When researching for our Great Smoky Mountains vacation, I saw several different mountain top parks that you can access from Downtown Gatlinburg. When I saw Anakeesta, I knew I wanted to go to this one! There is so much to do and even multiple ways to get to the top of the mountain . When we visited Anakeesta, there were several things I would have changed, however, they are getting a 5 year remodel that will be bringing new and improved processes and features that will help alleviate the few issues we encountered (more on this later).
At the time I am writing this blog, general admission tickets are selling for $34.99 for adults and $22.99 for kids. Children age three and under get in free. You can also add on the mountain coaster, astra Lumina, or the zip line for an additional price. With that said, lets get into why I loved visiting Anakeesta!
There are multiple ways to get to the top and back down again
One of the reasons I chose Anakeesta was due to the multiple ways to get up the mountain. At the time of our visit, we had a one year old child and I did not feel super comfortable taking her on chair lift. We also wanted our stroller when we got to the top and that would have been difficult to manage on the chair lift (they are only able to handle small umbrella strollers on the chair lifts!). The other two parks I researched only had chair lifts to get to the top. Anakeesta offered not only the chair lift option but they also offered Gondola’s. The Gondola seats 4 people and make it easy to bring all your belongings including diaper bags and strollers. I appreciated this as we were able to still enjoy the views going up the mountain.
The hard part about choosing the gondolas was when we went they only had 4 gondolas in their entire system. There were multiple families like ours that needed to use a gondola, as well as those who just preferred this method over the chair lift. This need caused the line to take over an hour for us to get on our Gondola and then another 15-20 minutes to get to the top. The wait cut significantly into the daylight time we had allotted to visit Anakeesta.
The good news is that they are building a new lift called the Crystal Express High Speed Gondola. This new Gondola system will replace the current system that has chair lifts and only the 4 gondolas. It is supposed to be faster, smoother, and still provide great views due as the bottom and sides will be made of glass. I am excited about this upgrade as it will hopefully improve the wait by a significant amount.
Anakeesta also offers the Ridge Rambler. This option allows you to get to the top by truck! If the chair lift or gondola is not for you, this is such a great option! We ended up using the ridge rambler when we left. The wait was much faster than using the gondola to get back down. It was near closing time for the park and they had three large open air trucks that they used, allowing for quite a few people to go down the mountain at one time. They had two groups going at the same time, so as people were getting off at the bottom of the mountain, another group was getting on at the top of the mountain. I was impressed by their efficiency! It was a great way to go down the mountain and I hope to get to do it again next time in the daylight so we can better see the views. Another nice feature of the Ridge Rambler is they had a QR code that you could scan to be able to see where it is and how long the estimated wait is to get on one!
Gorgeous Views
The views from the top of the mountain cannot be matched. They were incredible! It seemed like no matter where you looked, the view only got better. They had so many viewpoints and the activities all afforded you with different views of the gorgeous mountains and downtown Gatlinburg. I was in awe the entire time we were up there. If you can plan your visit to still be there during sunset, I highly recommend it. Not only are the views incredible during the day, but sunset adds extra magic to the amazing views. After dark, you are not able to see much scenery, but you are able to see downtown Gatlinburg lit up, which can be nice to see as well.
Mountain Coasters
When purchasing the ticket to ride a mountain coaster, the nice thing is that you are really given 2 rides for the price you pay. You can choose to ride both of their mountain coasters or if you ride one and love it, you can ride it again!
Outside of the rides, they had a time listed for each coaster that showed how long the wait was to get on. While this was a nice feature, it was not updating the day we were there. It showed a ten minute wait but it was actually more like an hour! My husband rode the first one and then waited until closer to dusk for the second ride and the line was thankfully much shorter. So when deciding if you want this to be part of your Anakeesta adventure, ensure you plan extra time in case the wait is longer than you expect.
The Rail Runner was my husband’s favorite of the two different coasters because it was faster and more thrilling but he said he enjoyed riding both of them. The coasters also have brakes so you are able to slow the ride down some if you would like.
Treetop Skywalk
According to Anakeesta’s website (https://anakeesta.com/play/), the treetop skywalk is “the longest tree based skywalk in North America”. While we were waiting for our dinner reservation, we walked over to this skywalk and walked through it. Unfortunately, it was already dark so we were unable to experience the surrounding views but they do have it lit up with lights so it was still a pleasurable experience. My daughter loved walking across the moving bridges that connected you from one tree to another. The skywalk is a one way loop so make sure you are ready to complete the entire 880 foot skywalk before entering!
Shopping
There are 5 different shops at the top of Anakeesta and also a souvenir store at the bottom. The souvenir store at the bottom does not require admission into Anakeesta to visit. The shops are small but cute and had products of interest, including clothes, toys, kitchen accessories, souvenirs, and hair accessories. It was a cold day in Gatlinburg so I noticed multiple people buying sweatshirts from the stores and immediately wearing them to keep warm!
