A one-of-a-kind experience awaits at SkyLand Ranch in Sevierville, TN, just under three hours from Greenville, SC, with its scenic views, miniature animals, amazing entertainment, and thrilling mountain coaster. 

Thank you to Visit Sevierville for hosting us at SkyLand Ranch.

I had heard about SkyLand Ranch in Sevierville, TN when they first opened up in the fall of 2022 and had it on my radar to go when I got the chance because it just looked really cool with its peaceful and relaxing chair lift, thrilling mountain coaster, and gorgeous views. Let me say: I was not disappointed in my visit to SkyLand Ranch!

About SkyLand Ranch

SkyLand Ranch is a new attraction in Sevierville, TN, just under three hours from Greenville, SC, that sits on 100 acres on top of a mountain. Owners Lisa and Mark Williford are longtime mountain coaster operators and wanted to bring something new to Sevierville that tells the story of life on a ranch but with that thrilling ride of a mountain coaster and fantastic entertainment.

The decor of SkyLand Ranch is gorgeous. White barns, dark rocking chairs, natural wood structures, and a stunning skywalk that overlooks the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is what you can expect there. 

The entire experience is unlike other attractions in the Smokies and you can tell that the owners put a lot of thought into the guest experience. Yet this is just the beginning. They plan to expand their offerings, which we’ll write about when they happen. 

Getting up to SkyLand Ranch 

The actual ranch is on top of a mountain, which you’ll reach either by a relaxing chair lift ride or a shuttle bus. After getting over my initial fears of chair lifts and my feet dangling high above solid ground, I have truly grown to love these lifts. The open air and views are a huge draw. I still hold onto my kids (not my sunglasses though…RIP) tightly but I’m no longer scared of these lifts. 

The ride up to the mountain is not that long, maybe 10 minutes, and if you’ve been on other chair lifts in the area, this one is not as steep. But if you’re not into chair lifts, just take the shuttle up. 

Once you get up there, take as much time as you like to explore all that SkyLand Ranch offers. 

Wild Stallion Mountain Coaster

While I’d say it’s usually hard to choose a favorite activity at any of the cool places in Sevierville I’ve visited, it wasn’t hard at SkyLand Ranch. The Wild Stallion Mountain Coaster was our favorite thing we did at the ranch.

I rode with my youngest daughter, 8, while my other daughter, 12, rode by herself, as did my husband. I think that for the older kids, riding by themselves gives them this great sense of independence, which is a lot of fun for them (and us parents to see). 

The coaster is the longest in the Southeast at 1.25 miles long. You’ll be on it for about eight minutes and you can control how fast or slow you go. Being the daredevil Jersey girl I am, I hit it fast until my daughter told me I needed to slow down for her sake. Well, okay. 

The views from the coaster are also stunning. You can see the Smoky Mountains in the distance, including Mt. LeConte, which my daughters and I hiked this summer. Big accomplishment that I like to remind them about so we can do it again! You can see the strip of the beginning of Pigeon Forge as well and all throughout Sevierville. It’s beautiful. 

While we rode the coaster during the day, you can also ride it late into the night for a totally other experience because you can see the flickering lights of Pigeon Forge and Sevierville. Plus, you get to basically ride a coaster in the dark. It’s like Space Mountain but way better. How cool is that? I was really hoping to do this but we just ran out of time. Gotta go back. 

To ride the Wild Stallion, kids must be at least three years old and 38” tall to ride. All riders under 54” tall must ride with an adult.

The coaster is an add-on to your admission price but you can also just go to SkyLand Ranch to ride the coaster and not go up to the mountain. You can view all the ticket options on the SkyLand Ranch website. If you do the combo ticket, which includes admission + the mountain coaster and you want to ride the coaster again, it’s just $10/person for the next ride. The coaster is open until 11 pm while the ranch closes at 8 pm.

Western Entertainment

When we got off the chair lift at the top of the mountain to see the ranch, we were fortunate enough to arrive just in time for one of the shows. We got to see a cowboy show us his best Billy the Kid gun twirling and whip snapping moves before he got to some serious rope swinging action. 

We loved watching his amazing talents and getting to see some old Western skills that you really don’t get to see elsewhere. He was fantastic and a great introduction to Skyland Ranch. 

