Rolling downhill in a water-filled ball
Zorbing was invented in New Zealand: you climb inside a transparent inflatable ball, eleven feet tall by the park’s figure, and roll down a grass hill. Outdoor Gravity Park, open in Pigeon Forge since 2015 and family-owned, bills itself as the only zorbing park in the United States. It sits just off the Parkway, behind the giant King Kong, as the park itself puts it.
The version here is a slide, not a tumble. Staff pour water into the inner ball, around ten gallons by the park’s figure, so there’s no strapping in or flipping head over heels: you lie back and slither around the inside while the ball rolls down a hill the park puts at 1,000 feet. The water is cool in summer and warmed up to 90°F in the cooler months, which the park sells with a winter package.
There are three tracks. Red, the most popular, mixes speed with zig-zag turns and takes up to three riders. Purple is the Fast Track, built for speed, also up to three riders. Orange is the extreme zig-zag, solo only, and you must ride another track first.
The reason to go: it’s a genuinely odd, one-of-a-kind laugh, open to kids as young as five, and short enough to slot into a Pigeon Forge day.
How to do it well
Dress to get soaked. Wear a swimsuit or quick-drying clothes, and bring a towel and a full change of clothes. There are changing rooms and restrooms on site, plus towels, shirts and shorts for sale if you forget. Swim goggles help you keep your eyes open. Shoes and belongings go in cubbies before you ride, so there is nothing to lace up.
Buy the right number of rolls. Tickets are sold by the roll: one roll per person for every track they ride, even when three of you share a ball. A family of four doing two tracks needs eight rolls. Non-riders can watch for free. Check how many rolls your ticket includes before you book, including on GetYourGuide.
Book a session and arrive early. Sessions sell out fast in warm months, and the park doesn’t accept late check-ins: arriving late counts as a no-show. Everyone signs a waiver, checks in, then rides a bus to the top of the hill.
Mind the age and size rules. Riders must be at least five; five-year-olds must ride with an adult, and from six they can ride alone. There is no minimum height or weight, but the maximum is 275 lb per rider. With small children, the park suggests seating them on the outside of a shared ball, not in the middle.
Budget for the video. Staff operate a GoPro for each rider for free, but you pay to keep the footage: a single video, extra videos or an unlimited pass for the whole booking. Your video is emailed to you.
The trade-offs
It’s over quickly. Each ride down the hill is short, and the park plans about thirty minutes per track including the bus ride and the wait. One track is a quick stop; all three is roughly an hour and a half.
The cost adds up per person. Because every rider pays for every track, a family trying all three tracks multiplies the bill fast, before videos, merch or food from the on-site food truck.
Rigid booking rules. Buying from the park directly, cancellations more than 24 hours ahead return a credit as a gift card, not a refund; same-day cancellations get nothing, and sold-out sessions can’t be rescheduled. On GetYourGuide, read the cancellation terms on the listing before you pay.
Weather is your problem. The park bills itself as open rain or shine, so a grey day won’t save you a trip, and you’ll be wet either way. We found no storm policy on its site, so call ahead if thunder is in the forecast.
Who should skip it: anyone over the weight limit or with the health conditions the park lists, people prone to motion sickness or uneasy in closed spaces, and travelers after mountain scenery rather than a Parkway novelty.
