Blog for Zipline Attraction in the Smoky Mountains
Located in Pigeon Forge, TN and near Gatlinburg and Sevierville.
What To Do On A Snowy Day In The Smokies
By Ross Bodhi Ogle
Posted on January 18, 2022
If you happen to live in or are vacationing in the Great Smoky Mountains region this week, you may notice that there's a lot of white stuff on the ground. Depending on your location, you may be seeing anywhere from a trace coating to multiple inches of snow. Or you may live in an area that got absolutely nothing. Wherever you may be, the fact is that places like Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville are a winter wonderland this week, and there's a lot of fun to be had for locals and visitors looking to make the most out of the current conditions.
This week, Smoky Mountain Ziplines would like to point you in the right direction if you're interested in enjoying a frozen play-day. So layer up and get ready to have a blast-even if it's of the Arctic variety.
Ober Gatlinburg Ski Resort
Ober Gatlinburg is a popular Smoky Mountains attraction all year long, but this Gatlinburg ski resort really hits its stride when snow falls on the mountain. And when you add natural snowfall to the slopes' existing base of manufactured snow, conditions are ideal for a day of downhill skiing and snowboarding. Ober Gatlinburg has eight slopes that allow wintertime thrill seekers to ski down Mt. Harrison and seven lifts to take them back to the top again. Even if you've never skied before, that's not a problem. Ober Gatlinburg has a ski school on site, easy slopes to get newbies started, and they will even rent you all the equipment and gear you'll need to begin your skiing adventure.
Ober Gatlinburg also has a 10-lane snow-tubing course for those interested in a different style of downhill fun. Passengers ride down the 350-foot-long slide on inner tubes, losing 50 feet of elevation on their way to the bottom. From there, all you have to do is hop on the “Magic Carpet” outdoor escalator for a no-effort trip back to the top of the course. In addition, the resort offers lots of other way to enjoy the great outdoors-and indoors-in winter. These include a Cubbies Snow Zone play area for younger kids, an alpine coaster, scenic chairlift to the top of the mountain, an indoor ice skating rink, ice bumper cars, a wildlife encounter and much more.
Visitors headed up to Ober Gatlinburg can either drive to the mountaintop via Ski Mountain Road (assuming the road is clear and safe for traffic) or take the Aerial Tramway from its downtown boarding station directly to the ski resort. The Tramway uses two 120-passenger cars to shuttle visitors 2.1 miles from point to point, at times traveling as high as 300 feet off the ground. Cars run continuously throughout each operational day.
Pigeon Forge Snow
This attraction bills itself as America's first indoor snow park, allowing guests to enjoy a frosty play date in the snow all year long. Like Ober Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge Snow features a multilane (seven lanes) snow-tubing course, on which passengers ride inner tubes downhill on manufactured snow. In this case, however, the interior temperature is anywhere from 60 to 70 degrees, so you don't have to bundle up and brave the elements. Pigeon Forge Snow also has a SnowPlay area that offers snow-based fun for all ages, and there's a second-tier observation area where friends and family can watch participants on the hill below. No reservations are needed at Pigeon Forge Snow; just show up and hit the slope.
Don't forget your own backyard…
While there are cool attractions in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge for making the most out of a good snow day, don't forget the simple pleasures awaiting in your own backyard. Or front yard. Get outside at some point and build a snowman with the family or make snow angels. Maybe you could divide the family up into teams and make snow forts to use as a home base for a good old-fashioned snowball war.
If one of your travel priorities is to zip line Gatlinburg, you'll have to wait just a few more weeks. Unfortunately, we're not open in winter but will be ready to welcome guests back by the middle of March if not sooner.
