Anakeesta’s New Black Bear Village Elevates Fall Experience in Smokies
GATLINBURG, TN – Anakeesta opens the new Black Bear Village, adding even more unique experiences to the Gatlinburg mountaintop destination.
Live music floats from a new bandstand through a spacious gathering area and overlook with seating for more than 150 people. Nearby, the new village’s namesake black bear stands atop a mountain-themed waterfall with a water play area for children below. And a glowing fire pit warms those sitting in its circle, surrounded by a local artist’s river-rock creation and panoramic bar seating.
Each new addition – including a climate-controlled destination restaurant – offers priceless views of the Smokies. This is the greatest and final phase of Anakeesta’s $6.5 million expansion this year.
Anakeesta even named a new take-away café after the explorer acclaimed as the father of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Kephart Café offers gourmet hot dogs, flatbreads and brightly-colored frozen yogurt with rainbow edges for guests who order and pick up from its serving windows.
Anakeesta is literally “elevating” the dining experience for everyone in the Smoky Mountains with its new Cliff Top restaurant which offers indoor and outdoor seating and sweeping mountain views with every bite. Cliff Top serves local flavors and modern American cuisine, featuring hand-cut steaks, entree salads, savory appetizers, scratch made sauces and desserts – with everything made to order from 11 a.m. until one hour before Anakeesta closes.
Shoppers will delight in throwback toys, amusing home décor, and local curiosities inside the new Mercantile attached to Cliff Top restaurant. Anakeesta offers totally unique shops in its Firefly Village, where the Smokehouse restaurant will now serve house-smoked meats, wings and southern barbecue classics.
The adventure to the top of Anakeesta starts with a scenic ride on the Chondola or Ridge Rambler from the Gatlinburg Parkway (near traffic light #5). Guests riding the open-air vehicles on Anakeesta’s private road now arrive in Black Bear Village – even closer to the new AnaVista Tower with 360-degree vistas from the highest point in downtown Gatlinburg.
Experience Anakeesta’s Tree-Top Skywalk, the longest tree-based skywalk in North America; Haunted Rail Runner; Night-Time Ziplining; and Movies on the Mountain (Fridays and Saturdays in October).
For tickets, current hours and more information, visit www.anakeesta.com or call 865-325-2400.