Where Wilderness Education and Rescue Meets Family Adventure

In combining a bear and indigenous wildlife rescue, recovery, and re-entry educational experience with exciting indoor and outdoor activities and adventure attractions for all ages, Bear Village Resorts is developing a unique and affordable eco-friendly family resort destination nestled in 49 acres of picturesque Tennessee forestry.

The resort, which will be located in the Smoky Mountains in Pigeon Forge, TN, is designed to be where wilderness education meets family adventure to create lasting memories for its guests. Now more than ever, families are looking for a different kind of resort experience that can deliver a thrilling return to nature in a convenient, climate-controlled environment.

The Tennessee resort’s extensive proposed plans will feature an 80,000 sq. ft. indoor water park, a 60,000 sq. ft. adventure park, a 15,000-gallon freshwater aquarium, a 90,000 sq. ft. family entertainment center, a 20,000 sq. ft. banquet center, 250+ room resort hotel, 250+ unit condo development, 250+ timeshare units, and a state-of-the-art sports bar. The resort facilities will also offer a wide variety of food and beverage outlets including fine dining all with 4-star quality service, nightlife venues, retail outlets, and an educational wildlife experience.

Guests will have the opportunity to explore unlimited fun as they can navigate giant water slides, scale the indoor/outdoor rock climbing and ropes courses, take flight across a 3,000-foot-long Zip Coaster, competition surf with a wave machine, swim the tropical lagoons, or test their mettle on a high-speed indoor Karting track.
“With the distractions of mobile phones and video games these days, children are spending less time in the great outdoors,” said Rick Haynes, CEO of Bear Village Resorts. “So, we have brought the outdoors indoors for them and their families to have exposure to several destinations while having the opportunity to become aware of endangered animal habitats, and the adventures that the outdoors can bring. Pigeon Forge is the perfect location as it is centered in the Smoky Mountains and surrounded by wildlife and the great outdoors. We will bring these all together in a venue that can be used year-round and is located within a day’s drive of multiple states with significant population centers.”

Haynes estimated it will take approximately one year for planning and permitting, and three and a half years for project completion. Completion is slated for early 2028.