What's New in 2026

From new adventures and experiences in rides and attractions to re-opened trails your vacation is never the same when you visit the Smokies.

There's a rule: You can visit the Smoky Mountains every season in every year and it is never the same stay twice. That's the beauty of a constantly changing landscape filled with any king of adventure you can dream up. Anakeesta, Dollywood and even the great mountains themselves, are making sure that 2026 is no exception to that rule.

Anakeesta

Gatlinburg’s Anakeesta, the mountaintop family adventure park opened in 2017, will start a five-year expansion project in 2026 that will double its current footprint.

Calling the project Making More Magic, Anakeesta is making a $100-million investment to build a new scenic lift, to reimagine its Firefly Village, expand its Treetop Skywalk and to add a nighttime firefly light show making for an enchanting experience.

Anakeesta is replacing its original Chondola with “an even better riding experience.”  While the lift is down, the Ridge Rambler will take visitors up to the park.

The new lift, expected to open in May, will feature 56 cabins with glass bottoms and large wraparound windows, “giving riders 360-degree views of the Great Smoky Mountains on the ride up to the park.” The four-minute ride will showcase downtown Gatlinburg’s skyline, the lush Smoky Mountain forests, and if you’re lucky, native wildlife.

Firefly Village, Anakeesta’s whimsical town in the sky with shopping and dining, a fire pit and breathtaking views, is getting an update to create more spaces that inspire connection – from gathering spaces to winding paths and flowering water features. There also will be a new overlook for breathtaking mountain views of Gatlinburg! The upgrades are expected to be completed by Spring of 2026.

The Treetop Skywalk experience is being elevated in the spring as well.  Its 14 bridges suspended in the trees are being reimagined and expanded with winding canopy pathways and soaring towers.

Another new addition will be something to enhance the natural experience and phenomena that is the synchronized fireflies. For about two weeks every summer, the Great Smoky Mountains light up with fireflies synchronizing their flash patterns.

Anakeesta’s Firefly Experience will pay homage to that event year round.  The experience will let visitors marvel at a dance of light that combines “storytelling, nature’s beauty, and unforgettable light displays.”

The park will close Jan. 5 and reopen sometime in March.

Anakeesta

Dollywood

Dollywood, the theme park co-owned by country music star Dolly Parton, is always adding new adventures and entertainment and 2026 is no different.

Located in Pigeon Forge, Dollywood is adding its largest attraction ever with an immersive indoor/outdoor ride called NightFlight Expedition at Dollywood.

NightFlight Expedition, at a cost of more than $50 million, is scheduled to open in Spring 2026. Dollywood says it is the first attraction in the world to merge its “four unique experiences into one groundbreaking ride.” 

It’s a combination of an indoor family hybrid roller coaster and a whitewater river raft ride, NightFlight Expedition takes Dollywood guests on an unforgettable journey through the Smoky Mountains to search for bioluminescence in the nation’s most-visited national park.

“During the 5 1/2-minute experience, guests soar on a nighttime flight over the scenic Smokies, enjoy a thrilling whitewater rafting excursion through more than 500,000 gallons of surging water, traverse a mountain ridge on a roller coaster, and navigate a mysterious shimmering lake by boat,” is how Dollywood describes the ride.

Sounds like an extreme amount of fun!

A new event this year will be the inaugural Run Dollywood race weekend in April. The marquee race is a half-marathon on Sunday. Companion races of a 1-mile kids fun run (ages 4-12), a 5k and a 10k will take place on Saturday.

Dollywood

The Great Smoky Mountain National Park

The Great Smoky Mountains themselves are also getting some updates with significant trail improvements.

The popular Laurel Falls Trail in the national park is scheduled to re-open in mid-2026 with a wider, resurfaced path and new viewing platforms.

More than 300,000 visitors hike Laurel Falls Trail per year. The 1.3-mile trail leads to an 80-foot waterfall and is one of the most popular trails in the national park because it is paved and relatively close to the Gatlinburg entrance. 

Work will continue in 2026 on the Bullhead Trail but be open to hikers Friday to Sunday. The park service is focused on improving safety, drainage and resource protection. Bullhead Trail is one of several routes that lead to Mount LeConte, offering a challenging 13.6-mile roundtrip hike to the summit.

Mount Le Conte is the park's third highest peak in Great Smoky Mountains National Park at 6,593 feet and is the highest peak that is completely within Tennessee. Higher peaks are Mount Guyot at 6,621 feet and Kuwohi at 6,643 feet.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park offers ridge upon ridge of forest straddling the border between North Carolina and Tennessee. With 800-square-mile mountain wilderness that is federally owned and managed by the National Park Service, the Smokies are one the most visited national parks in the country with more than 12 million visitors a year.

Visit the Smokies

American Patriot Getaways

We hope to have you join us this year! With over 400 rentals to choose from, a variety of amenities and monthly deals to help keep you on budget we would love to have join us. 

Finding the Perfect Rental