Our family has visited Gatlinburg, Tennessee for years and we enjoy the variety of things to do each season. Each visit we find that we run out of time before we run out of fun. I’m sharing fun things for families to do in Gatlinburg that can be done over a weekend visit or stretched out during a longer stay.
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My family has visited the Smoky Mountains region around and near Gatlinburg, Tennessee, many times over the years. Each time we visit, we run out of time before we run out of fun. There is ALWAYS something new to discover there…along with many family favorites that we try to visit each time we are in town.
When you visit Gatlinburg, you have a lot of options to choose from for entertainment. Ober Gatlinburg offers so much to do year round and the beauty is that you can do it all at one location. You can easily spend hours there between all of the adventures and activities.
So what are your options for an Ober Gatlinburg adventure?
When you visit the Smoky Mountains Region, you are faced with A LOT of options when it comes to where you stay.
Where do you even begin?
We were invited to check out what the Gatlinburg Falls Resort has to offer for a Smoky Mountain vacation.
We’ve driven the popular Cades Cove 11 mile loop many times during visits to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The scenic curvy road that leads to Cades Cove is filled with gorgeous imagery of mountains and streams during the 13.1 mile drive. Depending on the time of year, traffic to the park, and how many times you stop for pictures or animal sightings, the drive to Cades Cove could take you between 40 minutes-1hr+ to reach.
I was really excited about checking out the Gatlinburg Mountain Coaster during our visit to Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
The Gatlinburg Mountain Coaster is a fun, family friendly thrill ride that takes you up and down that side of a mountain on your own personal coaster that can reach speeds up to 35mph!
You can ride single or double and your thrill level is up to you. During our visit, the lines for the Mountain Coaster moved pretty quickly. Our ride operator made sure that we were harnessed securely in the ride and that we knew the safely instructions. He also welcomed and encouraged a picture of himself.
I rode with my younger son, who also doubled as the photographer, because you are not allowed to take pictures while riding if you are in charge of the brake.
The specially designed ride up the mountain was very quiet and smooth.
The steep incline up the hill makes you wonder what going down will be like, but keep in mind that you control your speed.
Once you reach the top, you push your handle forward to begin your ride. My son and I decided to go full throttle down the mountain. If you do want to brake, you just pull your handle back.
The quick twists and turns through the woods were such an adrenaline rush filled with pretty scenery!
It really feels like you are going faster than you really are, but it’s still important to make sure that you still maintain a safe distance from the riders in front of you.
The track is really quiet, but you probably won’t be on your way down. You can’t help but smile and scream.
My younger son rode with my friend and he was in charge of videotaping their ride.
My friend was grateful that she could control her own speed. She didn’t go full throttle but she still had a blast!
The Gatlinburg Mountain Coaster was such a fun adventure! The ride lasts about 5-7 minutes depending on how fast you go. The time seemed to fly by!
The Gatlinburg Mountain Coaster is open year round which makes it a fun adventure any time of year. We were able to go right after it finished raining but the track still runs in rain or snow.
Pricing at the time of our visit
1 Rider $14.32
Must be at least 56”
1 person per coaster car (Maximum weight 375lbs/330lbs if track is wet)2 Riders $24.16
2 people in same coaster car (Maximum weight 375lbs/330lbs if track is wet)Children $7.16 (Child-Parent Combo $21.48)
(Ages 3-9. Must be at least 38 tall and ride with a companion at least 16 years old and 56” tall)
You can find out more about the Gatlinburg Mountain Coaster from their website.
The Gatlinburg Mountain Coaster is located at 306 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN. (865)430-5577
Disclosure: I was given complimentary admission for review purposes. All opinions are my own.