Anakeesta

Last summer a new attraction opened up in Gatlinburg: Anakeesta - a Cherokee word meaning "Place of Balsams". My friend and I went in October. It's located right across the Parkway from the Aquarium - but that's just the entrance way. The actual place is up on top of Anakeesta Mountain. You get there by riding a chair lift; they have gondolas for those who need or want them. I'd advise you to take one if you're nervous about heights, because you're pretty much out in the open - and every time they load a gondola, the chairs just stop and swing. I loved it - worth the price by itself - but others may not.

The top is still a work in progress. Eventually they'll have cabins and tree houses for overnight stays, and a single-track alpine coaster. Now they've got zip lines - all the way down the mountain, with rappelling from tower to tower -, a Memorial Walk for the 2016 fire, and several shops and places to eat. The big attraction is the Canopy Walk (though it's not quite canopy level) - a boardwalk suspended high above the ground. Just beautiful - and I bet it's breathtaking when the fall colors peak (which they never really did in 2017). I really enjoyed it, and will go back.

Riding up - gondolas coming down (they have 8 gondolas and 142 chairs)

Looking down from the chair

Cutie welcoming you to the top

The Memorial Forest Walk

Map of the fire

One of the photo stations

In the center of the loop

The entrance to the Canopy Walk

Burnt trees along the walk way

Oooooo! Spectacular color!

Zipliner going down the mountain

Riding down

One of the things about that fire was that it moved so fast, many trees were left alive, though partially burnt.

Me on the walk