Blog for Zipline Attraction in the Smoky Mountains
Located in Pigeon Forge, TN and near Gatlinburg and Sevierville.
New Attractions And Restaurants Make Their Debut In The Smokies – Part 4
By Ross Bodhi Ogle
Posted on March 7, 2023
How many new businesses have recently opened - or will be making their debut in 2023 - in the Great Smoky Mountains? So many that we've devoted our past three blog posts to introducing you to many of them. And we're still not done. We're back again this week with yet another rundown of attractions, restaurants and more that will be fresh faces on the tourism scene to those of you visiting the Smokies this year. Hopefully, this will inspire many of you to plan a journey who might not have otherwise come to the mountains. Or for you diehard Smokies vacationers, we hope we've given you a whole bunch more new reasons to come back and see us again.
Cumberland Jack's LeConte Kitchen
The same company that has already brought Crockett's Breakfast Camp and Five Oaks Farm Kitchen to the Smokies has just opened a new eatery called Cumberland Jack's LeConte Kitchen. Located in Gatlinburg in the former Texas Roadhouse location, this restaurant was named after the German Shepherd that belonged to Paul Adams, who was hired to construct the first lodge top Mt. LeConte. Adams was also the lodge's first caretaker, and his faithful companion Jack would fetch groceries and supplies from the Ogle store in Gatlinburg and then bring them back to the top of the mountain. Fittingly, the restaurant is designed to resemble a mountain lodge, and the menu features hearty American fare like mountain trout, fried catfish, pulled pork, smoked meatloaf and more.
Fin City at Camp Margaritaville
Camp Margaritaville RV Resort, an RV destination located in Pigeon Forge, has a brand-new attraction onsite to cater to its guests. Fin City is an entertainment center that features a full arcade, duckpin bowling, billiards, foosball, darts, pickleball courts and a snack shack. In addition, the staff has planned daily activities and crafts for guests to participate in. Seasonal opportunities include a bonfire pit for cool nights and a lazy river feature for cooling off on those hot days.
The 407: Gateway to Adventure
This year, visitors to the Smokies will get to experience the first phase of this new multipurpose development located at Exit 407 on Interstate 40 - one of the main access points to the Great Smoky Mountains. In 2022, the European theme park company Puy du Fou partnered with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Tribal Council to bring a new attraction to the area. One of the highlights will be a live show inspired by stories of heroism among Cherokee natives during World War I. The 200-acre development is located on the southeastern side of the exit, and will soon also be the site of a brand-new Buc-ee's location. We won't go into a lot of detail about Buc-ee's here, but to learn more about it, see our blog post from just a couple of months ago that was devoted entirely to that new mega-convenience store.
Sanctuary Treehouse Resort
This first-of-its-kind resort in East Tennessee is expected to open soon, offering a unique, interactive lodging experience that also treats guests to views of the Smoky Mountains and two nearby 18-hole golf courses. Although rustic in appearance, each treehouse will provide all the amenities of modern-day resorts. The resort will sit on 40 acres, not far from Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
And hey, don't forget about all the great attractions that are already going strong in the Smokies! That includes us at Smoky Mountain Ziplines. Our Pigeon Forge zipline tours are about under way again for our 2023 season.
