Blog for Zipline Attraction in the Smoky Mountains
Located in Pigeon Forge, TN and near Gatlinburg and Sevierville.
Fit And Fun, Part One
By Ross Bodhi Ogle
Posted on May 3, 2022
Vacation time is a time to relax, unplug and get away from the everyday hassles of work and/or housekeeping. It's an escape to a setting that offers new experiences, new sights and even new foods to try. And whether you're traveling alone or with the whole family, a vacation is ideally an opportunity to take it easy.
But taking it easy doesn't have to mean lying about like a slug for an entire week. In fact, getting in some physical activity on your vacation is not only good for you, it can enhance your travel by helping you maintain your energy levels and keeping your digestive hormones in balance. And if you decide to loosen your dietary restrictions when you're on the road, the least you can do is find ways to burn off some of those calories.
So this week, we're going to share several ideas for ways to stay physically active when you're on vacation. Many of these suggestions are free, and most of them also take place in the outdoors, so if you're visiting the Smokies, you can soak up the sights, sounds and smells of the mountains, have fun and take care of yourself, all at the same time. That's what we call a win-win-win.
Hiking
This is already one of the most popular activities among visitors to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. There are more than 800 miles of trails in the park, ranging from short and easy nature strolls to challenging climbs, like the trek to the summit of Mt. LeConte. With that array of options in play, there's something for everyone.
If you're only interested in hiking a mile or two, no problem. If you want to take on an outing of 10 miles or more, you also have a number of choices. The sights you can see along the way are wide-ranging, from waterfalls and bridges to historic homes and unique geological formations.
All you need to get started are your two feet, although if you're going to hike more than a few miles, we recommend making sure you take appropriate hiking footwear and enough liquids to stay hydrated. It's also not a bad idea to check the temperature for the specific area you're visiting and take the altitude into consideration. Temps in the national park, especially at the higher elevations, tend to be cooler than what you'll experience in downtown Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge.
Swimming
You'll find all kinds of opportunities to swim when you visit the Smokies, starting with your accommodations. If you're in a hotel, motel or condo building, there's a good chance the facility has an outdoor and/or indoor pool on site. It's a good way for you to get some exercise and for the kids to burn off some of that vacation energy. Some lodgings have pools with water slides and other fun features. If you want to take things to the extreme, consider staying at Wilderness at the Smokies Resort in Sevierville, which is home to both indoor and outdoor water parks.
Or you could visit an attraction that's a straight-up water park, like Dollywood's Splash Country in Pigeon Forge or Soaky Mountain Water Park in Sevierville. Those attractions are open Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend and offer acres and acres of unique water slides, wave pools and other family-fun water-based attractions.
Another option would be to visit a natural body of water. In the national park, you might try swimming holes like the Townsend Y or The Sinks. Or you could head out to any of the many TVA reservoirs in East Tennessee, including Douglas Lake in Sevier County.
You can also get some steps in at Smoky Mountain Ziplines. The setting is beautiful, and you get to zip line Pigeon Forge, TN. It's another vacation win-win situation!
Check back next week, when we'll share three more ways for you to get your exercise on when you visit the Great Smoky Mountains.
