While train rides are one way of spotting some gorgeous fall foliage, mountain coasters allow you to get even more up close and personal with nature. Here are some Smoky Mountain Coasters that will immerse you in colorful leaves, scuttling critters, and crisp mountain air.
What is a Mountain Coaster?
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A mountain coaster is a small roller coaster cart and track that allows nature enthusiasts to climb and then race across a mountain landscape and explore the environment from a new vantage point. The carts can typically accommodate one or two people or a weight of up to 375 pounds.
Perfect for thrill seekers and nature enthusiasts alike, a coaster typically begins with an initial ascent period along a mountain. Once the cart reaches the top of the mountain, there’s a sign directing users to push levers on the cart to control the speed of their descent.
Rail Runner
Located at Anakeesta, a mountaintop amusement park, this coaster offers nature lovers views of a meticulous flowered landscape and proximity to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This is the only single-rail mountain coaster in the US, meaning that a single track connects to the middle of the seat’s bottom rather than a wide car with tracks on both sides. This gives patrons the sensation of flying through the mountain landscape.
Additionally, this track uniquely begins with a descent rather than an ascent as patrons have already ascended the mountain to get to the park itself. There are signs along the track that give users directions on where to engage the manual breaks for the smoothest riding experience.
Moonshine
This five-minute coaster ride takes nature lovers through lush forest forest trails filled with beautiful fall views. With a maximum speed of 30 mph, this coaster is even better experienced at dusk as it’s equipped with colorful spotlights, patterned laser lights, and loudspeakers scattered throughout the woods playing pop favorites such as Taylor Swift. This coaster is perfect for those looking to get up close and personal with the forest rather than experiencing broad panoramic views.
Smoky Mountain Alpine
The region’s first mountain coaster lasts approximately 7-8 minutes with one single ascent and descent, making it the longest downhill ride in the US. The journey includes a forested tunnel filled with green vines and the smell of honeysuckle, dense forest, rocky slopes, and flickering rainbow lights tracing the length of the track. As it’s one of the more popular mountain coasters in the area, especially during peak fall foliage season, getting there early and preparing for a line is recommended.
Rocky Top Mountain
With 4 ascents/descents and approximately 8-10 minutes in length, this coaster claims to be the longest in East Tennessee. Also, the first mountain coaster in the world to have four ascents, this ride offers regional decorations, ponds with fountains, and colorful lighting.
What makes this ride most unique, however, is that it’s not as well-lit as some of the others during evening hours. This gives a spooky night ride ambiance as riders spy fall foliage while listening to the forest soundtrack of local frogs and whippoorwills.
