In the heart of downtown Gatlingburg is the Anakeesta theme park in the mountains. We bought our tickets at the bottom and then rode the chair lift up to the park. Visitors can opt to either ride the chair lift, the gondolas, or in a bus up the side of the mountain. They have been setting up their Halloween decor so the park was full of fall colors and spooky additions everywhere.

Our first adventure was the Treetop Skywalk where you can make your way across 800 feet of connected rope bridges among the trees. The bridges are very sturdy and well maintained so no need to worry about falling. We loved getting to walk along the bridges and feeling so high up in the trees.

We wandered through the garden where we stopped to say hello to the ‘keeper of the forest’ named Willow. He was bedecked in his fall finery as he watches over the many trees and flowers of the garden. There are a number of bench swings in the garden that are perfect for sitting and relaxing while you look out over the beautiful expanse of trees.

We made the climb to the top of the AnaVista Tower to get the greatest views of Gatlinburg in every direction. The tower gives you the full 360 degree view. Other aspects of the park include a great adventure area for kids, a zip line, a mountain coaster, and a number of shops and restaurants. This was such a fun place and it was somewhere that we would love to come back with family and friends to really enjoy all that they offer.

{Know if you go:: If you are afraid of heights, then I would recommend going up in the offered bus. Otherwise the chair lift is a great way to get up there because of the panoramic views of Gatlinburg that it offers. The zip line and mountain coaster are an additional cost. They have a lot of events and activities going on including concerts, outdoor movies, festivals, etc so be sure to check out their calendar of events for some added enjoyment while you are there.}

For more info on Anakeesta go to:: https://www.anakeesta.com/