Wilderness at the Smokies is a family-friendly water park resort with unique water attractions nestled in the Smoky Mountains in Sevierville in East Tennessee and jam packed with indoor and outdoor waterparks as well as indoor fun and adventure. Wilderness at the Smokies is a rustic mountain resort with amazing amenities for everyone in your family to enjoy.  Wilderness at the Smokies is home to Tennessee’s largest indoor waterpark which gives you the opportunity to travel whenever you want because its open year-round! The waterparks at Wilderness at the Smokies is not the only fun activities for guests, because the family adventure center is an indoor park that is packed with arcade games, retail shops, fitness center, multi-level laser tag, and so much more. This is a resort with a whole new concept of fun and a Smoky Mountain Vacation that your family will not forget!  Wilderness at the Smokies Resort main draw for families are the 3 waterparks so keep reading for a deep dive into the details of the water features at wilderness resorts.

Water Parks at Wilderness at the Smokies Resort TN

How Many Waterparks are there at Wilderness at the Smokies?

There are 3 waterparks at the Wilderness at the Smokies resort creating a whole new concept of fun. 1 of the waterparks, Wild WaterDome is an indoor waterpark and open year-round.  The other two waterparks are outdoor and are open around Memorial Day to Labor Day, weather dependent.  We visited in July to take advantage of all 3 waterparks.   There is also another water park across the Street called Soaky Mountain waterpark which guests at the Wilderness at the Smokies can visit as well with free tickets included with stay at Wilderness resorts at times during certain sales.  You do not need to stay on resort property to visit Soaky Mountain Waterpark.

Wild WaterDome Indoor WaterPark

The Wild WaterDome is 66,000 square feet of an indoor waterpark, located at River Lodge, features a see-through-roof that bathes the entire park in natural light and actually allows guests to tan (and tropical plants to flourish) all year long!  You walk in and feel like you are on a tropical island with the beautiful plants and warm temps!

The Wild WaterDome is also home to the Storm Chaser thrill ride, Great Wave wave pool, Smokies SurfRider, Trail Twisters Tube Slides, Runaway Canyon family thrill slide and Washout Mountain play and spray structure.  

Two slides and lots of spraying water features soak you in fun! Kids will rush to find the best splash-down area under the enormous tipping bucket when the warning bell rings. Wilderness at the Smokies Snapping Turtle Activity Pool is the perfect place to beat the heat, play some water basketball or just take a swim.  The Flying Squirrel Shallow Activity Pool is the perfect place for our smaller guests to enjoy the water.  With bouncy seats, a mini-sized soft play slide and a mini squirrel house that is a smaller version of our big kid bucket dumps.

Lake Wilderness Outdoor WaterPark

Located at River Lodge, this outdoor waterpark offers something for everyone and is huge! Even if you have stayed on resort property before, be sure to remember there is a new splash and play water feature – Treehouse Springs or the NEW Cabana Forest.  Kieran loved this part of the outdoor water park and we spent a lot of time here. 

 If you're a thrill seeker and looking for some of the areas tallest and greatest slides, you’ll find them at the Lake – The Wall, Wild Vortex and Cyclone Racer. Or, maybe you are just wanting to relax and catch some rays. Well, you can definitely do that on the expansive pool deck. Staff take safety extremely seriously and do check height and weight for these slides. You can find requirements for each slide online before you arrive. Relax by the pool deck, float in the wave pool or take a few laps on your back in your tube in the lazy river.

Treehouse Springs was a HUGE hit for our 3 year old.  Treehouse Springs is a fully themed children’s water fun zone. Designed specifically for the youngest of waterpark enthusiasts, the zero depth entry wading pool features more than eight water features including sprinklers, bubblers, geyser jets, waterfall splashes, dumping buckets, and interactive antiquities galore. Centrally located, a treehouse tower with three slides offer hours of fun and exploration.

Salamander Springs Outdoor WaterPark 

Get ready for a ‘tube-ular’ time on one of the longest waterslides in Tennessee: The Timber Rattler which is one of the main attractions at the waterpark! 150-foot-long body and tube slides, a multi-leveled water play feature with 500-gallon dump bucket, zero-depth toddler play area and more.  If you have a younger child, the minnow marsh is perfect because it has a zero-depth pool and bouncy seats in the pool area.  Play water basketball or just lounge.  This outdoor water park is a great option and one you should definitely check out as the height requirements to ride the water slides are lower than the other waterpark options.

