Skiing, sledding and snow tubing in East Tennessee: Where to have fun with winter sports
We only get so much snow each year here in East Tennessee. It's time to get out there and enjoy it!
Because of the extremely low temperatures, the snow that fell this week will likely stick around for a bit.
There are a few ways to take advantage of this Tennessee winter wonderland.
If you've got the time and resources, here are a couple snow sport activities you can do in East Tennessee right now.
Visit Ober Gatlinburg
Ober Gatlinburg has a large variety of snow sports for the winter season.
Ober Gatlinburg on the Parkway offers downhill skiing, snowboarding, tubing and the Snow Zone for younger kids.
For those who haven't gone skiing or snowboarding, lessons are available, too. Skiing and snowboarding costs start at $35 for night sessions and go up for all-day sessions depending on the day, reaching up to $84 per adult.
Tubing costs $35 Sunday through Thursday and goes up to $45 for Friday, Saturday and holidays for 90 minutes sessions. Rentals are available.
Ice skating is also available, but this can be done year-round.
Rent some skis from Alpine Ski Center
If you're visiting Ober Gatlinburg or another ski resort, check out Alpine Ski Center before you head out.
The Knoxville location at 7240 Kingston Pike Suite 148 features skis, snowboards and skiboards for rent. You can also get repairs, tuneups and new equipment at the store.
If you're looking to just rent, the rates for adults range from $18 to $44 a day depending on which day and what type of equipment is getting rented. The three day rental ranges from $49 to $99, and the daily rate for rentals for four days or more range from $14 to $31 per day depending on the equipment.
Snow parks in Pigeon Forge
Pigeon Forge has two snow centers that are open throughout the year:
Rowdy Bear Smoky Mountain Snow Park is an outdoor snow park at 2155 Parkway featuring tubing, a ski lift coaster, a roller coaster and axe throwing. The snow tubing is available until March 31, and costs $36.99 for 90 minutes of tubing.
Pigeon Forge Snow is an indoor snow park at 2533 Teaster Lane with tubing and snow play for kids. It costs $9.99 for 30 minutes of snow play, $29.99 for an hour of tubing or $34.99 to do both for the allotted time.
Sled down a big hill
The simplest and easiest snow activity to do in Knoxville is go sledding. All you need is a sled or a snow tube and a big hill.
If you're hoping to buy a sled, most local stores have sold out. If you want to check, see if you can safely travel to a hardware store like Lowe's, a sporting goods store like REI, or a retail store like Target or Walmart if they have any in stock.
Don't have a sled? The internet has ideas for alternatives you can find around your house.
Keenan Thomas reports for the Knox News business growth and development team. You can reach him by email at keenan.thomas@knoxnews.com.
Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks at knoxnews.com/subscribe.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: East Tennessee skiing, sledding, snow tubing: Where to do winter sports
