Blog for Zip line Attraction in the Smoky Mountains
Located in Pigeon Forge, TN and near Gatlinburg and Sevierville.
Winter Weather Protocol
By Ross Bodhi Ogle
Posted on November 12, 2019
Ahh, the fall of 2019… It was one of the best two weeks we've seen around here in a long time. Seriously, it seems like we went from summer to hard-core winter in less than a month. A lot of folks around here are dealing with snow accumulation this week, both in the valley and in the higher elevations. Thankfully, the roads have been passable for the most part, and this does give visitors the opportunity to gaze upon a rare sight – fall colors in the trees while snow is on the ground.
So how does that affect our operation here at Smoky Mountain Ziplines? As we get into November and December, we do tend to open on a more limited schedule. We're almost always open on weekends, but this time of year, circumstances are often dictated by the weather conditions and the drivability of the roads.
The best course of action through the end of 2019 is to always call us before coming out to the property. We'd hate for you to come out here for an impromptu zipline adventure only to discover that we're closed for the day. So if you're planning to visit our Gatlinburg zip line attraction, give us a call, and we'll schedule you for a day that we know we'll be up and running during your visit to the Smokies. Similarly, if you've already booked a trip with us, and the weather on your scheduled day is looking a little sketchy, call us to verify if we'll be open that day.
Winter weather conditions can also affect your plans if you're interested in traveling into or through Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This can have an impact on your ability to drive to your favorite hikes and scenic overlooks, or if you're simply wanting to cut across the national park to visit Cherokee, North Carolina, those roads at the crest of the Smokies are very likely to be impassable as we get deeper into fall and winter. And some roads are closed seasonally anyway, regardless of weather. These include Clingmans Dome, Rich Mountain Road and Parson Branch Road.
Otherwise, visit the park's official website for a summary of information about what to do during winter weather conditions. There you'll find a phone number to call for road information and weather forecasts as well as a link to the park's Twitter account for road conditions, which is often your most up-to-date source for the latest road and facility closures. You can also subscribe to text-message updates by texting “followsmokiesroadsnps” to 40404.
If nasty winter weather does rain (or snow) on your outdoor vacation parade, there are still plenty of reasons to plow ahead with your trip to the Smokies. In fact, up at Ober Gatlinburg Ski Resort, they love it when the white stuff hits. That makes conditions that much better for their ski and snowboard trails and snow-tubing course. The attraction also offers indoor ice-skating, shops, restaurants and many more ways to spend a beautiful winter day in the mountains. You can drive to the summit of Mt. Harrison to visit Ober Gatlinburg, but if road conditions aren't suitable, you can take the Aerial Tramway to the resort. It originates in downtown Gatlinburg.
As far as other ways to have fun on a cold snow day are concerned, don't forget the dozens of awesome indoor attractions and theaters you'll find throughout Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville. However you look at it, there's-snow excuse for not coming to the Smokies this winter!
