Anakeesta: one mountaintop, three generations and a lot of swinging bridges

Anakeesta was our big group day, the one where family flew in from different states and we all finally ended up in the same place at the same time. Grandparents, cousins, and our two boys bouncing off the walls with excitement. Three generations, from a three-year-old to grandparents in their seventies. If you have ever tried to plan one outing that works for all of those people, you know how rare that is.

Anakeesta works because everyone gets something to love. The kids climb and slide. The older kids ride the coaster. The grandparents find a bench with a view and a cup of coffee. And every so often everybody meets up on a bridge in the treetops and laughs at the same time.

Getting to the top

The park sits on a mountain right above downtown Gatlinburg. You ride up from the street, either in an open-air lift or on the Ridge Rambler, a tree-lined truck ride that is good for anyone nervous about heights. The ride up is part of the fun, with the town shrinking below you.

What our crew loved

• The Treetop Skywalk. About 880 feet of swinging bridges strung between the trees. Our seven-year-old ran it twice. Grandpa did it once and called it "plenty."
• The Rail Runner. A single-rail mountain coaster with about 1,600 feet of downhill track. Younger kids can ride along with an adult.
• AnaVista Tower. 86 steps up for a 360-degree view of the Smokies from the highest point in Gatlinburg. My husband stayed up there long after the rest of us left, waiting for the light.
• The play areas. Treehouses, netted bridges and slides. Our three-year-old would have stayed there all day.
• The gem mine. Sluice bags and running water. Our rock-loving boys sorted, studied and named every stone they found.

Lunch was at an outdoor table with a mountain view, and nobody checked a work message all afternoon. By late afternoon the little ones were done, the grandparents were done, and we rode down with a car full of sleepy, sun-kissed, happy people. That evening, all of us around one big table at the house, was my favorite part of the whole trip.

Is it worth it?

Anakeesta is a ticketed attraction, and it adds up for a big family. For us it was worth it as the one splurge day of the trip, because it truly worked for every age. If your group is mostly hikers, the national park itself is free and just as beautiful. If you are traveling with grandparents and little ones, Anakeesta lets everyone see the mountains together.