These waterparks invite you to splash and play in the Smoky Mountains
Planning the ideal getaway can be a challenge when some members of your family prefer mountains while others want waves.
Head to Sevierville, Tennessee and there’s no need to choose between the two; you can enjoy both rocky peaks and warm water—no matter the season!
Even when temperatures drop outside, it’s always a tropical paradise inside Sevierville’s indoor waterparks where temperatures are in the mid-80s year-round. But when summer heats up, there are even more ways to race and drop, slip and slide, body surf, float a lazy river, and work on your tan!
Come to Sevierville and splash into a waterpark! Every member of your family will find multiple ways to splash, slide, and surf.
This family-oriented resort’s indoor waterpark pumps 50,000 gallons of water every day to create experiences for families to share. From invigorating to relaxing, you’ll find watery fun for all ages.
Zip down two big water speed slides. Wade into the zero entry pool. Play water basketball and water volleyball. Watch your toddler discover and interact with dozens of features in the new toddler splash and play zone. Soak in the 20-person hot tub. Relax in the Finnish dry sauna where temperatures can approach 200 degrees Fahrenheit! At the north end of the large activity pool, swim or jog against the jet-propulsion current in the Badu SwimJet—it’s like a water treadmill so you can swim laps without ever having to turn around.
Every one-, two-, and three-bedroom unit at this all-condo resort is designed for families, with full kitchens, laundry facilities, and a living area separate from all bedrooms. A major expansion recently opened at The Resort that includes 67 additional units designed to cater to multi-generational travel. In a cool twist, the new building showcases products from guests’ communities as a way for The Resort to thank those who’ve supported it; as a few examples, the furniture is from Virginia, mattresses from Alabama, tile from Tennessee, carpet from Georgia, and sleeper sofas from Mississippi.
A new outdoor family area, Firefly Cove, offers fire pits with comfortable seating, a playground, hammock relaxation zone, and picnic grounds with grills.
When the temperatures rise, the outdoor waterpark boasts an 80-foot water slide, 250-foot lazy river, supersized swimming pool, children’s pool with interactive water features, log roll, outdoor whirlpool, and sun deck. Adventure Springs, a new area in the outdoor waterpark, features a large play structure that pumps over 1,500 gallons of water a minute. Find a dual racing slide, enclosed slide, 300-gallon dump bucket, and over 30 interactive play features.
Beyond the water, The Resort also offers a new nine-hole mini golf course, pirate ship playground, two arcades, and a walking trail.
To learn more or book a stay, call 1-800-497-5749 or visit governorscrossing.net.
Located inside the sprawling Wilderness at the Smokies, Wild WaterDome is Tennessee’s largest indoor waterpark. The energy-efficient transparent roof even allows for year-round tanning!
Thrills abound. Slide 55 feet down a dark tunnel before dropping through a zero-gravity swirling funnel. Test your skills in the region’s only body-surfing simulator. Swoosh through various tube slides. Ride a raft through the five-story Runaway Canyon. Experience five-foot waves in the ocean-like wave pool. Discover all kinds of wet fun in the multi-level Washout Mountain area. You can also take it easy and soak in the huge hot tub.
Ready to dry off? The Adventure Forest Family Entertainment Center has a three-story ropes course with cargo nets, balance beams, and mid-air lily pads. There’s also a 23-foot rock climbing wall, a nine-hole mini golf course with black lights, six lanes of miniature bowling, a laser tag maze, the region’s largest interactive playhouse, more than 100 arcade games, multi-level laser tag, and more.
Two outdoor waterparks, Lake Wilderness and Salamander Springs, are available to enjoy when warmer weather returns. Race down a four-lane tower, or take on the only near-vertical translucent looping body waterslide in the Southeast. Swoosh along a 207-foot-long tube, the state’s largest waterslide. Then rocket through 450 feet of water curtains, tunnels, and 360-degree loops. Treehouse Springs area is designed for young children with a zero-depth wading pool dotted with sprinklers, bubblers, geyser jets, waterfall splashes, dump buckets, and a treehouse tower with three slides.
Wilderness at the Smokies is a full-service resort that boasts 713 rooms, suites and villas, and multiple dining options in addition to all the adventures. Waterpark admission is included in the resort room rate.
For more information or to make reservations, call 1.877.325.WILD (9453) or visit wildernessatthesmokies.com.
Looking for warm weather waterpark thrills? Sevierville’s newest attraction, Soaky Mountain Waterpark, fills the bill. This 50-acre waterpark offers some of the most thrilling and unique water attractions available. Enjoy a massive 35,000 square foot wave pool capable of generating waves up to six feet high. Then go tubing on a winding wave river that spans an area of 24,000 square feet. Thrill seekers will love the one-of-a-kind water coaster and the high-intensity water slides. There is also a heavily themed kids play and spray feature with multiple kid-friendly slides.
Soaky Mountain Waterpark is open daily from mid-May through August each year – with select days through mid-September. For more information or to get tickets, visit soakymountainwaterpark.com.
