5: Anakeesta

Anakeesta is one of the newest attractions in the Smokies. Located in downtown Gatlinburg, Tennessee, this 70+ acre, mountain village is not going to disappoint. The Chondola takes you to the top of Anakeesta Mountain where you will experience Firefly Village with its gifts shops, the Cliff Top Grill & Bar, Aunt Pearl’s Pie in the Sky (ice cream and fried pies), and several other shops.

For those of you with an aversion to heights, like Marc, you can take the Ridge Rambler to Firefly Village. The Ridge Rambler is a 42 passenger monster truck that takes you through the forest on the ground, rather than high above on a cable!

But the real draw to Anakeesta is that it is an outdoor adventure park with zip-lines, a mountain coaster ride (the Rail Runner), and the world’s longest tree canopy walk, with more than 16 bridges hanging 40 to 60 feet above the ground below.

Recently, Anakeesta opened AnaVista Tower, a 60 feet tall tower with amazing views of Gatlinburg and the surrounding mountains. Vista Gardens, where the tower is located, is a beautifully landscaped area with manicured gardens and pathway. The views are perfect for selfies overlooking the mountains.

Seth Mulder & Midnight Run (misidentified as The Tennessee Travelers in the podcast) entertained the crowds on the Saturday we were there and they did a great job of playing bluegrass music on the Plaza stage.

Coming in the Fall of 2020 is a new restaurant, more fire pits, a family water play area, and updates to many of the adventure features.

 Mentioned in this Episode

• Anakeesta
• Seth Mulder & Midnight Run (misidentified as The Tennessee Travelers in the podcast)
• Ripley Entertainment