Our stay couldn't have been better. It was peaceful and serene, and exactly as described. My 7YO…read moreand I loved hiking the property and feeding the animals in the morning. The owner Janice was so kind and patient with my kiddo - we'll definitely be back! The location was close to everything, yet felt like a million miles away. Great value, and very quiet.

The horses seemed tired. I was watching the first group leave as we got there. As they were…read morewalking, I seen the horses "knees" shake and looked painful for them to walk. My horse seemed to have something wrong with its mouth. When we mounted, my horse was chewing on the bridle angrily. The guide instructed me not to pull on the reigns, but my horse kept getting to close to my daughters horse in front of me and making my daughters horse kick mine. I had no choice but to pull on the reigns a bit. The guide did say they have days off. But from what I've seen, they seemed tired and in pain. Their manes were full of tangles and burs. The trail was beautiful.

I had wonderful 1st timer zipline experience! The instructors Gabe, Riley and Kyle are all…read morewonderful fellas! They thought me how to be a like web slinging maniac and flip off the platform like I was in the circus. Lol!! Thank you for showing me how to not just ride down the zip line but how to have a blast while cruising down the lines!! David G

This was a disappointing experience. Everything looks very run down. The staff that we interacted…read morewith was friendly but I wouldn't not recommend spending on this when there are so many other experiences.

My daughter's and I had a great time.. the horses are very gentle. The fresh air and no phones in…read moreour faces was the best part. I grew up with horses and to enjoy a little bit of quiet time with my girls was the best.

Tiffany and her team do an amazing job. I learned during my visit that she has taken in resuce…read moreanimals, some in very poor health, and through many months of care nursed these gentle beasts back to their rightful majesty. Go check them out and show them love.

Absolute class, great food surrounded by people who care. We had the steak, it was cooked to…read moreperfection. Magical place and cannot wait to go back.

Loved our stay here. Recently underwent renovations and joined the luxury chain Relais and Chateau…read more We stayed in the Haywood cabin which was perfect for our group of 5. Two king bedrooms with en suite bathrooms, porches, living area with pull out couch, and fireplace. Modern decor and comfy touches throughout like the heated floors in the bathroom. We also had an amazing view of the mountains. We had the pleasure of trying all the menus at Switchback Restaurant - breakfast, brunch, and dinner. Food was local and tasty. Vibe was lodge chic. Took advantage of the hiking trails as well. Did the Salamander Falls and Meadow trails. Great scenery and went right past the pasture with horses, which were so sweet. Most importantly, the staff were all incredible. Everyone was pleasant and accommodating. They made it so easy to communicate requests both before and during our stay. Thanks for a great time!

My wife and I have been together for 24 years. In that time we've gone horseback riding 3 times,…read moretwo of which have been here in Pigeon Forge. Our most recent excursion @ Goldrush Stables and the other @ Big Rock Dude Ranch. Naturally, I can't help making comparisons between the two. Simply put, after this experience we've come to the conclusion we really don't like riding horses, even though we love them! It's just not for us, but we are so glad for all the opportunities. . [ THE RIDE ] We arrived 15 minutes early as requested by the stables to sign waivers and prep for the ride. Our trail guides were saddling several horses as we watched from outside the fence. Once ready, we were summoned to the mounting platform, which makes it much easier for beginners like us. Because COVID-19 has given me a little extra girth, I was given one of the larger horses named Blondie, while my wife rode Fanny. It was Blondie's first ride in weeks (they tend to rest their horses for long periods), so she proved to be rather eager on the trail. Fanny, as my wife soon discovered, doesn't like to get her feet wet. Once all the riders were mounted & instructed, we walked across a wooden bridge to a field and began our ride. Normally the ride would begin by walking the horses through the creek, but rain from the night before had water levels up, so we bypassed it via the bridge. We also bypassed another creek walk further down the trail, which was disappointing since it was one of the main reasons we chose this stable over Big Rock. It was one of the best selling points. We then arrived at a smaller, more narrow creek crossing that both Blondie and Fanny decided to jump, startling both me & my wife. Immediately after the creek the terrain goes uphill, which my horse decided to run. She headed straight into some low-lying branches, almost knocking me off. Her eagerness caused her to not listen very well when pulling back on her reigns and my inexperience handling her didn't help. My wife's horse ran her knee into a tree just after jumping the small creek, so clearly we were having a few issues! LOL Our guides yelled out after my wife's accident "steer your horses", but even after 3-minutes of instruction it's hard to do that properly when the horse seems to have other plans. At this point the trail follows a path into the woods and up and down a fairly good-sized hill. On a dry day I think this would have been a very pleasant ride, but because the trail was muddy, my particular horse kept sliding... BADLY, like something you'd see in a cartoon! It was very nerve racking and made it difficult to relax and enjoy the experience. In truth, I felt sorry for my horse. She was seriously soaked in sweat by mid ride and seemed to walk under every low branch along the way! I believe she was intentionally trying to get me off her back, fo'realz... hahaha! Poor thing. My wife remained frazzled most of the ride as she wrestled with her own fears of not feeling in control. At midpoint the trail loops back into itself and we follow the same path back to the beginning. . [ THE VERDICT ] We learned something about ourselves that I suppose we've always known. Some of the experiences we've had were greatly enhanced because of the joy we felt showing our children how to live life. We did so many things in the name of giving them great memories and now we must reprogram to pursue our own like as a couple, not just as parents. We thought we would enjoy the more open fields & smaller slopes @ Goldrush versus the mountainous trail @ Big Rock, and probably would have if not for the muddy conditions. That being said, the ride time was far shorter and there is little else to do here. Overall we felt like Big Rock was the better value. So why 4 stars you ask? Well, for one I believe most of our dislikes for this ride were either OPERATOR ERROR or just conditions that couldn't be helped. It's just the luck of the draw when dealing with nature. Secondly, I think despite the shortness of the trail, it is perfect for beginners and families with children old enough to ride on their own. [ NOTE TO OWNERS ] I would like to suggest regularly trimming low lying branches along the trail, adding colorful signage reminding riders to watch their knees in at least TWO critical areas and/or add a guide rail to deter the horses from walking so close. Most of us city folk just don't know how to handle a horse!!! Also, since the trail is short and most people these days love photo opportunities, why not build a second mounting/dismounting platform at the top of the hill where riders can have a chance to pause & take pics on or beside their horses. I personally think this would go a long way in improving the experience. TIP WHEN PLANNING A VISIT: Currently they do not allow doubles, so smaller children or kids fearful of riding alone cannot ride (unlike Big Rock which allows small children to ride with parents). ENJOY 2020 / 71

