This is not really my typical outdoors post, since not hiking or gear related – but our family took a trip to Sevierville / Pigeon Forge / Gatlingburg area this fall for birthdays. We decided to go check out the new-ish Anakeesta Theme Park in Gatlinburg. This turned out to be a fairly unique mountain experience and worth sharing some photos and thoughts.
The ski lift up the mountain from downtown Gatlinburg was interesting. It is a traditional ski lift, with a simple bar that folds down across your lap as the only safety device. The 4 person cable seats slow down when entering the station, but they do not stop during boarding and unboarding (unless you have a need and specifically ask staff to). If it were my wife and I, this wouldn’t be a big deal, but riding with small kids was unnerving. Our 6 year old especially disliked being up high, and my 8 year old fidgeting made me nervous. The lap bar isn’t much of a restraint at all when it comes to kids – our kids could have slipped right through.
A highlight, and a reason to visit if you have kids – are the treehouses. Very creatively built, and obviously a hit with the other children we saw, our kids being able to run around safely and play on these mountaintop play areas was great. We stopped for ice cream, walked up the AnaVista tower with 360 degree views of Gatlinburg and Smoky Mountain National Park, and later grabbed lunch and drinks in the Black Bear Village while a polka band played. Cliff Top Restaurant had a long wait so we opted for casual fare from Kephart Cafe, but still got to enjoy the fire pit area in this section and could order drinks at the walk up bar at Cliff Top. Views from the AnaVista tower include Clingman’s Dome, Mt. LeConte. The Treetop Skywalk takes you on a walk through the trees on an alternate path form the back of the park, back to the ski lift station.
We waited a long time to take an enclosed gondola car down the mountain late in the afternoon. They only have 6 or 8 total (I am not sure) so the wait is considerably longer for these versus the traditional ski lift seats. I saw numerous other families with small kids or strollers, as well seniors with walkers or canes opt to wait for enclosed gondola. Honestly, this is my biggest criticism: more enclosed gondola cars would make this better experience, and quite frankly – just makes sense since much of the park is aimed toward young children.
Out on the Trail . . . 