Family-friendly Pigeon Forge offers a huge variety of activities that will please every member of your family. From video arcades and go karts to the Smoky Mountain Alpine Coaster, the only difficult part of your vacation will be choosing which place to play at first! Our advice to you? Start with the Alpine Coaster and plan to return at least a few times throughout your stay; it’s the next best thing to flying down a mountain on a sled, and you don’t have to wait for snow to try it out!
Smoky Mountain Coasted is Located at 867 Wears Valley Road, Pigeon Forge
Open every day of the week, even on the major holidays, the Smoky Mountain Coaster was the first mountain coaster built in the Great Smoky Mountains and is also the longest one in the nation, continuing down the mountain for just over a mile. You control the speed with a hand brake similar to an emergency parking brake in older vehicles, topping out at about 27 MPH.
As we’ve tried it many times over the 5 years it has been open, we can honestly tell you it’s just about the most thrilling ride we’ve ever experienced. Riders sit low to the track in a cart that’s built to resemble a sled. The carts are designed for two; to ride alone, your child must be at least 56 inches tall, or 38 inches if they are sharing your cart.
Lasting approximately 9 minutes, the views from atop the Smoky Mountain Alpine Coaster may be more than a little distracting, so no one blames you for slowing down your descent and then choosing to ride a few more times after that. With the Smoky Mountains standing guard behind you and the valley spreading out below you looking postcard perfect, how could you not take a little extra time to enjoy?
Ticket prices start at $4.50 for children ages 3 to 6, $11 for children ages 7-12, $13 for military with ID, and $14 for adults. If you scan Groupon, you can often find discount prices, so a little pre-vacation research will be a good thing!
Coming Back to Earth
After flying down the mountain on the Smoky Mountain Coaster, keeping your feet firmly planted on the ground in one of our Cabin Rental Store luxury escapes will be the second best sensation of the day! Allowing you to relax and recharge in comfort and style, these moments will be the quiet but magical ones you remember long after the vacation is over. Contact us to reserve your cabin today!