Not long after the cowboy performed, a local band setup to start their country music set. They were really good! They did some cover songs and a couple of their own, which I loved. I’m a big country music fan so I thoroughly enjoyed their music. 

A lot of people took to the rocking chairs in the shade and just hung out, ate lunch, and enjoyed the entertainment. It was definitely relaxing. My husband and daughters played cornhole while we listened to the music. It was great. 

In the evening, we came back up the mountain to go line dancing, which was awesome. Even though I grew up in New Jersey, I’m a country girl at heart because my parents actually took my siblings and I line dancing. Yes, there were several places to go line dancing in NJ. So I got to show my kids what a great line dancer I was and I think they thought I was cool for five seconds. Proud parenting moment.

There is also a cute little playground that is partially shaded and a big area with picnic tables next to the playground that is totally shaded for parents to hang out or to have lunch or dinner.

Gem mining is available and there are three options: the large gemstone package is $10 plus tax, the Emerald Bay package is $12.00 plus tax, and the BIG BAG package is $30.00 plus tax. You have access to the mining for as long as you like. It is not time based. The gem mine is located next to the playground. SkyLand Ranch also has BB gun shooting range, the SkyLand Shootout BB Gun Shooting Range, which costs $9.99 plus tax for 15 minutes of unlimited shooting.

Definitely don’t miss the big sky walk called Legacy Lookout. You can read about the history of Sevierville as well as learn what mountains you’re looking at in the distance and get incredible photos of you and your family. 

The ranch has daily entertainment so be sure to check the website before you go or give them a call to see what’s on the schedule. 

Animals at the Ranch

SkyLand Ranch has several miniature horses and there are even goats to play with. Y’all know how much I love goats. They were our first stop once we got off the chair lift. 

I was so surprised at just how clean the animal enclosures were. They were nearly spotless. Actually, everything at SkyLand Ranch was spotless. 

Once you are on the chair lift, you’ll get a view of the donkeys and alpacas, which are adorable. They have sheep and longhorns at the ranch.

Shopping & Dining

You don’t go all the way up to the mountain not to have food and shopping. There’s both a food court with pizza, sandwiches, and ice cream plus food trucks at SkyLand Ranch. The food trucks have BBQ, nachos, soft pretzels, street corn (delicious), and burgers. 

There is no shortage of retail therapy to be had at SkyLand Ranch either. They have a huge store up on the mountain with quality apparel, cowboy and cowgirl hats, Western toys and games, SkyLand Ranch branded items, mugs, sparkly dresses, and all kinds of neat stuff. I almost walked out of there with a pink sparkle cowgirl hat.

Admission 

Here’s the cool thing about admission to SkyLand Ranch: your ticket is good for three days of admission. Three days. You don’t find that anywhere in that area. 

Ticket prices are $21.99/ages 10+, $12.99/ages 3-9, and free/ages 2 and under. Season passes are also offered at SkyLand Ranch. 

Free parking is available as well.  Dogs are not allowed due to the ranch having animals of its own. Service animals are accepted.

SkyLand Ranch 
1620 Parkway, Sevierville TN

Want More Fun?

Don’t miss things to do in Sevierville, TN!

If you want to be close to all that the Sevierville, TN area has to offer but not be in the middle of crowds, The Ridge Outdoor Resort is the place to be. Kristina and her family spent a couple of nights here exploring what the resort in Sevierville has to offer and she’s got all the details on how to plan a great family trip here. 

Thank you to Visit Sevierville for inviting us to stay at The Ridge Outdoor Resort. 

When on vacation, I love to try new things and experience unique adventures. But I also enjoy some downtime and relaxation and The Ridge Outdoor Resort in Sevierville, TN is absolutely perfect for both of those goals – and it’s just three hours from Greenville, SC.

My family and I stayed in one of their glamping tents and had such a great time exploring Sevierville but also hanging out at the pools and resting up for our next adventures. Here’s why I think you’ll love a stay at The Ridge Outdoor Resort. 

About The Ridge Outdoor Resort

Having only opened in 2019, The Ridge Outdoor Resort has already established itself as one of the area’s best luxury RV and camping and glamping resorts. They have multiple options for lodging, many amenities, and they are surrounded by 50 acres of Smoky Mountain beauty. 

