Blog for Zipline Attraction in the Smoky Mountains
Located in Pigeon Forge, TN and near Gatlinburg and Sevierville.
5 Things You Can Still Do In The Smokies
By Ross Bodhi Ogle
Posted on August 16, 2018
Yep, the kiddos are all back in school (Hallelujah!), so for them, summer is over, for all intents and purposes. But have you checked the calendar or a thermometer lately? Both would indicate that summer is officially still in full swing. And that means there's still plenty of warm-weather fun in store for those of us who aren't tied down too tightly by school schedules.
So this week, we'll be passing along some ideas for a last summer hurrah (or hurrahs), as it were. These are just a few of the ways you can still milk the season for all it's worth and make the most of things before fall and winter start to creep their way into the Great Smoky Mountains.
Dollywood's Splash Country
They're open on a limited schedule through September 3. But on the days they are open, 35 acres of wet-and-wild fun await visitors looking for a way to cool down on a late-summer day. There are all kinds of slides on site, from zippy single slides to family-size raft rides. Also look for a lazy river, kids' area, interactive lagoon, wave pool and the drenching Bear Mountain Fire Tower. The park has rental cabanas, storage lockers, food vendors and other support amenities to help make your day in the water an enjoyable one.
Smoky Mountain Ziplines
We're going to be open on our regular schedule for at least a couple more months. In fact, as the heat lets up on us a little here in August and with the kids back in school, you should consider making reservations for a weekday. But no matter what day of the week you visit, you're in for hours of high-flying action on our Pigeon Forge zipline course. Combined, our lines offer more than 4,200 feet of zipline cable. That's nearly a mile of air time! Even if you've never been on a zipline before, don't let that stop you. Our guides will make sure you're properly geared up, instructed and kept safe throughout your adventure. Call or visit us online today.
Spend a day on the lake
Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville are just a few miles from Douglas Lake, one of the most popular TVA reservoirs in East Tennessee. The lake offers more than 30,000 acres of surface area and more than 550 miles of shoreline, and it's an ideal destination for anyone eager to spend a day out on the water, whether that means skiing, tubing, jet skiing, fishing or just chilling out on shore on a sunny day. Several nearby commercial marinas offer fuel and other lake-day necessities.
See the shows
Yes, you can catch a lot of the music and variety shows in the Smokies year 'round, but you only have a couple more months before most of the theaters switch over to their Christmas- and holiday-themed shows. Those are great too, but if you're more interested in seeing the regular mainstay productions, this is a good time to give them a shot. And as we've mentioned, attending a matinee or a weeknight show gives you a better chance of getting tickets and finding great seats in the auditorium.
Scream for ice cream
Like the music theater shows, ice cream is also a year-round treat. But for some reason, it's just a lot more fun to get a cup, a cone or a sundae when it's still on the warm side. You'll find ice cream and frozen yogurt shops all over the area, but a few of the uniquely local parlors to look for include Mad Dog's Creamery and Donuts in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, Glades Soda Fountain in the Great Smoky Mountains Arts & Crafts Community, The Dawg House featuring hand dipped ice cream, The Old Mill Creamery in Pigeon Forge, Kilwin's in downtown Gatlinburg and the Apple Valley Creamery in Sevierville.
