Wilderness at the Smokies | Smoky Mountain Waterparks (2024)

Whatever the range of ages and heights, every member of your family will find multiple ways to splash, slide and surf. An indoor adventure forest offers additional challenges with the option of staying dry.

There’s truly fun for all, since the challenges and adventures presented thrill the young as well as the young at heart, bringing childish grins to even the stodgiest adults’ faces.

Located in Sevierville, Wilderness at the Smokies offers what most vacations can’t: a guaranteed comfortable temperature of 84 degrees every day of the year at its Wild WaterDome indoor waterpark, the largest in the state of Tennessee. (The energy-efficient transparent roof even allows for year-round tanning!) Two additional waterparks, Lake Wilderness and Salamander Springs, are outdoors and available to enjoy seasonally.

Among the waterpark highlights is a four-person tube slide with a 55-foot drop into a swirling funnel, the region’s only body-surfing simulator , a wave pool capable of generating waves up to five feet tall, a high-speed four-lane racing tower, the only near-vertical translucent looping body waterslide in the Southeast, and a 207-foot-long tube water slide that ranks among the largest in the state.

For the younger children, Treehouse Springs is a waterpark area featuring a zero-depth wading pool with sprinklers, bubblers, geyser jets, waterfall splashes, dump buckets, and a treehouse tower with three slides. Parents can keep an eye on their children while soaking up sun from the chaise lounge deck.

Get a reservation and be sitting pretty in Cabana Forest, a private seating area that boasts cabin-esque climate-controlled personal cabanas. Enjoy VIP service with air-conditioning, beverage and menu service, deluxe seating and more. A limited number of cabanas are available, so advance reservations are recommended.

Even the most nervous parent can relax at Wilderness at the Smokies. More than 150 lifeguards keep careful watch on all the activity, plus Coast Guard-certified life jackets are available for use.

Though best known for its waterpark excitement, Wilderness at the Smokies also offers other forms of fun. Adventure Forest Family Entertainment Center, located adjacent to the indoor waterpark, 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 maze, the region’s largest interactive playhouse, more than 100 arcade games, multi-level laser tag, and more. New this year, families can enjoy the Rocky Top Glider cloud coaster and add even more thrills to the fun.

Whatever number of people are in your family, there’s an accommodation option to suit your needs. Book a room or suite at either River Lodge, which is nearest the waterparks, or Stone Hill Lodge, which is adjacent to the Sevierville Convention Center. Guest rooms range from basic options with two queen-sized beds to multi-suite units with full kitchens that can sleep up to 16 people. For golf course views and ready access to play up to 36 holes of championship golf, book a stay at the Sanctuary Villas, Wilderness Cabins, or Treehouses.

Food and beverage options abound. Hidden Trail Bar & Grill serves lunch (seasonal) and dinner with a wide range of small plates, from barbecue to flatbreads to tacos. Mountain Marketplace and Deli serves coffee, donuts and other snacks. Multiple snack bars located throughout the property ensure ready access to drinks and nibbles to squash hunger so families will find that they never really have to leave. There’s always something great to eat right around the corner - whether you want to change out of your swimsuits or not! Plus the dining variety means you don’t have to do the same thing over and over.

Wilderness at the Smokies has been ranked among the “10 Best Readers’ Choice” picks by USA Today. To be sure that you get the best possible price (and the dates you want), plan ahead.