Outdoor adventure guide to Sevierville, TN
Wander just beyond the edges of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, following the Little Pigeon River north, and you’ll quickly find yourself in Sevierville, Tennessee. That right there should tell you everything you need to know. The area holds so many idyllic outdoor scenes — lush green valleys, rolling hillsides, mountain forests filled with trails, rivers, and lakes — along with all the amenities you need to refuel between amazing adventures.
Less than 30 minutes from both Knoxville and the national park, Sevierville is a quick hop south of I-40 and less than a day’s drive from almost anywhere along the Eastern Seaboard or from the Southern US. Once you’re here, you can get on the water, take to the air, explore the mountains, or just burn some of that cooped-up pandemic energy. Here’s what you can look forward to in Sevierville’s great outdoors.
Soaring through the air
One of the world’s biodiverse hotspots, the lush blue-green canopy of the Smokies is unlike any other in the country. Here are some of the best ways to explore these thick, wildlife-rich forests and ancient, intricately weathered mountains — from above.
Helicopter touring over the Smokies
With Scenic Helicopter Tours, you’ll fly over the national park...
Helicopter touring over the Smokies
Try taking off in a helicopter and dipping low over the Great Smoky Mountains and not feeling a rush. With Scenic Helicopter Tours, you’ll fly over the national park, up and down nearby mountains and valleys, across rivers and lakes, and over the area’s most recognizable spots. You’ll hear about local history and lore from your pilot and perhaps even spot one of the many black bears that roam the area.
Tip: If you want a specialized adventure, you can book a night tour or charter a private ride. Tours accommodate up to six people.
Photo: Visit Sevierville
Soaring over Sevierville in a historic biplane
Surely you’ve imagined what it would be like to soar over mountains...
Soaring over Sevierville in a historic biplane
Surely you’ve imagined what it would be like to soar over mountains, forests, and rivers...well, you’ll get a taste of that feeling when you climb aboard Sky High Air Tours’ open-cockpit 1927 biplane. When you put on your aviator helmet and goggles and take off from the Gatlinburg Pigeon Forge Airport, you can also imagine the excitement those barnstormers of yesteryear must have experienced.
Note: Flights are a quick eight, 15, or 30 minutes.
Photo: Sky High Air Tours / Visit Sevierville
Ziplining through the canopy
To experience that thick forest canopy up close, try a zipline tour...
Ziplining through the canopy
To experience that thick forest canopy up close, head out to Foxfire Mountain Adventure Park for a zipline adventure. Their Waterfall Canopy Tour allows you to go slow and steady—well, slow and steady for a zipline—and take it all in.
If you prefer speed, check out the Goliath Zip Line, the highest, fastest, and longest in the Smokies. You’ll travel at speeds exceeding 55mph as you traverse five lines, views of Foxfire Valley and the Smokies zipping past as you fly above the Little Pigeon River.
Tip: While you’re here, leave time to cross the Swinging Bridge to Prosperity Mountain—looking down onto Foxfire Gorge, it’s one of the longest swinging bridges in the country.
Photo: RossHelen/Shutterstock
Hitting the water
There are numerous opportunities to get on — or in — the water in Sevierville. Between bubbling mountain streams, placid lakes, tumbling rivers, and one of the country’s best waterparks, the right volume of water fun lies somewhere just beyond your eastern-Tennessee doorstep.
Riding the watercoasters
Raft rides. Slide effects. Launch capsules. Body slides. Race tracks...
Riding the watercoasters
Spread across 50 acres, Soaky Mountain Waterpark offers every kind of water thrill you can think of: Tube rides. Raft rides. Slide effects. Launch capsules. Body slides. Race tracks. Explosion turns. Tube slides. Surf systems. Whitewater rapids. Wave pools—you get it.
Of course, you can also simply relax on an in-water recliner at the Coyote Springs pool while the kids go nuts. Lunch is easy with Mexican takeout from Tacolicious and sweet treats from Soaky Shake Shoppe.
Photo: Visit Sevierville
Gone fishin’
Beautiful rivers and quiet streams surround Sevierville...
Gone fishin’
In stark contrast to the waterpark, beautiful rivers and quiet streams surround Sevierville, making for great opportunities for anglers (and nature-lovers). Even if you’ve never tried fly fishing—or fishing at all—it’s therapeutic to stand with nature, casting a line, watching the water. No one said you have to catch anything. (No one will be around to know!)
Douglas Lake—northeast of Sevierville—is a solid option, with 555 miles of shoreline and massive populations of black bass, largemouth bass, and crappie. For an unforgettable experience fishing in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, book a guided tour with Smoky Mountain Angler.
Photo: Visit Sevierville
Whitewater rafting the Pigeon River
The super-scenic Pigeon River provides a smorgasbord of rafting experiences...
