10 Fun Things to Do at Anakeesta in Gatlinburg
Published Mar 19, 2026
Anakeesta is one of those rare attractions where the journey up is already the experience. Whether you ascend in the all-glass Crystal Express gondola gliding above the treetops or the open-air Ridge Rambler winding up through the forest, you arrive at the summit knowing you've left the ordinary behind. What awaits on top — coasters, ziplines, sky bridges, glowing forests, mountaintop dining, and one of the best nighttime experiences in all of Gatlinburg — more than justifies the ride up.
Here's your complete guide to the 10 best things to do at Anakeesta.
Essential information
Hours: Open year-round; typically 9 AM in peak months and 10 AM in January–February. Check anakeesta.com for seasonal hours.
General admission: Includes the ride to the summit (Crystal Express or Ridge Rambler), AnaVista Tower, Treetop Skywalk, Vista Gardens, TreeVenture Challenge Course, Treehouse Adventure Play Area, BirdVenture, and Forest Memorial Trail. Add-ons (coasters, zipline, Astra Lumina, Firefly Experience, gem mining) are priced separately. Check anakeesta.com for current pricing; buying online typically saves a couple of dollars per ticket.
How long: Allow 3–4 hours for a standard visit; 4–5 with coasters and the zipline. Add Astra Lumina and plan for an evening too.
Note on ongoing expansion: Anakeesta is in the middle of a multi-year "Making More Magic" expansion, so some attractions may be temporarily closed or newly opened depending on when you visit. Check anakeesta.com for the current status of specific rides and experiences before your trip.
Getting to the summit: your options
Crystal Express — Anakeesta's gondola to the summit, and the world's only all-glass gondola system, with glass-bottom cabins carrying up to six guests each. The enclosed, climate-controlled cabins offer sweeping 360-degree views on the ride up and are the most comfortable option for families with strollers, visitors nervous about heights, or anyone seeking weather protection.
Ridge Rambler — An open-air adventure vehicle that winds up the mountain road through the forest at a slower pace, with a guided element along the way. The best choice for visitors who prefer a forest-level ride to an aerial one, and a good option for those uneasy about heights. Wheelchair and mobility accessible.
Both options are included with general admission, and you can ride up and down as many times as you like during your visit.
1. Ride the Crystal Express or Ridge Rambler to the summit
The ascent is the first Anakeesta experience — and one of the best moments at the attraction regardless of what you do at the top. The Crystal Express floats above downtown Gatlinburg in its all-glass cabins as the Parkway shrinks below and the Smoky Mountain ridgeline expands in every direction — the glass-bottom floors add a genuine thrill for those brave enough to look down. The Ridge Rambler delivers a completely different but equally memorable ascent, climbing the forested mountain road with the trees close on every side.
Tip for nervous visitors: The Ridge Rambler keeps you at forest level on a road rather than suspended in the air — often the more comfortable choice for those with height sensitivity. The Crystal Express is enclosed and smooth, but the glass-bottom cabins are best appreciated by those who enjoy the height.
2. Rail Runner Mountain Coaster
The Rail Runner is the first single-rail mountain coaster of its kind in the United States, sending you on roughly 1,600 feet of downhill twists and turns at speeds up to 25 mph — all controlled by your own brake lever. Push it to full speed for a heart-pounding descent or ease back and let the mountain views come to you. The rider-controlled format is what makes mountain coasters more accessible than traditional roller coasters — you're never committed to a speed you didn't choose.
Tip: Ride it twice — once at moderate speed to take in the views, once at full speed with the brake off to discover what the track actually does.
3. The Hellbender Mountain Coaster
Anakeesta's newer coaster — and the more intense of the two. The Hellbender delivers heart-pounding twists and gravity-defying drops that feel distinctly different from the Rail Runner's single-rail format. Where the Rail Runner rewards the contemplative rider who wants views alongside the thrill, the Hellbender is built for the adrenaline seeker who wants the gravity-drop experience above the Smoky Mountains. Both coasters are add-ons to general admission; if you're a serious coaster enthusiast, do both — they complement each other rather than duplicate.
4. Dueling Zipline Adventure
Anakeesta's zipline format is what sets it apart from standard zipline operations: side-by-side lines carry you and a companion simultaneously through the treetops. You glide from tree to tree together, stop at multiple rappel points more than 50 feet high, and take in some of the highest, most exposed views in the entire park. The side-by-side format is the most social adventure activity at the park — couples, friends, and parent-child pairs choose it specifically because the shared descent is its own experience.
Before you go: The Dueling Zipline Adventure may be temporarily closed during Anakeesta's ongoing expansion — check anakeesta.com for current availability before planning your visit around it.
5. Treetop Skywalk & suspension bridges
The Treetop Skywalk is the nation's longest treetop skywalk — a series of connected suspension bridges strung through the forest canopy at treetop level. Not hundreds of feet in the air, but through the trees themselves, at a height that delivers the thrill of suspended walking with the forest pressing in on every side. The bridges connect different sections of the summit, so you traverse them as part of moving through the park rather than as a standalone attraction — the navigational spine of the entire mountaintop park. It's included with general admission and connects to the AnaVista Tower, Vista Gardens, and Firefly Village.
The Firefly Experience: Anakeesta's newer after-dark addition transforms the Treetop Skywalk into an immersive journey through a glowing forest inspired by the Smoky Mountains' famous synchronous fireflies. Thousands of twinkling lights move and pulse along the Skywalk in a way that feels almost alive — an evening add-on that turns the familiar daytime bridge walk into something completely different. Check anakeesta.com for current availability.
