Blog for Zipline Attraction in the Smoky Mountains
Located in Pigeon Forge, TN and near Gatlinburg and Sevierville.
By Ross Bodhi Ogle
Posted on August 24, 2021
Last week, we introduced you to some of the most unusual accommodations in the Smokies-three properties that are truly unique and have the potential to make your mountain stay one you're likely to remember for years to come. We're going to continue this week with a few more lodging providers that go above and beyond the traditional hotel/motel or overnight-rental formula.
We've already shown you how one Smoky Mountain business has taken tent camping to the next level. This week, we'll tell you about a company that rents treehouses on steroids, so to speak. Treehouse Grove at Norton Creek Resort in Gatlinburg offers eight different treehouses, each of which comes with a complete private bathroom with shower, electricity and high-speed Internet, just to name a few of the amenities. They even provide bath towels, hair dryers and a limited supply of toiletries. Each treehouse can accommodate anywhere from two to four guests comfortably. The structures were designed by Pete Nelson, better known as the Treehouse Master on TV. The units are much like rental cabins on the inside, and each comes with abundant decking for soaking in the outdoor views. And in true treehouse nature, each is elevated above ground level and nestled in the treetops.
This isn't the only treehouse destination in the Smokies. A good Google search will turn up more options if you're interested. But you might consider pairing a treehouse stay with a visit to Smoky Mountain Ziplines. You can zoom through the treetops by day on our zipline in Sevierville, TN, and then you can sleep among the lush foliage at night in a unique treehouse dwelling.
If you happen to be a railroad fanatic, we've lumped a couple of different options into one listing. Both are within just a couple hours' drive from the Smokies, but either could be a cool place to stay on your way to or from our area. First is the Chattanooga Choo-Choo in downtown Chattanooga, TN, which allows you to stay in a hotel room created within a restored train car from the early 20th century. Of course, it's packed with modern conveniences and even queen-size beds. Overall, the Choo-Choo complex is a 20-acre entertainment venue features two hotel buildings, indoor and outdoor pools, an arcade, several restaurants, shops, galleries, live music venues and a comedy club. Also, Buffalo Creek Vacations in Clyde, NC, has restored train cabooses you can stay in. These 1960 railroad cars have modern amenities like heated bathroom floors, TVs and a full kitchen if you want to cook your own meals. While you're there, you can explore the property's 65 acres or simply watch roaming bison from your caboose window.
Even if you weren't, you can get an upscale idea of what that might have been like when you stay in a converted grain silo attached to a massive barn in nearby Maryville, TN, just a short drive from Pigeon Forge, Sevierville and Gatlinburg. Available for rental through glampinghub.com, the silo features a rustic open floor plan with three curved staircases and four floors leading up to a sleeping area and one full bathroom at the top. On the lower level, guests will find a decked-out kitchenette, while outside, glampers will enjoy a small patio with patio furniture and a fire ring. Covered parking spaces are available inside the barn. Other amenities include heating, air conditioning and an outdoor fire ring.