If you are staying at River Lodge while you are at Wilderness at the Smokies, this outdoor water park is located across the street and available to get to by free shuttle.  This waterpark is located at Stone Hill Lodge. 

Wilderness at the Smokies Waterpark Expansion

In 2022, WIlderness at the Smokies management announced that they are planning the largest expansion the water park has ever seen! A three-story water coaster which will feature three steep drops, uphill blasts, high speeds and the premier of the world’s first slide with Reverse AquaLucent effects with colorful, spellbinding patterns is on its way. These new attractions and special tubes will also allow light to filter through, adding brightness to the Wild WaterDome.

When Do the Outdoor Waterparks Open?

The outdoor waterparks are open full-time beginning Memorial Day weekend.  Staff attempt to have outdoor waterparks open for spring break, but it is weather dependent, in addition, they aim to have them open on weekends in April and May. 

Are the Waterparks included with Stay at the resort?

YES! Entrance to the Wilderness at the Smokies waterparks are included with overnight stay. Depending on your budget and size of group staying at Wilderness at the Smokies Resorts you can stay in a family suite up to three-bedroom villas.  This family-friendly resort has three room / stay options.  Read more about the rooms here.

What are the dining options at Wilderness at the Smokies Resort Waterparks?

No outside food or drinks can be brought into the waterparks. There are snack bars located in the waterpark areas.

There are 14 dining options while staying at the Wilderness at the Smokies Resort in Tennessee. If you are looking to start your day with some caffeine stop by Starbucks in the main buildings by the front desk located inside of the Mountain Marketplace and Deli where you can get snacks all day.  

Inside of the indoor water park is Grizzly's Grill which has something for everyone and my kids really liked during our stay. 

At the outdoor water park, there is a Coyote Cove snack bar and Bluegill's Cove as well as Tacolicious food truck too!  I am pretty sure I ate 30 tacos here during our stay. They were my fave!

If you are exhausted from all the fun on resort then have the in room dining drop off a meal to your door!

If you have a sweet tooth that you need to satisfy, stop by Molly's Shake Shack, Candy Cabin, or  Yukon Yogurt.

Thats still not everything though, The Hidden Trail bar and grill and Firefly bar and grill offers delicious food by the fire pit. The newest dining option is the Camp Social Food Hall which makes feeding your family SO much easier as it has so many options in a dining hall environment.  

What is the Best Age for the Waterparks at Wilderness at the Smokies?

ANY! My husband and I had as much fun as the kids did.  

ARE THERE ANY WATERPARK AREAS THAT ARE TODDLER FRIENDLY?

Yes, there are many activities for smaller children including a two story interactive play feature, Kiddie slides, bounce swings and teeter totters.

Cabana Rental

While staying at Wilderness at the Smokies resort and enjoying the waterparks, you have the option to book a cabana. Relax while you’re being served food & drinks by our dedicated cabana waitstaff. Prices vary from $50-$225 depending on the season, occupancy levels, and availability. Your cabana is available to you all day based on waterpark hours where you booked the cabana.

Cabana Shores/Indoor Waterpark Cabana Rental (Maximum 8 Guests)

Lake Wilderness/Outdoor Waterpark Cabana Rental for up to 12 guests with a private seating area, personal staff for beverages and menu, towels spray misters and a tv.  These are centrally located at the outdoor pool and are a great way to have a place to return to during peak summer months.

Cabana Forest/Outdoor Waterpark Cabana Rental includes A/C! This cabana is a bit smaller than the cabana option above and boasts the same amenities plus AC.  

VIP Services from our friendly Cabana Hosts are included with rental as well as a Flat-screen TV, Comfortable Plush Seating, AC at the Cabana Forest rental, and more. 

VIP Services from our friendly Cabana Hosts are included with rental as well as a Flat-screen TV, Comfortable Plush Seating, AC at the Cabana Forest rental, and more.

Are towels provided for waterpark guests?

Yes, you do not need to pack your own towels for the waterparks. Upon check in you receive cards to give the staff at designated areas at the water parks for towels that you can use at any of the water parks. You will receive more than enough tickets for towels for your family.

We had so much fun soaking in the sun and splashing around at the waterparks during our Wilderness at the Smokies resort stay.  We are already planning a return trip to smokies waterpark resort because we had so much fun at the wild waterdome indoor waterpark, lake wilderness outdoor waterpark, Salamander Springs Outdoor WaterPark, and headed next door to Soaky Mountain Waterpark.  We left the Wilderness resort and headed just down the road to Pigeon Forge, TN to check out other family friendly attractions since it is so close!