube net to a climbing adventure within the walls of nature.
Anakeesta Gem Mining
Strike it rich at the Anakeesta Gem Mine! An interactive waterfall and sluice allows kids of all ages to search for that special gemstone or fossil. Located at the beginning of the Treetop Skywalk and adjacent to the Children’s Treehouse Village Adventure, Gem Mining is always a fun family activity.
Welcome to Anakeesta!
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