Did you know Wilderness at the Smokies has three waterparks plus a hotel? Sign us up! Kristina took her family to Wilderness at the Smokies in Sevierville, TN to experience this family-friendly resort and tells us all about it and why it’s such a perfect place for a family trip.
Thanks to the Wilderness at the Smokies for providing us with media tickets.
This article includes:About the ResortDining at Wilderness at the SmokiesThe Waterparks: Indoor & OutdoorIndoor Arcade and Adventure ForestOur Favorite ThingsTips for VisitingBooking Your Trip
Watch! Our Visit to Wilderness at the Smokies
If you are looking for a weekend trip, a few days for a family vacation, or a special getaway with a birthday kid or special occasion, the Wilderness at the Smokies resort is an excellent option. Why? Because you don’t even need to leave the property for entertainment and dining. Park the car and have a blast. And it’s all under three hours driving distance from Upstate, SC. We have all the details in our Wilderness at the Smokies review!
Wilderness at the Smokies: The Waterpark Resort
Owned by Wilderness Resorts and Waterparks, the Wilderness at the Smokies has several room options, including ones with bunk beds for kids and adjacent rooms with full kitchens and living rooms. The room we stayed in had a queen bed and bunk bed plus a pullout bed and a Murphy bed in the adjacent guest room. It was huge. On our second trip, we had a double queen bed room that overlooked the outdoor waterpark. It was plenty big and spacious.
Our room faced one of the enormous outdoor waterparks at the River Lodge and had easy access to entertainment and dining and a short walk from the parking lot. You can also choose to stay at Stone Hill Lodge, which is not connected to the waterpark, but you can take a quick bus from the building to the waterpark door. The layout of the rooms at Stone Hill Lodge is slightly different from River Lodge, and it’s just based on preference for your trip.
We had the option to take advantage of early check-in so we could spend as much time as possible checking out the property, which got us in our room by Noon. Our second time there, we were able to start playing at the waterpark at Noon and our room was ready around 3:30 pm. If you have this option, we would recommend it, especially since it got more crowded as the afternoon wore on. We never had to wait long for any ride but it was nice to run through quickly everything we wanted to do.
Wilderness at the Smokies: Dining
There are several dining options at the resort, most of which have burgers, salads, fries, and desserts. You will find places like Grizzly’s Grill, Billy Jacks Snack Shack, Tacolicious, and other dining options to fit your craving. If you have been to Wilderness and haven’t tried out Hidden Trail, we highly recommend it for quick bites and snacks!
They have a Candy Cabin (to buy candy by the pound) and a frozen yogurt place also, which is right next to the indoor waterpark. And for adults, there are lots of options for adult beverages throughout the resort. I saw several huge frozen drinks that grownups were toting around. They looked delicious, I have to say.
The resort also offers food delivery right to your room. Prices are pretty much the same as dining at restaurants so this is a great option if you’re totally wiped out at the end of the day. We were pretty beat and I was starving so I dragged my kids to the restaurant (really, I wanted all the desserts).
Wilderness at the Smokies: Waterparks
The resort has three waterparks, including Tennessee’s largest indoor waterpark with an attached arcade, snack bars, and restaurants. The largest waterpark, one of the two outdoor waterparks, is at the main building, the River Lodge. All waterparks are included in your stay.
There are three water slide attractions, a matted tube run, a bigger tube vortex ride, and a free-fall water slide. Kids have to be 42” to ride the mat tube run and the larger tube ride. You need to be 48” tall to ride the free fall.
That was a hard no for me! My kids and I did several runs on the mat tube one, especially in the hour before closing as there was no line.
Other favorites were the big wave pool and lazy river. There are also a ton of chairs and tables to hang out at or eat your lunch or dinner. Cabanas can be rented for anywhere from $180 up to $250 a day, which are personal covered tents that come with plenty of chairs and towels. You can even have food and drinks delivered to them.
And there’s an enclosed area that is super shallow and perfect for little kids.
Cute little swings are perfect for babies. We saw lots of families with little ones enjoying that area.
On our second trip to Wilderness we got to enjoy the rooftop infinity pool. It was amazing. The views of the Smokies just cannot be beat and there was hardly anyone up there.
The pool isn’t huge but it’s perfect for relaxation. There’s a bar at the top with plenty of chairs for lounging and tables for eating under umbrellas. You can get there by heading up the elevators inside of Wild WaterDome.
The indoor waterpark, the Wild WaterDome, is Tennessee’s largest indoor waterpark. It also has several tube rides, most of which kids can easily ride. They have a big wave pool with ocean-like waves. My kids loved this one as they splashed and jumped in the bigger waves.
There is also a play area for kids with water features and zero-entry pools. A flow rider-type ride is a blast to watch. We didn’t try it but people can attempt to not wipe out on a boogie board. Wilderness at the Smokies indoor slides are a lot of fun for older kids and parents as well.
One of our favorite indoor water slides was the orange one that has a big drop that shoots you into a huge funnel. It was terrifying and we rode it multiple times!
Wilderness invested $40 million into a huge expansion project, which included a 40,000 square foot addition to the Wild WaterDome indoor waterpark, which was finished in December 2023. They added a really cool lazy river in their indoor waterpark that goes through a cavern with a kaleidoscope ceiling. It is such a neat addition and one that my kids and I several times. There’s also a small waterfall to go under in the same lazy river. There’s music and all different colors and you can float through as many times as you want.
They also added an indoor water coaster that shoots you through several tunnels with forceful water jets. You can go on a double tube or go as a single rider.
Safety is a huge priority at the waterparks. Lifeguards are everywhere. Literally everywhere. They are methodical about when you can ride down the slides, measuring people to make sure they are at the height limit, and watching the pools closely. Life jackets aren’t mandatory but the waterparks all have them available for free if parents feel their kids need them.
Hours are different for all the waterparks so it’s best to confirm the waterpark hours before you go.
Wilderness at the Smokies: Indoor Arcade and Adventure Forest
The indoor waterpark is enormous as it is but it’s attached to a huge arcade as well. This place just amplifies family fun! At first glance, it doesn’t look big but once you start walking around – and looking up – you realize how big it really is.
There’s a three-story ropes course, mini-golf course, climbing wall, tons of arcade games, a little frogger ride for kids, and even a multi-level laser tag course.
You can purchase day adventure passes or buy rides individually and they vary in cost. Arcade games can be played by purchasing points on a card.
The resort also has a paint-your-own-pottery place. My oldest daughter really wanted to do this but we just ran out of time. If you are at the resort for a few days, this could be a fun way to break up your waterpark adventure time.
During the winter, usually starting in mid-November, there is ice skating available at the resort. They convert part of the outdoor wave pool into an ice rink for some festive fun for both guests and the public.
My Favorite Things about Wilderness at the Smokies
I’ve been wanting to visit this resort for a while and was thrilled when I finally got the chance. It’s so close to Greenville and I had heard many great things about it from local families. And it didn’t disappoint.
After spending some at Wilderness of the Smokies, here are a few ideas that may make your time there even more awesome:
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You’ll definitely want to check their website for specials like Homeschool Days where rooms are as low as $89 for the Stone Hill Lodge and $109 per night for the River Lodge, discounted/free passes for Soaky Mountain, specials on back-to-school, etc.
Room prices will vary by season and room type. Wilderness at the Smokies has suites, one and two-bedrooms, and villas available. There are free shuttles amongst all the buildings at the resort.
Day passes may be available for certain dates so if you’re in the area but not staying at the resort, a Wilderness at the Smokies Day Pass could be really fun.
We hope you enjoy your stay at Wilderness at the Smokies!