USA: 40 Million Dollar Expansion Announced for Wilderness Resort at the Smokies in Tennessee

Located in Sevierville, Tennessee, in the Smoky Mountains, Wilderness Resort at the Smokies Hotel & Waterpark Resort offers the best conditions for a successful vacation, especially for families with children. The Wild WaterDome indoor water park, open year-round and complemented by two seasonal outdoor water parks (Lake Wilderness and Salamander Springs), is the visitor highlight here. Next year, the resort, which opened its doors in 2008, will celebrate its 15^th anniversary and has taken this as an opportunity to expand and renovate its recreational offerings for a 40-million-US-dollar-investment – the largest in the resort’s history.

As a result, the indoor water park will receive nearly 40,000 square feet (around 3,700 square meters) of additional space, with several new attractions to be implemented by next year. These will include “Switchback Mountain”, a new water coaster from WhiteWater West that will feature three steep drops, uphill blast sections and the world’s first “Reverse AquaLucent” effects in a water slide. In addition, the water park expansion will include a “Forbidden Caverns” lazy river (by ADG) with a specially illuminated tunnel section (immersive experience by Moment Factory), a rooftop pool called “Lookout Lagoon” and the new “Peak Rooftop Bar and Grill”. The indoor waterpark expansion is scheduled for completion in fall 2023.

In addition to the new attractions and offerings at the Wild WaterDome water park, there will also be some new additions to Adventure Forest, the resort’s Family Entertainment Center (FEC). For example, this area will receive “Rocky Top Glider”, a Cloud Coaster from Extreme Engineering, which will comprise a track of around 122 meters (400 linear feet) with two lift hills and is scheduled for completion by spring 2023. In addition, an eight-person XD Theater from Triotech will be added to Adventure Forest and is scheduled for completion as early as this fall. Some of the resort’s dining offerings, such as the “Thirsty Miner” restaurant, will receive a makeover. The restaurant will be converted into a family-friendly food hall and be called “Camp Social”. Last but not least, new accommodation facilities will also be created at the resort, including twelve three-bedroom villas that can accommodate up to twelve people. (eap)