While Great Smoky Mountains National Park offers some amazing wildlife viewing opportunities, you’ll also find several fun attractions near our cabins that feature animals! This is your chance to get up close to a variety of unique creatures that are both native to the Smokies and from around the world! Here are the top 5 attractions in the Smoky Mountains where you can see animals:
1. Smoky Mountain Deer Farm
The Smoky Mountain Deer Farm in Sevierville offers a unique experience where you can walk among deer and even feed these graceful animals! As you wander among the 140-acre foothill setting, you’ll discover plenty of other critters too, including camels, zebras, goats, reindeer, Rocky Mountain Elk, emu, Fallow and Sika deer, miniature horses, Watusi, Highland cattle, donkeys and more! You can even go horseback riding at the Smoky Mountain Deer Farm, so saddle up for a relaxing ride through the Smokies!
2. Rainforest Adventures Discovery Zoo
The Rainforest Adventures Discovery Zoo in Sevierville is home to over 600 live animals from the rainforests of the world, representing more than 130 species! The majority of the animals at the zoo have been born or hatched in captivity, and some of them are on loan from zoos across the country for the primary purpose of education. You’ll also enjoy the unique ambiance of this delightful small zoo, as it has been themed by one of the nation’s finest zoological contractors whose work includes Disney’s Animal Kingdom!
3. Wildlife Habitat at Ober Mountain
Another one of the top attractions in the Smoky Mountains where you can see animals is the Wildlife Habitat at Ober Mountain! This privately funded, municipally sponsored zoo in Gatlinburg offers up-close viewing of native wildlife in a safe environment, including an adorable black bear family! While exploring the Wildlife Habitat, you’ll also be able to see river otters playing in an underwater viewing area, birds of prey in an enclosed aviary, and a nocturnal house containing raccoons, skunks, flying squirrels, turtles, and snakes!
4. Bear Habitat at the Three Bears General Store
If you hoped to see a bear during your Smoky Mountain vacation and you aren’t into hiking, make a stop at the Bear Habitat at the Three Bears General Store! This attraction is conveniently located right along the Parkway in Pigeon Forge and features a 5,000-square-foot habitat with playful American black bears! The Bear Habitat is not just an attraction but also an educational journey where you’ll learn fascinating facts about bear conservation and the role these animals play in the biodiversity of the Great Smoky Mountains!
5. SkyLand Ranch
When it comes to the attractions in the Smoky Mountains where you can see live animals, be sure to put SkyLand Ranch on your itinerary! This is your chance to meet miniature horses, miniature donkeys, miniature cows, goats, and sheep, and you might even catch a glimpse of the famous Skyland Ranch Longhorns! You also won’t want to miss the Safari Hayride Adventure, a covered wagon ride pulled by John Deere tractors where you can get an up-close and personal look into the life of the ranch animals!
Check out all of our cabins in the Smokies today to stay close to all of these attractions in the Smoky Mountains! We look forward to seeing you soon!
