sunrise over Gatlinburg, Tennessee

3 Mountain Top Amusement Parks in Gatlinburg You Need to Visit

gatlinburg skylift park
July 21, 2021

Gatlinburg is an exciting destination for many reasons! This charming town is not only on the doorstep to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park but is also home to several amusement parks that are located at the top of a mountain! These unique parks offer all kinds of cool attractions, as well as aerial lifts where getting there is half the fun! Here are 3 mountain top amusement parks in Gatlinburg that you need to visit:

1. Ober Gatlinburg

ober gatlinburg aerial tram

Gatlinburg’s original mountain top amusement park is Ober Gatlinburg, which has had a variety of rides and attractions since the mid 1970s! One of the original attractions is the alpine slide, where you get to control the speed of your sled-like cart down a concrete track. There are actually two slides that are located side-by-side so you can race your family and friends! If you prefer to ride a newer version of this ride with sleds attached to steel rails, check out the ski mountain coaster that opened in 2015! Some of the other attractions that you will find at Ober Gatlinburg include the aerial tram, scenic chairlift, wildlife encounter, ice skating, and mini golf.

2. Gatlinburg SkyLift Park

Another one of the mountain top amusement parks in Gatlinburg you need to visit is Gatlinburg SkyLift Park! While the Gatlinburg SkyLift itself originally opened back in 1954, it is not until recent years when some very cool attractions have been added to the top of the mountain! The highlight of this attraction is undoubtedly the Gatlinburg SkyBridge, which is the longest suspension pedestrian bridge in North America! The SkyBridge reaches a height of 150 feet at its midpoint and literally crosses through the sky as it stretches 680 feet across a deep valley! As if that doesn’t sound exciting enough, just wait until you see the glass floor panels in the middle of the span!

3. Anakeesta

anakeesta in gatlinburg

As the newest of the mountain top amusement parks in Gatlinburg, Anakeesta has quickly become one of the most popular destinations in Tennessee! This family friendly park truly offers something for all ages, ranging from the Rail Runner single rail mountain coaster to the longest tree-based skywalk in North America! If you have young children in your family, they will have a blast exploring Anakeesta’s treehouse village, mining for gems, and cooling off in the Splash Pad! Some of the other fun attractions include the AnaVista Tower, Dueling Zipline, and the BearVenture Challenge Course. Anakeesta is home to lots of great places to eat too, as well as quaint shops where you can purchase some souvenirs!

Where to Stay

Stay just minutes away from all of Gatlinburg’s attractions, restaurants, and shops with a vacation at our downtown Gatlinburg hotel! We offer a fabulous location that is just far enough off the Strip to be peaceful but just steps away from all the great stuff to see and do! You will find a wide variety of room types to accommodate your needs, ranging from queen economy rooms to creekside jacuzzi rooms. While staying with us, enjoy all kinds of fantastic amenities including private balconies, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, an exercise room, private picnic areas, and more!

Check out all of the rooms at our hotel in downtown Gatlinburg today to stay close to these mountain top amusement parks in Gatlinburg! We look forward to welcoming you to our hotel!