Blog for Zipline Attraction in the Smoky Mountains
Located in Pigeon Forge, TN and near Gatlinburg and Sevierville.
4 Benefits To Ziplining
By Ross Bodhi Ogle
Posted on April 2, 2019
Let's get one thing out of the way early: Ziplining is fun. Even if you're a little fearful in the process, you can't deny that it's one of the most exciting adventures you could undertake while on a Smoky Mountains vacation. However, if that weren't reason enough (and it should be), there are several additional benefits the ziplining experience can provide. So in addition to the sheer entertainment value, spending a morning or afternoon with us at Smoky Mountain Ziplines can enhance your life in many other ways. This week, we'll share just a few of them.
1. Endorphins and stuff
Endorphins are the chemical your brain releases to make you feel good. This often happens in reaction to some sort of pain or stress, and while ziplining is not a painful experience by any means, there's a built-in stress factor when you ask your body to step off a platform high in the air and trust that a steel cable is going to carry you safely to the other side of a mountainside ravine. The brain also produces adrenaline in such moments, so by the time you get to the end of a zipline, your body is likely feeling the full effect of one or both of these chemicals. It's a natural high that's likely to put a smile on your face and make you feel more alive than a round of miniature golf would.
2. Sense of accomplishment
If you've never tried ziplining before, you can't help but be proud of yourself once you've landed safely at the end of your first run. Chances are you had to overcome a little bit of fear or apprehension to take that first leap of faith, so being able to check ziplining off your bucket list comes with a certain amount of pride. It's a sign that you were able to overcome your fears and conquer them – and in a very public setting at that. We've found that once first-timers get their feet wet, it's no-holds-barred going forward. From that point on, our guests typically can't get enough of the zipline rush. That's why so many of our customers are repeaters; that first experience of ziplining Gatlinburg was enough to get them hooked.
3. Bonding
Usually our guests arrive here in some sort of group configuration, whether it's a married couple, a family with kids or a group of folks from work or church. Ziplining alone is plenty of fun, but there's something about sharing the experience with friends and family that gives it even more value. Being able to cheer each other on (or heckle each other, as the case may be) while you're waiting on the platform can be an entertaining thing in its own right. And long after your time with us here has passed, you will always be able to share the memories of your ziplining outing with those who went through it with you. In a sense, that shared moment allows you to relive the day again and again.
4. Connecting to nature
Sometimes inside is good. But more often than not, outside is better. If you're going to be in the Great Smoky Mountains, why not be outside in the mountains? First, the immediate surroundings are relaxing. Our zipline course is located on a mountainside, ensconced in forests of hardwoods. You hear the rustle of the leaves, you breathe in fresh air, you smell the pine sap, and you feel the crunch of leaves under your shoes. Second, one of the things that so many of our first-time guests don't expect about our canopy tour is how beautiful the views are. There are points along the tour where you'll have wide-open views of the area's largest mountains, standing proudly as if they were posing for some sort of postcard. Except it's not a postcard. It's the real thing, and these views are absolutely free.
