Anakeesta

Reviews

• TH

  Taylor Heater

  Dec 30, 2025
  4.0
  My family and I visited Anakeesta during our trip to Gatlinburg and overall had a really nice experience. The views of the Smoky Mountains are absolutely beautiful, and the park itself is well laid out. The kids especially loved the BirdVenture area, and the Treetop Skywalk was stunning and very peaceful to walk through. Unfortunately, our experience was dampened by two separate interactions with two different staff members who were unkind and came across as clearly unhappy in their roles. It made us feel uncomfortable and was disappointing given how family-friendly the park is otherwise. Also, if you’re given a wristband upon entry for reentry, be aware that you still need your actual ticket, this was not explained to us at all, and we were only lucky because we still had our tickets. Overall, Anakeesta is a great park with amazing views and fun attractions, especially for kids, but the rude employee interactions definitely put a damper on what could have been a perfect visit.
• SS

  Srinivasan Swaminathan

  Dec 29, 2025
  4.0
  + lots of activities to do for family + tree walk and tree village are fantastic for both adults and kids + bird adventure is decent for kids + ziplines seem to be a major attraction and people were having fun - poor ticket management. Vouchers from expedia or online need to be exchanged for actual tickets which is a separate line from the line for chondola/lift. This is not only inefficient but also results in long wait times. Counters had just 2 people for 50+ visitors in line. Ruins the overall experience - All food items up the park is very expensive. All basic food items are 10+ and run anywhere from 15-20. - Huge crowds during busy season including christmas holidays Tips - advanced tickets are a must. same day tickets are sold out - interestingly was able to buy tickets via expedia even if the official site did not have one - sunday mornings are better compared to late afternoons. - there are only 4 cabin chondolas compared to 50+ open air lifts. Wait times for closed cabins will be longer. If you don't want to do the chondola ride, take the ridge rambler which is an open air vehicle to take you up by road - Keep the tree walk for last and start from near tree village. This will end at the chondola ride point and will avoid the long walk - Eat and drink below the park so that you dont splurge on average food inside the park. The only thing i found good was the nacho bowl near the performance stages. - the main parkway is a mess with traffic all along. I recommend parking in one of the lots at either end of the parkway and walking. Even trolleys are slower than walking in traffic.
• DI

  Dante Israel

  Dec 24, 2025
  1.0
  Most things are overpriced even for it being in Gatlinburg where everything is overpriced. Only decent deal is the coasters but thats only a good deal when compared to all the other overpriced coasters in Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge. Even if you had money to throw into a paper shredder this place is alright at best. Want a nature experience? Not here, maybe go on walk or tour of one of the national parks nearby. Want good food? Maybe here, but definitely nothing to go out of your way for especially if you can't afford the ticket price to go up and the big food bill. Want to have fun? Even on the best of days you'll be spending most of your time waiting in line. Handicap accessibility? Well you can stroll through the area, but thats about it. All in all this place is a waste of money and time. Just like alot of other parks around the Gatlinburg area this also poses the environmental problem where many many bears and other wildlife are being displaced or forced out of there home due to the greed of people.
• JO

  Josh Oliver

  Dec 23, 2025
  5.0
  An Unexpected and Wonderful Experience We honestly did not know what to expect going into Anakeesta, but it ended up being an absolutely wonderful experience for our family. The light event was incredible and beautifully done. (Astra Lumina) Walking through the treetop play areas felt magical and immersive, and the hiking trails were peaceful while still offering plenty of adventure for all ages. The coasters were amazing and added just the right amount of thrill to the day. And the views… truly spectacular. Being surrounded by the mountains from so many vantage points made the entire experience feel special and memorable. Anakeesta is thoughtfully designed, fun, and full of moments that make you slow down and take it all in. We are so glad we went and would absolutely recommend it to families or anyone looking to experience Gatlinburg from a whole new perspective. We would happily go back again. Definitely buy tickets in advance. Worth exploring in the day and experience the different vibes at night.
• TC

  Terrie Clayton

  Dec 20, 2025
  5.0
  We had an excellent time here. Lots of great food and drinks. Beautifully decorated for Christmas and soooooo many beautiful lights. The Hot Chocolate Crawl was awesome. Variety of hot chocolates. We ate at the potato shack and it was delicious. The most beautiful views. You can ride up in an open bus or it has ski lift and enclosed bucket cars to take you up and back down. The walking is easy. Wheelchair and stroller friendly. Tree walk was amazing and so much fun. Dual zip lining was fun. Lots of displays for picture taking. There are so many bathrooms and all are very clean. Lots of places to sit and relax. Heaters throughout the park when it’s cold. Fire pit circle to sit and relax. Designated smoking section with amazing Mountain View’s. Lots of kids activities. View from sky tower is breathtaking. Lots of beautiful shops to visit. All staff was very friendly and helpful. Very clean and beautiful park. I highly recommend you visit. We will definitely visit again. Benches, chairs and rocking chairs are everywhere some with beautiful Mountain View’s or just park views. The starlight show was absolutely amazing. Be sure to check it out.

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