SkyLand Ranch is a new, in progress, attraction in Sevierville. By “in progress” I mean that they recently opened, with several parts of the attraction ready now for you to enjoy, and construction going on with plans for many more exciting additions in the future. Right now they have a small petting zoo, a chairlift, mountain coaster, store, restaurant and snack shop. We also saw a construction site of what will be a lookout with amazing views of the Great Smoky Mountains. An employee told us that there are plans for a music stage or amphitheater as well as other expansion. Kenny and I decided to check out SkyLand Ranch last week and here is what we thought.
Horizon Skyride
If you are into epic views and not afraid of heights, then this ride is for you. Not only does the Horizon Skyride take you up to the actual ranch, but it provides you with a gorgeous view of both Sevierville and Pigeon Forge in doing so. I am a bit afraid of heights, as is Kenny, but we powered through and road the chair lift both up and down the mountain. I especially loved riding over some of the animals and getting a closer look at the goats from above. Not for you? That’s ok, SkyLand Ranch also offers a shuttle to and from the facilities to make sure the ranch is accessible to all. Also, the picture above that we bought was only like $10 and they give you a QR code to print more – way cheaper than most other attractions charge for pictures!
Petting Zoo
I talk about animals a lot on this blog. Why? Because I just adore them so. Honestly, the biggest draw to me for going to SkyLand Ranch was the chance to pet at least one animal. What I really enjoyed was that employees told us about the animals at length. Some of the animals are rescues, so I hope they are enjoying their best lives now. There was this really silly, tiny goat that was only 2.5 weeks old! This goat was the cutest thing and every time the baby would get away from the mama, the mama would start hollering for her [or him, I can’t remember which] and the baby would come running. The baby goat reminded me of Marley a bit and how silly she jumps around. Oh how I missed my doggie on this trip. But the baby goat sure did make me smile.
Food Barn
There is no shortage of things to eat at SkyLand Ranch. If you are in the mood, they have tons of options for coffee and ice cream. You can really customize your ice cream order or you can choose one of their pre-named concoctions like we did. For the kiddos, there are tons of candy options that you can buy by either the piece or the bag, as well as cotton candy options in almost every flavor you can imagine. Don’t worry, there is also food food: chili and salads stick out in my mind, but I know there was much more than those items to choose from. I had seen roasted corn on one of the reviews for their attraction before attending but could not find it while there for my visit. SkyLand Ranch talks about food trucks on their site, so I am assuming either I missed the corn or that is a food truck item [food trucks were not there the day we attended].
Wild Stallion Mountain Coaster
One thing that I have learned is that both Kenny and I are fans of mountain coasters! In my younger days, I loved roller coasters but, as I have grown older, I have found them much too scary. I have not so much as attempted to ride a roller coaster in probably 20 years. At SkyLand Ranch, there is the Wild Stallion Mountain Coaster. You sit down on this ride and there is no weight restriction that we could find, only a height restriction and an age restriction. Each ride holds one adult or an adult with a small child in front. The best thing of all is that there are hand operated brakes on either side of you. So, if you love a fast ride, by all means hit the hammer and go for it. But if you are more like me and want to take it a little slower, then you can go that route, too. So, if you are wanting to introduce one of your children to coasters, I think this would be a great place to start!
Where To Eat?
Trotter’s Whole Hog BBQ
BBQ Fans! This place is for you! Trotter’s Whole Hog BBQ offers almost anything you can think of smoked. I tried the smoked potato salad and it was really good. I also very much enjoyed the cucumbers they served with our food kind of as a garnish. On my next visit, I will see if I can get a full order of those as my side. Yum. They also have a self serve alcohol bar, that you control with a wristband you scan. If you are not into smoked, then you won’t find anything really on the menu, we asked – so make sure to take your biggest BBQ enthusiast friends. They will love it.
Five Oaks Farm Kitchen
Be sure to bring your appetite when you go to Five Oaks Farm Kitchen. Kenny and I ate here last year and our breakfasts that we ordered were insane: enough to feed several people. But oh how delicious they were. I recommend eating here sometime in the middle of the week so that you can take some of the food back to the room with you, or splitting food with one of the other people in your party.
Flapjacks
Flapjacks offers a really good breakfast, with everything you would expect: eggs, bacon, pancakes, etc. There are several locations throughout Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, so finding a Flapjacks near where you are staying shouldn’t be difficult. Kenny is rather picky when it comes to eating. That is not a dig, even he says so, but he raves over Flapjacks’ biscuits. It makes me wish there was one close to our home so we could eat there more often.
Sunliner Diner
Though not located in Sevierville, the Sunliner Diner is very close to SkyLand Ranch as well as where we were staying. We like this restaurant, because it has that 50s vibe. It really does look like a restaurant from yesteryear, complete with classic Sunliners in the parking lot. The employees are dressed in retro garb and even have the hair and makeup to match. When “Rockin’ Robbin” comes on, they dance and sing. It’s really just a lot of fun. Though they do offer hamburgers, fries, and milk shakes as you would expect in a diner, that is not all they have on the menu. The Sunliner Diner serves lots of dishes including chicken tenders, meatloaf and more.
Where do you like to eat when in Sevierville?