Wilderness at the Smokies indoor waterpark exceeded every expectation

We were provided with a night’s accommodation, all thoughts are our own. It was a surprise trip to Wilderness at the Smokies with the family and the boys were ecstatic. They knew that it was a waterpark with all manner of slides and other water oriented fun, but they also knew that the pools around us weren’t open for the season. Going swimming when you’re cold is not any fun is what they must have been thinking inside their growing minds. I quickly reassured them that Wilderness at the Smokies is Tennessee’s Largest Indoor Waterpark and that all of the fun we’d be having on this trip was inside. Their minds were all but blown away and after the trip my wife and I both agreed that our experience there far exceeded our expectations on all fronts.

Wilderness at the Smokies is very large. It’s spread out over their two family friendly resorts with the Wild WaterDome Indoor Waterpark, Lake Wilderness Outdoor Waterpark and Salamander Springs Outdoor Waterpark. Salamander Springs is attached to Stone Hill Lodge, one of their resorts while the other two waterparks are at River Lodge the other resort. There are shuttles that run back and forth between all of these areas and run every 10 minutes.  An overnight stay at either resort allows you to use any of the waterparks while you’re there.

Driving up to Wilderness at the Smokies our 8 year old saw what he thought was it, even though he hadn’t seen photos of it. He saw what looks like a child’s top that’s been carelessly laid on its side as if it’s waiting for a giant to come spin it careening over the Smoky Mountains. His younger brother, who had seen photos of the park, agreed with him and validated that what he said was true.

What they saw was Storm Chaser Thrill Ride. It’s a thrill ride that drops guests down a 55 foot tunnel before dropping them into a zero gravity-and then they go into the device that looks like a child’s top. The kids weren’t tall enough to go on it and my wife wouldn’t have liked it, something I wouldn’t have known until after I went on it. I was the willing canary in the waterpark and I loved it, even though it was terrifying at the time.

Checking into our room at Stone Hill Lodge was simple, which was a great thing because our kids were going mental saying that we weren’t moving fast enough. A quick swimsuit change later and we were in line to get the shuttle to the Wild Waterdome. When we entered the dome the kids weren’t sure where to go first, but I knew that the first stop had to be a locker; where I promptly put some of the stuff that I accidentally left in my pockets.

With my pockets no longer weighted down I followed the kids. Their first stop was Washout Mountain, a massive two-story play structure with water themed play. There are two slides, various water cannons, splash pool and an enormous bucket that’s continuously filling up with water….until it tips and splashes everyone below. That happens about every 10 minutes, there’s a warning buzzer that goes off just before it happens and kids run to be under it when it happens.

Now that they were wet and somewhat used to being inside, warm, comfortable and happy, even though the outdoor conditions were not; they made eyes with the Indoor Tube Slides. A short walk up three flights of stairs and they were ready to slide down. Either slide goes outside the building, but riders are always in the tube and never in the elements. This fact also blew their minds.

“We went outside the building, but stayed in the tube and then came back in!”, the 8YO yelled. He was tall enough to do this by himself while his younger brother needed to ride with mom or I. These waterslides were perfect for both of them as they were both slightly scared, but it was a fear that they were able to overcome.*

The other thing that they really loved was The Great Wave. It’s a 10,000 square foot pool that goes from calm ocean movement to body surfing waves. The older one liked going deep and jumping up and down to the waves while his younger brother wasn’t able to keep up with the wave height and stayed back about 20 yards with one of us.

After five hours in the pool we realized that the kids needed to eat and relax for a moment or they would start melting quickly. We ate at the Hidden Trail Bar and Grill, which contrary to its name was quite easy to find. Located just off the front entry at Stone Hill Lodge the dinner was great, quick and very affordable. The four of us ate dinner, while the kids had soda and the adults had drinks for those over 21, all for under $50.

After that we grabbed the shuttle to River Lodge where the kids spent time in the Wilderness Adventure Forrest. From the Tree Top Towers ropes course, Mount Wild climbing wall, Moonshine Run mini-golf and the dozens upon dozens of top notch video games the kids could’ve stayed there till midnight.

On check out day we headed back to Wild Waterdome Indoor Waterpark so the kids could ride the waves, splash around and generally get their sillies out before we had to drive home. Regardless of how long your trip home is, you can stay at the waterpark all day on the day of check out.

Our time at Wilderness at the Smokies wildly exceeded what we thought it would be. That was due to the fact that the facility was clean, the attractions were clearly marked for the appropriate sizes, there was a great balance between thrill and family and everything was there. You didn’t need to go off property once to eat or purchase anything. And when you did need to purchase something in one of their gift stores it wasn’t beyond the realm of normal pricing.

Case in point, we forgot all of our toothbrushes. They had some in the any of the retail shops on site and their prices were reasonable. They were so reasonable that we bought them onsite, instead of heading out to a cheaper option-and I’m incredibly cheap.

The other reason we liked it so much is that the kids were always having fun. There was no brotherly bickering, no electronic devices, it was just kids playing, overcoming their fears and enjoying the short couple of years that is elementary school.

*Sidenote: There’s a waterslide at our local pool that is ¼ the size of that one. Our 8YO would stare at that thing like it was a physical monster. “I might do it next year”, he said. That was before his trip to Wilderness. Now he’s bragging that he’ll be “bored” doing that one.