The Ridge Outdoor Resort currently has more than 150 RV sites, eight glamping canvas tents, and five luxury tiny homes. They have two zero entry pools, a hot tub, two bathhouses, two dog parks, a catch-and-release pond, laundry, on-site deli, playground, kids room with games, and fitness center. 

The Pools 

We really enjoyed our time at the two pools located at the resort. Both are zero-entry pools, which are perfect for smaller kids who can’t swim well or at all. 

The pool closest to the main building at the resort has a hot tub and the pool is about five feet deep. They also have umbrellas and chairs you can relax in right in the shallow water in the pool. I loved that! There’s a bathhouse right next to the pool if you need. 

The other pool, located on the opposite end of the resort, has a small lazy river and covered tables and chairs plus bathrooms. My kids went around that lazy river a seemingly infinite number of times, with and without tubes. 

There are tubes provided plus plenty of lounge chairs at both pools, which is really nice for catching up on all that reading I had been meaning to do. There are large umbrellas if you’d like to sit in the shade and plenty of sunny spots if that’s your thing. 

You can request pool towels from the registration desk. 

Our Glamping Tent 

I’ve stayed in glamping tents before but none as large and accommodating as our two-bedroom, one bathroom tent at the Ridge Resort. It was amazing! 

There is a huge porch with a gas fire pit, oversized chairs, and a picnic table. Once you step inside, there’s a good size living space with a table, sofa, and television plus a kitchen. Head down the hallway and there’s a full bathroom and two bedrooms. I was impressed with how much they fit into this tent. 

Tents all have air conditioning and heat so you can stay any time of the year and be comfortable. We stayed during July and it was really, really hot but the tent was cool, especially at night. Because it is a tent not with solid walls, the air conditioning and fans are louder than they are in a house but honestly, it didn’t bother me at all. I sleep with a white noise machine so this was actually perfect. I wish I could have spent a longer amount of time here because it was so comfortable and relaxing. For our family of four, it was the perfect size and never felt cramped. 

I especially loved the porch because it somehow got a nice breeze even in 90+ degree heat during the day. I had morning coffee out there and didn’t want to leave. As of this writing, glamping tents are offered at $210/night. Some are pet friendly. 

Tiny Homes & RV Slips

There are five tiny homes at the Ridge Resort that can sleep anywhere from 1-6 guests and come with all the modern amenities of glamping: a kitchen, bathroom, and bedrooms. Each tiny house also has AC and heat so they can be enjoyed year-round. 

I don’t have an RV so I’m truly not well-versed in RV language but the Ridge Resort offers both Premiere and Signature sites. All sites include all the amenities at the resort plus the Signature sites also have an outdoor wood-burning fireplace, outdoor television, grill and individual hot tub. I may need to start researching RVs. 

Fishing, Golf Carts, Kids Room & Other Amenities

The amenities at the Ridge Resort are awesome and family-friendly. While our favorites were the two pools and hot tub, the resort also offers golf cart rentals, a golf simulator, free wifi, two dog parks, and seasonal activities. 

They also have a deli on site that you can order food from right from your phone. There are plenty of restrooms and bathhouses at either end of the resort plus a camp store if you need any last-minute items. 

If you are like me and absolutely love Jeeps, you can rent one from the resort to bop around in during your time in Sevierville. They are $125/day + tax.

Overall Mom Review

Looking for The Ridge Outdoor Resort reviews? Here’s our mom review.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Ridge Outdoor Resort in Sevierville, TN with my family. They just made it so easy to relax, which I find is often a tough thing to do in my daily life. Besides the pools and the beautiful glamping tent, my favorite thing was the location.

We had to drive no more than 10 minutes to get anywhere we needed to go. Everything was so close but we weren’t in the midst of all the action, just close to it, which made our trip there so much more peaceful and relaxing. 

If you’re looking for a unique glamping experience with lots of amenities in an ideal location in Sevierville, The Ridge Outdoor Resort is it.

The Ridge Outdoor Resort
1250 Middle Creek Rd, Sevierville, TN
865.505.3111

Want More Fun?

Don’t miss things to do in Sevierville, TN!

More Nearby! Pigeon Forge to the Great Smoky Mountains

Plan your trip to the Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge area.