Ever want to jump into a huge ball filled with warm water and then roll down a giant hill? You can do it at the only place for zorbing in the United States, the Outdoor Gravity Park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee! Kidding Around’s Kristina got to try it out with her kids and she has all the details on the full experience.
Thanks to the Outdoor Gravity Park for hosting us in their big balls so we could write this review.
Watch! Our Visit to Outdoor Gravity Park
Read on for all the details!
For more things to do on your trip to Pigeon Forge, see our big Guide to Pigeon Forge & Gatlinburg!
I honestly had no idea what I was getting myself into when I signed up to go “zorbing” with the Outdoor Gravity Park in Pigeon Forge, TN. I just saw big, inflatable balls and a giant hill and them rolling down said hill and somehow thought this was missing in my life. In the end, I was definitely missing out by not zorbing and I’m here to tell you all about this crazy adventure.
About Outdoor Gravity Park
The park opened in April 2015 and has been rolling down hills in giant inflatable balls ever since. They are located in Pigeon Forge, TN, only about a three-hour drive from Greenville, SC. This is the only place in the entire country where you can do this kind of crazy adventure – and what a crazy adventure it is.
Outdoor Gravity Park is a family-owned and operated business. They were inspired to bring this unique adventure to Tennessee after they went on a trip to New Zealand.
What is Zorbing?
Zorbing was invented in New Zealand and is the act of rolling down a huge, 1,000 foot long hill inside of an 11’ inflatable ball with water inside. The water is only about a foot deep but it’s to help you slide easily around while you have no idea which way is up as you roll down the hill. You’ll also get soaking wet.
There are three tracks at Outdoor Gravity Park – Purple, Red, and Orange. Purple is the beginner one, which I loved. Red is the intermediate one, which my kids loved, and no one was brave enough to do the Orange one.
Up to three people can fit into one of the big balls on the Purple and Red tracks but the orange track is single person only because it’s for the extra crazy people. They told us the balls often go airborne. Oh my gosh. If you’ve got a teenage boy who thinks he is invincible, this is where he needs to go.
Being Inside the Inflatable Ball
I legitimately had no idea what I was getting myself into. Truly, I did not. I’m all for adventure and this looked fun so I said, why not go down a hill in a bouncy ball? I had watched videos but nothing could have prepared me for what it was like speeding down a hill in an inflatable ball rolling around in water.
We really lucked out the day we went zorbing though. The park is open year-round and uses really warm water in the winter and cooler water in the summer. We went in February and amazingly, it was 75 degrees when we went. The water was nice and warm and when we got out after zorbing, we weren’t totally freezing.
Once you sign your life away on the waiver, you can get changed into your bathing suit, or whatever you want to wear that will ultimately get wet. They have nice changing rooms and cubbies to leave your clothes. They’ll hold onto your keys as well for you.
Then you get into an adorable little bus and head up to the top of the hill to get into your ball. Once at the top, there are the three tracks with big balls and you choose which track to run. We chose the Purple route for our first run and the attendant started to fill the ball with warm water (it’s changed after every guest) and put some extra air inside to make sure it was totally safe and bouncy.
We had to jump into the ball and into the water. I managed to do it the first time with ease and slid into the ball and ahh, that water felt so nice. Next it was time for my kids to jump in and they thankfully managed without too much trouble. Then we were zipped in the ball and pushed, rolling downhill.
I’ve thought about how to describe this ride and I decided that whatever I write won’t be sufficient but here it goes: I had no clue where I was on this hill. All I could see was water flying everywhere and my kids’ feet and legs in the air. We were yelling, laughing, and wondering what the heck was happening the whole time. It was nuts. It felt like we were flying down this hill.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity (in reality, it was only around a minute maybe), we made it to the bottom after a surprisingly soft landing. I thought we would have bounced everywhere and then came to a stop but it didn’t feel like that.
Our attendant rolled the opening of the ball to the ground where we each slid out like a baby being born, water splashing everywhere, onto the turf. Then I tried to walk and probably looked like I had too much moonshine. It took the three of us a few seconds to get our bearings and my kids immediately asked to do the Red track next.
After hesitating for a moment to think through my life’s questionable decisions, I said yes and got back on the bus.
The Red Track
I thought the Purple track was crazy but it was child’s play next to the Red track. The Purple track is straight down. The Red track is more like a pinball machine where the track zig-zags down the hill.
After our zorbing adventure, I watched other people go down in their balls on the Red track and it seemed like they went slow but when you’re inside, it definitely doesn’t feel like that. After making, um, several attempts to jump into the ball at the top of the hill, I finally made it in, my kids easily following my hilarious attempts at jumping into the ball.
Then we were zipped up and pushed down the hill. While I didn’t regret my life decision at this moment, I was certainly questioning it. We were bouncing against each other as the ball hit the turns and continued its trajectory towards the bottom. My kids were hysterically laughing. They were having a blast.
When we were finally reborn out of the ball back on land, we had one more roll to decide on. My daughters wanted to go on the Red track again and I decided to play it a little safe and have my own ball and head down the Purple track. It was a good decision but I still had to collect myself afterwards in order to walk straight. What an adventure.
Running of the Balls
Not only can you go in a ball and roll down the hill, you can actually run away from balls chasing you down said hill. This exceptionally fun event is called the Running of the Balls and it takes place at the Outdoor Gravity Park in May and September.
This is a charity event and you must register ahead of time on the Outdoor Gravity Park website.
Tips on Zorbing
There are some things you need to know before you choose your zorbing adventure:
- It’s best to make reservations online on their website, especially during the busier months.
- Bring a towel and change of clothes.
- If you want video, they give you a camera and prices start at $15 to acquire your video of rolling down the big hill in the giant ball.
- The minimum age to go zorbing is 5-years-old and they must ride with an adult. Ages 6+ can go by themselves.
- Weight limit per rider is 275 pounds.
- You have to be in good health and have full mobility to go zorbing. People who have high blood pressure, epilepsy, heart conditions, or back or neck injuries cannot go. Also, if you are impaired by drugs or alcohol, you won’t be getting in one of those big balls.
- In total, we were there for about 45 minutes between check-in and zorbing.
Booking Your Tickets
A walk-in roll is $27/person and online is $25/person. You pay by person and not by roll so if you have three people in one roll, you pay per person. It’s a good idea to book ahead of time.
They also offer group and private event rates. You could literally have a zorbing birthday party if you wanted to or do a corporate event and roll your co-workers down the 1,000 ft hill – in a ball of course.
Overall Review: Outdoor Gravity Park
This was quite the experience and I’d totally do it again. It was so unique and fun and my kids absolutely had a great time. If you’re looking for a fun adventure with teens, this is it. Sometimes it’s tough to find things to do together with them but you won’t have that problem here.
It’s also so cool that this is the only place in the country where you can go zorbing. That alone is probably worth the trip since, otherwise, you’d have to go to New Zealand.
If you’re up for adventure while you’re in East TN, definitely consider the Outdoor Gravity Park. At least you’ll have a good story to tell afterwards!
Outdoor Gravity Park
203 Sugar Hollow Road, Pigeon Forge, TN | 865.366.2867
Outdoor Gravity Park Website | Outdoor Gravity Park Facebook
For more things to do on your trip to Pigeon Forge, see our big Guide to Pigeon Forge & Gatlinburg!
