Blog for Zipline Attraction in the Smoky Mountains
Located in Pigeon Forge, TN and near Gatlinburg and Sevierville.
Back To School Should Mean Back To The Smokies
By Ross Bodhi Ogle
Posted on July 30, 2024
As the old TV commercial used to sing regarding back-to-school days, “It's the most wonderful time of the year…” The kids have probably all gotten their new clothes and shoes and supplies, and you can practically hear the school bus engines revving as we speak.
However, the calendar says there's still more than a month left in the unofficial summer season and six weeks left of official summer. So it's way too early to abandon any plans of visiting the Great Smoky Mountains. If you plan your visit for a school day(s), you can enjoy a lot of benefits and advantages of traveling this time of year. Here are a few ideas for what to do:
• Visit the theme parks
Theme parks like Dollywood, Anakeesta, SkyLand Ranch, Gatlinburg SkyPark and Ober Mountain are typically quite busy during the peak of the summer months. But once schools are back in, a mid-week visit can be a very different experience. You'll find that the lines aren't quite as long to all the rides and attractions, and with less crowding, it's just easier to breathe and enjoy a relaxing day doing lots of fun stuff in the mountains.
• Water, water everywhere
And don't forget about the water parks. Places like Dollywood Splash Country, Soaky Mountain Water Park and Wilderness at the Smokies are still usually open for business through Labor Day weekend. So for the entire month of August, you can go to these parks on a weekday and see a noticeable drop-off in visitation. Again, that translates into shorter waits for all those water slides, wave pools and lazy river rides.
• Make the most of outdoor attractions
Once winter hits, the opportunities for outdoor fun decrease dramatically. But if you come to the Smokies on a summer weekday during the school year, you'll get to enjoy all that outdoor adventure but, as we said regarding the theme parks, you can do so with a little more breathing room.
One of our suggestions includes a visit to Smoky Mountain Ziplines. Our Pigeon Forge zipline adventure is open through the end of the year, and when the crowds slack off come school time, you'll find that it's much easier to find a tour time that fits your schedule. And if we happen to be running smaller tour sizes, you'll get more one-on-one time with our professional guides.
Other ideas for outdoor recreation include spending a day recreating on Douglas Lake, going horseback riding or heading to Great Smoky Mountains National Park for a day of hiking, fishing or picnicking. Finally, don't forget about camping. Whether you're roughing it in a tent in the national park or enjoying full-on glamping at an RV resort with all the amenities, mid-week camping is usually more laid-back. If you're ready to get away to a place where the campgrounds aren't filled with kids, this is your time of year.
• Other considerations
Don't forget that visiting the Smokies on a summer weekday has other benefits. For example, there's a nice little taper in the amount of street traffic between early August and the fall color season. Getting around more efficiently allows you to pack more into a day. You'll also notice that lodging properties are less busy, which translates into less crowded swimming pools, restaurants, game rooms, etc.
Finally, don't forget to look for lower rates at area accommodations. While a lot of properties don't really drop their lodging rates until winter, you might be able to find a place that has lowered its rates to entice more people to stay there during the tail end of summer.
