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Gatlinburg Extreme sports & adrenaline

Our most recommended Gatlinburg Extreme sports & adrenaline

Pigeon Forge: Family-Friendly Floating Tour at the Smokies

1. Pigeon Forge: Family-Friendly Floating Tour at the Smokies

Cruise through the Smoky Mountains on this Pigeon River float for the whole family. Get up close to nature as you splash your way through laid-back rapids that require no previous experience. Get access to a 10-acre island with a nature trail, beanbag toss games, and a playground. Meet your guide at the outpost and get fitted with your helmet and life jacket. Listen as your guide provides you with a safety briefing to ensure you are confident throughout the whole experience. Head out to the Pigeon River and embark on your whitewater trip. Be escorted by your guide down 6 miles of this laid-back section of the river while having fun with your family amid gentle waves and bumpy splashes. Soak in spectacular views of the Smoky Mountains and Pigeon River Gorge. After your ride, enjoy the amenities at the rafting outpost which has a nature trail, beanbag toss games, and a playground at the water’s edge.

Gatlinburg: Zipline Canopy Tour

2. Gatlinburg: Zipline Canopy Tour

Admire the Great Smoky Mountains and the beautiful surrounding area from a unique perspective as you zip through treetops and sky bridges on guided ziplining activity. Feel the thrill of soaring over the forest canopy across 6 zip lines. Meet your guide at the outpost and get fitted with your helmet and harness. Receive a short safety briefing to ensure you are confident throughout the day's activities. Begin the adventure from atop a 60-foot start platform to marvel at great views of the Family Adventure Island. Pass over the Pigeon River, and enjoy the sight of the rushing water below. Become immersed in nature as you soar through the air on 6 zip lines and 2 sky bridges for a total of 2,400 feet in length. Keep a lookout for various species of flora and fauna below.

Pigeon Forge: French Broad River and Lake Helicopter Trip

3. Pigeon Forge: French Broad River and Lake Helicopter Trip

Join a helicopter tour and fly alongside the French Broad River, across Douglas Dam and along the western shore picturesque Douglas Lake. As the flight turns southwest, see the Great Smoky Mountains in the distance, but it doesn’t end there. The tour continues southward and over the Sevierville and Dollywood areas. As you climb in altitude, you’ll follow the terrain up to the crest of Cove Mountain at the national park boundary line where you’ll be met with unbeatable views of the Wears Valley area. Continuing along the edge of Wears Valley, travel northbound between Pigeon Forge and the rolling foothills of the Smoky Mountains as you return to the heliport.

Pigeon Forge: Smoky Mountains Rope Obstacle Course Adventure

4. Pigeon Forge: Smoky Mountains Rope Obstacle Course Adventure

Embark on an adventurous high ropes course in the treetops surrounded by the Great Smoky Mountains near Hartford. Each course has a series of fun and challenging activities that wind their way through the treetops — it all gets wobblier, longer, and more challenging as you progress. Don your full-body harness, attach yourself to an overhead belay cable with ropes and carabiners, and work through each of the obstacle courses at your own pace. Leap, grab, and pull through the first levels to build confidence, working your way up to the more difficult courses. Challenge your personal boundaries in the breathtaking scenery at the Outpost’s Family Adventure Island, with a view of the Pigeon River and the Great Smoky Mountains as your backdrop. There’s something here for everyone, from first-timers who enjoy a more laid-back adventure to experienced enthusiasts.

Pigeon Forge: Helicopter Tour of Gatllinburg

5. Pigeon Forge: Helicopter Tour of Gatllinburg

Climb aboard a helicopter and admire Gatlinburg from a new vantage point. Enjoy a bird’s-eye view of downtown Sevierville, the Pigeon Forge Parkway, and downtown Gatlinburg on your way towards one of Tennessee’s highest mountains, Mount LeConte. As you fly over the towns of Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, your pilot will provide you with information about iconic landmarks and things to do such as Dollywood, Gatlinburg Sky Bridge, Gatlinburg Space Needle, Anakeesta, and Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies. You'll be able to capture fantastic photos throughout to help you remember this unique experience.

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What people are saying about Gatlinburg

My family and I did the family experience which we all enjoyed since none of us had ever been white water rafting before. I would for sure recommend this to a family, even with smaller children. There were only about 3 or 4 areas where we were rocking badly. Our instructor was amazing and educated us all very well on what we needed to do to stay safe! Our feet were secured the entire time so there was no chance of falling out.

An absolute amazing experience!! It was our first time on a helicopter, the staff took their time to explain everything to us to make sure we felt safe and comfortable. Absolute great views and even better pictures!! Would definitely recommend and will definitely be back to do this when we go back to the smokey mountains !! Great find ⚡️

Had a great time with Emily. We had our 4 year old granddaughter and 11 year old granddaughter with us. Emily made everyone feel comfortable! She even was strong enough to pull my 240 pound husband in the raft after he was swimming!! Sam was pretty fun for the bus ride back too.

Our pilot was very knowledgeable about the area and overall just very friendly. It was our very first helicopter ride and he did a great job of making us all feel at ease. Great experience and would definitely recommend the 25 minute tour!

Great experience. The guides were funny and made it very enjoyable