Mark Williford (right), President of SkyLand Ranch, gave me a chance to ride WagonWheeler, the tallest rotating swing tower in Tennessee.
I am not all that adventuresome and not a huge fan of heights. However, when Amanda Marr, Director of Marketing & Communications for the Sevierville Convention and Visitors Bureau, arranged for me to have a chance to ride WagonWheeler at Skyland Ranch on Thursday I was not about to say no.
I knew it was the tallest rotating swing tower in Tennessee and would be an experience unlike anything I had ever done before.
Marr “volunteered” to take videos and photos while I rode the ride with her assistant, Luke. We took the scenic chair lift to the top of the mountain to reach SkyLand, which has numerous activities and unbelievable views of the Smoky Mountains.
I had read you would be about 300 feet about the Parkway when you were on the new attraction that was inspired by the tale of Big Jack Wheeler— he braved a wild mountain whirlwind in his Conestoga wagon.
Luke and I were not exactly sure what to expect when we were told that before us only Skyland employees had been on the ride. We were also told because of the rainy, slightly windy weather that the ride would only operate about half speed.
Still, I wasn’t going to back down and I am glad I didn’t. The ride was terrific and actually very relaxing — or at least it was at half speed. We enjoyed it so much that after the ride ended, we quickly said yes to an offer to do it again.
Mark Williford, President of SkyLand Ranch, was there to greet us and explain everything about the ride. He said the idea was to combine a thrill to give guests an adrenaline rush while enjoying views unlike any other.
“We pride ourselves on having something for everyone at SkyLand and this is just one more thing to offer our guests,” he said.
The ride is part of the general admission price and what you have to really like is that you can ride it twice not only on the day you purchase the ticket but can also come back the next two days for no additional charge.
For more information on SkyLand Ranch click here.
And make sure to pay attention to the new Chuckwagon Breakfast At The Ranch. It’s held each Saturday and has a great breakfast menu to enjoy to go with the cowboy specialty acts and country tunes.
SkyLand Ranch
Photos by Larry Vaught
