America's Only Zorbing Park Is A Thrilling, Gravity-Defying Adventure For All Ages In Tennessee

Rolling downhill with reckless abandon dates at least as far back as Cooper's Hill Cheese Rolling, an event held in Gloucester, England, every year since 1826, where the festival's attendees chase a wheel of cheese to the bottom of a steep incline. Yet, people have probably been rolling down grassy knolls as a whimsical pastime since there were knolls. There's something to be said for hurling oneself down a steep incline as a blur of grass and sky whizzes around and around until you reach the bottom, likely breathless, dizzy, and exhilarated.

Those who have partaken in the wonderful gravity-defying tumble also know that its major caveat is the risk of injury, and that's why zorbing is such an ingenious way (especially for adults) to avoid that risk and still get to experience the freeing adventure. While zorbing was invented in the 1990s in New Zealand, Outdoor Gravity Park in Tennessee has brought the thrilling excursion to America, where visitors ages 5 and older can enter a giant 11-foot inflatable ball that bounces and rolls to the bottom of a 1,000-foot hill while you are suspended inside in complete safety. As an added perk, the park's home is in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains, home to unbelievably pretty locales like Dandridge, a relaxing and picturesque laketown.

Pigeon Forge is filled with family-friendly excursions like Dollywood Theme Park, but Outdoor Gravity Park isn't your typical theme-park adventure. Unlike typical zorbing where you tumble in circles in a dry, airtight ball, the balls at Outdoor Gravity Park are filled with 10 gallons of water that splash around as you descend, making the ride down akin to careening down a waterslide.  There are also three different tracks you can choose from at the park, each presenting a unique thrill. The RED course is a fast track accommodating up to three people that zigzags as the hydrozorb descends a speedy drop. Adding people increases the excitement as the more riders there are, the faster the ball goes, and the more jostling there is. 

The PURPLE track is a straight shot that can reach up to a gripping 25 miles per hour and can also be joined by up to three people. What's more, the OGP Challenge dares you to run the whole way down inside the ball, and if you can make it to the end of the track without falling, you'll win a T-shirt and a free roll. For additional accolades, try to break the world record that's currently being held by Irish national James Duggan, at 100 meters in 23.21 seconds.

The ORANGE track is a single-rider, 1,000-foot track where riders can go up to 18 miles per hour. For $10 in May and September, the track is used for a diverting race/chase where you and your friends are given a head start before a runner in the 11-foot ball is sent after you. Think Indiana Jones in "Raiders of the Lost Ark" running for his life, as a giant boulder crashes down behind him.

Walk-in tickets are $27 per person, per roll, or $25 if booked online. The rates still apply even if you are sharing a ball. There is a discount for Sevier County residents with an ID who call ahead to book their tickets. Changing rooms and restrooms are available onsite and, as the adventure is likely to leave you soaking wet, you'll probably need them.

You are welcome to bring a towel, but you can also buy T-shirts, towels, and shorts on the premises, which could be a great way of proving your triumphs at zorbing. A video of you and your crew taking life's pleasure can be bought for $15 and additional videos are $5. If you're a recording junkie, then you may want to consider the unlimited video pass for $50, which includes all of the videos of you while adventuring at the park.

Outdoor Gravity Park is located in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, a 25-minute drive north of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, one of the most breathtaking national parks on the East Coast, and a 5-minute drive from Rowdy Bear's Smoky Mountain Snowpark, another excellent outdoor adventure park in the region.