This place was great! We wanted to do something different in this vacation and horse back riding…read morewas something we never have done before! It was cool to get to go up hills and see the beautiful views from riding the horses! I rode rebel and he was great! He wanted to lead the whole time but we stayed in the second spot. Highly recommend trying this place out!

The 3 mile trail ride at Ponderosa was absolutely gorgeous! We had riders from age 50-15 and all…read morehad an amazing time. The ride was about an hour long and took us through beautiful greenery. The price beats many other facilities and includes more experiences. The facility is extremely clean and put together with many activities like fishing and the petting zoo to do outside of horse riding. The horses are very well taken care of with calm temperaments and know the trails well. The employees are all very kind and helpful, our personal favorite, our guide, Dale. I was the first rider behind Dale and I loved listening to his interesting stories, as-well as his funny commentary and helpful advice for comfort on our ride. You can tell that all employees care not only for the business but the horses, customers, and wildlife. 10/10 experience!!!

Amazing experience, thank you to our guide Dale for the great and relaxing experience. The horses…read moreare full of personality and you can see how this place cares and love their horses, mine was Nebraska twin of Colorado. I would totally come back to this place for more rides.

This was my first time riding an alpine coaster and it was such a fun time! It was $19/adult and we…read morewent around 9pm with no wait time. The mountain coaster is a must!!

As a content creator here in Gatlinburg i tell all of my subscribers to visit Skyland Ranch, and…read morelast night they had a fire but thank God the animal are ok! So please swing by and support them when they're ready to open again.

Tough meat. Spent a couple hundred bucks on different cuts of meat and I was very surprised at how…read morebad it was. Even the filet was chewy and tough. Ended up feed it to my dogs. I bought with the best intentions of supporting a local but this is not it. They're from California and it shows.

I reached out to the owner to inquire about bones for broth. We have a mutual friend who is on a…read moreliquid diet due to surgery. When I explained who the bones were for, he generously donated a very big box of high-quality bones to assist in our friend's recovery. The broth was the tastiest I've ever made-super velvety and rich. I've never shopped Walnut Hollow but I will be sure to make it a regular habit in the future. Very happy to know that this business and it's kind proprietor are in my community.

Rarely post a review, yet rely on yelp 99% of the time when I travel for work or leisure. Local…read moreGoat didn't disappoint. I think I'm a foodie given the countless years of dining out for work and pleasure. The food at Local Goat is phenomenal. If you're in question what to order just sit at the bar and let Katie choose for you and Megan take care of you. I went back a second night in a row to experience their exceptional service and company, although minus one the next night (her name escapes me). Just go to learn more of the inside joke. Cheers to them both and Local Goat! Thank you!

My husband and I went here twice during our vacation…read more He has a strict dairy allergy, so we appreciated how accommodating they were. Everything is made from scratch and they let us know what could be and couldn't be dairy free. The food taste great too! We tried two burgers and wings, all were delicious and filling. Service and Atmosphere was nice, overall, as well. Our first server was mostly attentive but did seem to forget our waters for awhile. However, that's the only complaint we had. One thing to note is that the parking lot is steep and tight, but we didn't have any issues finding a spot.

We had an absolute blast! My friends and I, from Florida, took a vacation and stayed in the loft…read morecabin on the property. The cabin was nice, clean and comfortable. The staff was so kind and such a delight! We did the gold panning, gem mining, wagon ride, and paintball gallery. The bathrooms were kept super clean. We will definitely be coming back on our next girls trip!

Ok, so this place is everything you want to find in the middle of nowhere:) My children, ages 4-12,…read moreall had fun. The staff was sweet and patient even when my littles were rambunctious in the office. We did all the activities except the mini car track(cars not working) and the bounce house. The bounce house had a snake in it which one of the staff removed BY HAND! My children thought this lady was a super hero, lol! It was pretty badass. If you are near Murphy and you have kids, don't skip this place. It seems like one of those places that should be around forever.