Blog for Zipline Attraction in the Smoky Mountains
Located in Pigeon Forge, TN and near Gatlinburg and Sevierville.
4 Smoky Mountain Travel Resolutions For 2017
By Ross Bodhi Ogle
Posted on January 3, 2017
A new year is already under way – a blank sheet of paper upon which we will all, hopefully, write a wonderful story over the course of the next 52 weeks. As a result, this is the time of year that many people choose to make New Year's resolutions or set goals for positive changes they'd like to make in the year ahead.
Even if you decide not to take on lifestyle modifications like eating healthier, working out more or cutting out a bad habit, you can still resolve to do some new things in 2017 that will stretch your boundaries a little bit and create some memories that will carry over for years to come. In fact, with a single multiday visit to the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, you can face several new challenges that will leave you feeling invigorated and uplifted.
If you're looking for a few ideas for what to do next time you come to the Smokies in 2017, consider one or more of the following:
1. Hike Mt. LeConte
Why not? At 6,593 feet, it may be the third highest peak in the Smokies, but Mt. LeConte is totally doable by most people in reasonable health and at a decent fitness level. There are five different routes you can take to the top of the mountain, with Broadway being one of the longer but less steep ones and Alum Cave Trail being the shortest but steeper. We recommend Alum Cave Trail because of features like Alum Cave itself, Arch Rock and some great views as you approach the summit. We also suggest that you wear good hiking shoes or boots, take plenty of water and snacks, dress for the climate nearer the summit of the mountain and allow yourself plenty of time to cover the nearly six-mile round-trip distance. Plan on at least six hours, including spending some time at the two different outlook points on top of the mountain.
2. Try Ziplining
If you've never ziplined before, 2017 needs to be the year you try it. Smoky Mountain Ziplines will reopen in spring and for the remainder of the year will offer one of the area's longest canopy tour experiences, complete with fast lines, awesome views and the best guides in the Smokies. Our Pigeon Forge/Sevierville zipline attraction is the highest rated outdoor attraction in town, according to tripadvisor.com, so we get a lot of repeat business by folks who made their first zipline run with us and then decided they had to come back for more. We bet you'll do the same if you give us a try.
3. Go Skydiving
Here in the Smokies, there are actual a couple of different ways you can enjoy the thrill of freefalling through the air. One is the more traditional route – jumping out of a plane. Vendors like Skydive Smoky Mountains and Pigeon Forge Skydiving will get you trained, equipped and ready to do a tandem jump with an instructor on your first visit. If you're game for more, they offer more advanced levels of instruction for ongoing students. However, if the thought of jumping out of a perfectly good airplane isn't quite your cup of tea, you can keep things a little more down to earth at Flyaway Indoor Skydiving in Pigeon Forge. Essentially, you and an instructor enter a large vertical wind tunnel, and you get to experience the sensation of floating on air under a powerful column of propeller-generated air.
4. Hop On A Thrill Ride
Roller coaster fans in particular might want to get in on this one. And if you hang out at Dollywood some time in 2017, you'll have your pick of several different nationally acclaimed coasters, like Thunderhead, Mystery Mine, Wild Eagle and Lightning Rod. And there are lots more thrill rides at the Pigeon Forge theme park, not to mention all sorts of amusement centers in Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg and Sevierville, offering fast go-cart tracks, bungee jumping and more.