Whitewater rafting the Pigeon River
The super-scenic Pigeon River provides a smorgasbord of rafting experiences. For those who want to navigate Class III and Class IV rapids, there’s the Upper Pigeon River; for those who prefer a casual float through the hills, look to the lower section. Or heck, check out both!
There are a number of outfitters offering whitewater (and not-so-whitewater) rafting along the river, to and through its cool swimming holes, rapids, and gorges. Most rafting trips will start in Hartford, some 30 miles southeast of Sevierville. More peaceful floats, ideal for those with little ones, take place on the Little River and begin in Townsend, about 25 miles southwest of town.
Photo: Ammit Jack/Shutterstock
Taking a backroads ATV tour
Now it's time to explore off the pavement, cables, and roads most traveled...
Taking a backroads ATV tour
Now it’s time to explore off the pavement, cables, and roads most traveled. While famous for its ziplines, Foxfire Mountain Adventure Park also runs ATV tours for those who prefer to stay on the ground but still get that off-grid feeling. Hop in an ATV and let your guide regale you with local Appalachian tales and facts about the area—if you can take your attention off the adventure, that is.
Photo: FS STock/Shutterstock
Horseback riding through the forest
Sometimes a more meditative adventure is the way to go...
Horseback riding through the forest
Sometimes a more meditative, silent adventure—minus the clip-clopping—is the way to go. Saddle up at Five Oaks Riding Stables for a leisurely 3.5-mile trail ride, the entire family spending an hour on horseback. You’ll amble along under the trees, soaking up those beautiful mountain views, practicing your “woah!” skills when you want to stop and snap a photo. The path is shady too, making this outing ideal for hot summer days (and for leaf-peeping in autumn!).
Tip: If you have little ones, Five Oaks also offers tandem rides, with the kiddo just in front of you (best seat in the house, really).
Photo: nullplus/Shutterstock
Hiking around Sevierville
Great Smoky Mountains National Park stretches to the south of Sevierville...
Hiking around Sevierville
Great Smoky Mountains National Park stretches between Tennessee and North Carolina to the south of Sevierville. There are about 800 miles of maintained trails inside the park, not including 70 miles of the Appalachian Trail.
This is consistently one of the most popular national parks in the country, so feel free to expect world-class everything. There are great hikes for all levels, including up to the tower at Clingmans Dome, up Mount Le Conte, or to Gregory Bald via the Gregory Ridge Trail.
If you prefer a short, self-guided nature walk, the park has plenty of those as well. The popular Cades Cove Nature Trail is gorgeous each spring with dogwoods in bloom, a flat and easy two-mile loop coming in at less than two hours. Or check out the Cataract Falls Trail behind the Sugarlands Visitor Center—this easy one-mile track passes some nice bridges and streams and takes you right to the 25-foot-tall Cataract Falls.
Photo: Visit Sevierville
Spelunking at Forbidden Caverns
Did you know there are more caves in Tennessee than in any other state...
Spelunking at Forbidden Caverns
Did you know there are more caves in Tennessee than in any other state in the country? You can fact-check for yourself at Forbidden Caverns, right in Sevierville.
Even when it’s a hot day outdoors, it stays a cool 58 degrees underground. The stalagmites and stalactites, lit with a variety of colored lights, make for incredible scenery as you explore below town. This is a family-friendly way to get a taste of spelunking, with lighted paths, handrails, and an experienced guide at the lead, narrating the way.
Note: The caverns are open April through November.
Photo: Visit Sevierville
Playing mountain paintball
Try out one of the first facilities in the US to offer low-impact paintball...
Playing mountain paintball
Tennessee Mountain Paintball is one of the first facilities in the US to offer low-impact paintball, so skeptics and the “I bruise like a peach!” types should start here. This is a great way to get out with the older kids and unleash some energy.
But there are opportunities for the younger ones, too—kids ages 7 to 10 can participate in Tennessee Mountain Paintball’s low-impact (e.g. “pain-free”) Splatmaster Games, a two-hour session that can accommodate up to 10 people. Afterward, there’s no being sore for tomorrow’s adventures—though your pod may be ready for some downtime.
Photo: Nak Anna/Shutterstock
Hitting the fairways
While the kids are off paintballing, book a tee time...
Hitting the fairways
While the kids are off paintballing, book a tee time at the Sevierville Golf Club, arguably the best in the Smokies. You’ve got two courses to choose from: the 18-hole, 72-par River Course runs along the Little Pigeon River; the 18-hole, 70-par Highlands Course takes you around rolling hills and ponds. There’s always the meditative magic of a bucket of golf balls and the driving range, too—especially when the views are this scenic.
Note: Proper golf attire is required, so pack that polo.
Photo: Visit Sevierville