6. AnaVista Tower — 360-degree panoramic views
Downtown Gatlinburg's highest point — a 360-degree observation tower at the summit that delivers the most comprehensive panoramic view of Gatlinburg and the surrounding Smoky Mountains available anywhere in the city. Mount LeConte, the national park ridgeline, downtown Gatlinburg spread below, and the Tennessee foothills extending to the horizon on clear days, with a see-through glass floor section for the brave. Included with general admission, it's a natural first stop once you reach the summit — get oriented to the landscape before you start your day.
Photography tip: Clear days after rain produce the most dramatic views. The tower is spectacular at sunset, when the light turns the mountain ridges gold before the park transitions into evening mode.
7. Astra Lumina — the after-dark showpiece
Anakeesta's signature nighttime experience — and one of the most atmospherically distinctive things to do in all of Gatlinburg. Astra Lumina is an immersive evening walk through an enchanted forest of light and sound, roughly one mile along a gently sloping forested trail, where the natural forest becomes a canvas for a multimedia journey capturing the wonder of the cosmos. With thousands of coordinated lights, the area transforms into a mysterious astral projection — bioluminescent effects, celestial soundscapes, and light installations woven through old-growth trees in a way that feels genuinely otherworldly.
Practical notes: The trail has uneven terrain — closed-toe shoes are recommended, and strollers are not. The experience takes 45–60 minutes at a leisurely pace.
8. BirdVenture
A large-scale adventure play area themed around giant birdhouses — seven slides twisting more than 50 feet down the mountain, colorful interactive climbing zones, and structures designed for kids (and adults who join in) to explore at their own pace. BirdVenture is one of Anakeesta's most expansive attractions for younger visitors — the kind of space that absorbs children completely for an hour while parents take in the views or grab a drink nearby. The slide count and giant birdhouse architecture make it one of the most visually distinctive kids' areas in the Smokies.
9. Vista Gardens, TreeVenture & the Forest Memorial Trail
Vista Gardens — carefully designed mountain gardens at the summit with seasonal plantings, native flora, and quiet seating areas where you can absorb the views without any agenda. One of the best spots at Anakeesta for couples who want to slow down.
TreeVenture Challenge Course — an outdoor adventure course with multiple difficulty levels for older kids and adults, navigating elevated obstacles through the forest canopy at your own pace.
Forest Memorial Interpretive Trail — a moving tribute to the acreage destroyed in the 2016 Gatlinburg wildfires. Guests walk through the recovering forest while learning about the fires and the people who fought them. Included with general admission and genuinely worth the 15–20 minutes it takes — it gives Anakeesta a historical and emotional depth most mountaintop parks don't have.
10. Dining and shopping at the summit
The mountaintop village turns a half-day visit into a full day without ever requiring you to descend. Sit-down dining with elevated Smoky Mountain cuisine and the park's most scenic restaurant views anchors the summit, alongside casual café options for a quicker lunch (one named for Horace Kephart, the writer and conservationist whose advocacy helped establish Great Smoky Mountains National Park). The village shopping areas offer one-of-a-kind gifts — mugs, décor, candles, hats, jewelry, and locally inspired goods from artisan retailers — and a gem-mining station lets kids sift through sand to find real gemstones they keep, a perennial hit for the 4–10 age group.
Tip: Reservations are recommended for the sit-down restaurant on busy days. Check current dining options at anakeesta.com, as the expansion is reshaping parts of the summit village.
Planning tips for your Anakeesta visit
Arrive early or come for the evening. The park divides into two experiences: a daytime park centered on views, coasters, and outdoor activities, and an evening park centered on Astra Lumina, the Firefly Experience, and the mountaintop atmosphere after dark. Arriving in late afternoon lets you do both in a single visit.
Buy tickets online. Save a couple of dollars per ticket and skip the base-station line. For add-ons like Astra Lumina, buy online in advance on busy summer and fall days.
Check what's open. With the multi-year expansion underway, specific attractions open and close on a rolling basis. Confirm the status of anything you're specifically planning around at anakeesta.com.
Wear closed-toe shoes. Required for the Astra Lumina trail and recommended park-wide given uneven terrain.
Nervous about heights? Take the Ridge Rambler up — it travels the mountain road rather than suspending you in the air. The Treetop Skywalk's bridges are at tree level, not several hundred feet up, making them significantly more accessible than the Gatlinburg SkyBridge.
Frequently asked questions
What is included in Anakeesta general admission?
The ride to the summit (Crystal Express or Ridge Rambler), AnaVista Observation Tower, Treetop Skywalk, Vista Gardens, TreeVenture Challenge Course, Treehouse Adventure Play Area, BirdVenture, and the Forest Memorial Interpretive Trail. Mountain coasters, the Dueling Zipline, Astra Lumina, the Firefly Experience, and gem mining are add-ons.
How do you get to the top of Anakeesta?
Two options, both included with admission: the Crystal Express, the world's only all-glass gondola with glass-bottom cabins, or the Ridge Rambler, an open-air vehicle that winds up the forested mountain road at a slower pace. The Ridge Rambler is the more comfortable choice for visitors nervous about heights.
How long should I plan for Anakeesta?
Allow 3–4 hours for a standard visit. Families with young kids or those doing coasters and ziplines typically stay 4–5 hours. Add Astra Lumina or the Firefly Experience and plan for an evening visit on top of your daytime one.
Is Anakeesta good for young kids?
Yes — BirdVenture, the Treehouse Adventure Play Area, gem mining, Vista Gardens, and the ride to the summit are all well-suited for young children. The Rail Runner coaster accepts passengers 38"+ riding with an adult. Astra Lumina's uneven trail makes it less suitable for strollers.
Is Anakeesta open year-round?
Yes — Anakeesta is open year-round, with seasonal hours (check anakeesta.com). Fall foliage season makes the mountaintop views especially spectacular. Note that a multi-year expansion is underway, so some attractions may be temporarily closed.
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