Smoky Mountain Zip lines Blog

In most cases, the easiest way to get to our ziplines in Pigeon Forge is to take Conner Heights Road off the Parkway at the southern end of Pigeon Forge (it’s the last traffic light before The Spur). Conner Heights, turns into Mill Creek Road, and you’ll find our outpost just 1.5 miles from the Parkway, on the left.

However, there are days when the Parkway in Pigeon Forge is a parking lot due to car shows or major events like Dolly’s Parade or Fourth of July celebrations. In those rare instances, it pays to have a shortcut. Here are a couple of back ways to Smoky Mountain Ziplines:

• Start on Wears Valley Road, about a mile from traffic light #3 on the Pigeon Forge Parkway. Turn south onto Twin City Way and use a GPS or mapping device to follow a series of county roads to Little Cove Road, which eventually turns into Mill Creek Road.

• If you’re coming from Townsend or Wears Valley, turn off Wears Valley Road onto Valley View Road. Again, we recommend using a GPS or map app on your phone, but Valley View runs into Little Cove Road, which eventually turns into Mill Creek Road.

The bottom line is that with a good mapping tool and a little planning, you can still find us, without sitting in traffic and enjoying some rural mountain scenery along the way.

The Smokies are one of the most photographed areas in the country because of its majestic mountains and abundant wildlife. If you enjoy capturing nature at its best, you might be interested in the Spring Photography Workshop at Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont, running April 20 through 23.

Nationally recognized nature photographer Bill Lea and his assistants will lead shutterbugs of all levels of expertise on a four-day camera-clicking journey through Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The workshop will emphasize wildlife, landscapes and macro photography. Field sessions and lectures will also cover the use of light, composition and equipment. Instruction will be offered on both the group and one-on-one level.

Lea has authored or co-authored several photography books and more than 7,000 of his photos have appeared in publications all over the world.

The price of the workshop includes not just the classes but also all meals and lodging at Tremont. For more information, visit www.gsmit.org/springphoto

If you’re not inclined to take part in this workshop, you can still capture some nice scenery on camera by visiting Smoky Mountain Ziplines. Our Pigeon Forge canopy tours are set in a scenic, wooded, hillside valley that combines beauty with family fun.

This week marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the H.M.S. Titanic, which struck an iceberg on its maiden voyage on April 14, 1912 and sank within hours, killing thousands of passengers.

To mark the somber occasion and to remember the stories of those who set sail on the ship, the Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge is hosting several special events this week to commemorate the anniversary.

On Thursday the 12th, the attraction will welcome Tim Lightoller—grandson of Titanic’s second officer, Charles Lightoller—as a guest speaker. Starting that same day and running through the 21st, you can also see the original photo album of pictures taken by Father Francis Browne, a Jesuit priest who took the only known photos of life aboard Titanic at sea.

Finally, on April 14, Titanic Pigeon Forge presents A Night To Remember: An Original Musical Tribute to Titanic. The event will include excerpts from the Tony Award-winning Titanic the Musical as well as descendants from actual Titanic passengers and the lighting of an eternal flame.

And remember that we’re in for awesome weather this week in Pigeon Forge. So be sure to get outside and enjoy it all on our Pigeon Forge zipline adventure.

We now offer new pricing options that offer more flexibility than ever for those interested in experiencing one of our Pigeon Forge zipline tours. Whereas before, our two tour plans included the 14-line canopy tour and the four-line SuperZip course, we’ve added several tours that come with the added benefit of lower price points.

Beginner zipliners may want to consider our single-line tour, which requires no training and costs just $24.95. Next up is a six-line tour among the trees, with the longest line running 300 feet. This one-hour excursion is ideal for younger kids and seniors. The price this year is $49.95. There’s also a nine-line canopy tour that covers the top of our mountain and features our best lines. This is our most popular course, and the 1.5-hour tour costs $59.95. Of course, our full 14-line canopy tour runs about 2.5 hours and costs $84.95.

The SuperZip lines are fast and high and are recommended only for those who have already taken a canopy tour. The SuperZip experience lasts about 40 minutes, costs $39.95 and includes gearing up, a truck ride to the course and an instruction class.

If you want to try out everything we have to offer, our full package includes a 14-line canopy tour and two SuperZip lines—three hours of zipline-tour fun—for $124.95 per person. See you soon in Pigeon Forge!

Dollywood in Pigeon Forge kicks off another big season in the Smokies this weekend, and one of the new attractions that fans are looking forward to is the debut of the new Wild Eagle roller coaster. The $20 million addition to the theme park is being hailed as the first steel winged coaster in the United States, which means that passengers sit on either side of the track rather than on it or under it.

That means feet down, dangling in the air as you rise 21 stories during the initial climb and then plunge 135 feet during that first drop. Just before the drop, you’ll sit 210 feet above the coaster’s loading station, which affords spectacular views of the Smoky Mountain terrain below.

During the ride’s two-and-a-half-minute journey, passengers swoop and soar along 3,127 feet of track and reach top speeds of 61 miles per hour. Along the way, they also experience four inversions, including a giant loop, a zero-G roll and a giant flat spin.

And by the way, do you remember what used to be in Dollywood’s Wilderness Pass area prior to Wild Eagle. It was a zipline attraction, which obviously doesn’t operate at the park any more. So if you want to experience the best Pigeon Forge zip line attraction around, you’ll still need to visit Smoky Mountain Ziplines.