My daughter and I spent some time browsing through the stores while my husband was on the mountain coaster. Most of the stores are accessible with a stroller but some like the Mercantile are quite small and make it difficult to maneuver, especially if there are multiple people in the store. The mercantile is connected to the Clifftop restaurant, so it is an easy little store to access while you wait for you table.
The Great Outdoors Trading Company is the largest store we went in and the easiest to access with a stroller. It was also a nice place to stay warm while we waited for my husband to get off the Hellbender mountain coaster as it is right at the exit for the coaster.
Anavista Smoky Mountain Observation Tower
Think the views from Anakeesta can’t get any better? Think again! The Anavista Observation Tower takes you to an even higher elevation and you have 360 degree views of the surrounding area. We sadly missed getting to see this experience because we were doing other activities and it was dark by the time we were going to go up.
I can’t even imagine how beautiful and awe inspiring it is to see those views! If you decide to do this activity, be aware that there are 86 steps to the top and this is the only way to get up and down. At the base of the tower there is also a beautiful and relaxing garden that you can meander through. We went in the fall and they had pumpkins and other fall decor in the Garden.
Astra Lumina
Astra Lumina is an activity that is available as an add on to your Anakeesta ticket and is only available to participate in at night. There are fewer activities you can do after dark, so if you are planning on staying around that long, this may be a good activity for you!
I am not 100% sure exactly what all this activity entails, but it appears to use lights to illuminate the night as you meander your way through the area. We did not do this activity, but as we were descending down the mountain on the ridge rambler, we could see pockets of different types of lights. It looked like it would be a neat experience.
Tree house adventure play area
While we did not visit this area since my daughter was to young, it looked like a fun place for kids to run off some energy. This fun play area connects tree houses through different forms of “bridges” that get you from one to the other including a plank and tube net. This will be a fun area to explore when we go back and my daughter is older.
Treeventure challenge course
This is another fun area for children to explore. It also includes treehouses and bridges like the treehouse adventure play area does but you can also slide down to the bottom and climb to the top through this fun challenge course. We are looking forward to going through this area as well next time we go back!
Restaurants
Check out my blog here on restaurants to eat around Gatlinburg. I give a sneak peak into several of the restaurants on Anakeesta!
Concerts
While visiting Anakeesta, there were several concerts that were happening throughout the day. Each show had multiple show times that you could attend. My daughter and I sat and listened to one of the groups while we grabbed a snack and they were really good! She enjoyed the lively music and I loved the ability to sit back, relax and listen while seeing some amazing views at the same time! Be sure to check out who is playing and at what times the shows are when you get there!
Sunsets in the park
One of the most amazing things to see is the sunset at Anakeesta! The views are incredible no matter what time you go, and as the sun goes down, it is constantly changing. I sat in awe, continuously watching as the sun dropped below the mountain. I did not want to take my eyes off it. It was truly an amazing experience! I highly recommend you plan your visit to be there at sunset. You will not be disappointed. I think it would be amazing to take the chairlift or gondola down the mountain around sunset and get to enjoy the view from that angle as well.
Fire pits and rocking chairs
When we visited Anakeesta, it was fairly chilly and we were grateful for the fire pits they had. It was often crowded around the fire pit but it was nice to stop for a few minutes and warm up before continuing to explore.
They also have rocking chairs placed all over Anakeesta in prime viewing spots for watching the surroundings. I watched the sunset from one of the rocking chairs and it was absolutely incredible! Such an amazing thing to be able to sit there and enjoy God’s creation and take it all in. It was truly relaxing!
5 year expansion plan
While Anakeesta is already amazing, there is so much more to come! They have a 5 year expansion plan that has just begun! The first change they are making is to the chair lift system moving to the Gondola’s that I mentioned earlier. They will also be adding features to the treetop skywalk and have a nighttime firefly experience. These projects are all happening in 2026 and they have more updates and projects coming that have not yet been announced. Visit https://anakeesta.com/expansion/ to learn more about what’s coming and to stay up to date. You can also use this website to help plan your visit.
Going to Anakeesta is something you should add to your bucket list. There are so many fun things to explore and do. Even if there was nothing to do on the top of the mountain, the view alone would be worth your trip! I could have sat there all day looking out at the mountains. My advice is to ensure you plan plenty of time, (especially in the daylight) to be able to explore everything you want to at Anakeesta! You are not going to want to miss anything!
Links
Visiting Gateway Arch National Park? Check out this article to figure out what else you can do in St. Louis: https://pepperandpassports.com/if-i-had-3-days-to-spend-in-st-louis-heres-what-i-would-do/
Hiking the Gatlinburg Trail? Check out our experience here: https://suitcasesandsalt.com/hiking-the-gatlinburg-trail-and-cataract-falls/
Visiting the Old Mill in Pigeon Forge? So many reasons why I loved it! Check it out here: https://suitcasesandsalt.com/check-out-why-i-would-go-back-to-the-old-mill-in-pigeon-forge-tn/
Want to make your own bucket list of places to go and things to try? Grab this free printable here – https://seasonedtravel.kit.com/793556e6a0
