next to heaven adventure

My kids and I did both the ziplines and the horse ride. We had a blast. Skittish kiddos? me too! But the staff knew exactly how to be encouraging and patient, and the end result was nothing sort of a courageous waypoint in my kids' lives. It is pricier than I anticipated, but any worry about the cost evaporated when we were zipping along the treetops and when my kids found their courage and a truckload of self esteem. THIS. PLACE. IS. AMAZING. Wonderful people. Can't say enough about the time we had!

We did the unguided horseback ride and absolutely loved it. Beautiful views. The horses are amazing. We also zip lined for the first time and LOVED it also. Staff was so sweet! Definitely recommend Next to Heaven..We will be back!

These are the most behaved horses you will ever ride and the view is priceless! Usually when you pay to ride horses it's around $50-$70 and definitely not very long, but here it's only $31 and about an hour long. You can't beat that! The Christian quotes throughout the trail are awesome too! Best place to ride! Extremely kind staff and the most amazing horses and it feels like your next to Heaven.

Absolutely loved this place! Definitely recommend it! Horses were calm and very well behaved, scenery was excellent, and price was reasonable. Overall, totally awesome!

Wonderful time !!! The owners were very kind and helpful . We took our children and grandchildren and everyone said it was the highlight of our trip !!! We will visit again !!

Best horseback riding in the smokies. We've been to several but none compare to this self guided view of the smokies. Definitely next to heaven.

This was one of the best things that we did while on our trip! I was nervous about a self-guided trail ride with horses since it has been a very long time since I've ridden. The horses have their own personalities so be mindful of that but they do know where they are going. The lead horse sets the pace. We are thrill seekers and love to live on the edge. Even so, it was a bit freaky having our horses walk on the very edge of the mountain trails.Amazing views and breathtaking. I particularly enjoyed the scripture references along the trail. It reminded me of God's amazing love and craftsmanship of the majestic Smoky Mountains. This will become a tradition with our family everytime we come back down to the Smokies. They also offer mountain Ziplining. This is on our "to do" list for next time. We paid $30 per person (taxes included) for a one hour self guided trail ride.

We LOVED the fact that was self-guided. The trails were very senic; forrests, streams and mountains. Also, the view was amazing. I would not recommend this for families with children under 10.

This is an unguided trail which was nice. It had a hills which left no opportunity to cantor. The views were worth it though.

Wonderful Owners, Very Friendly! We just wanted to take a few pics of our Granddaughter on a pony, and the owner put her on his pony and even walked her around on him! We tried to pay him and he wouldn't hear of it. A GREAT PLACE TO TAKE YOUR FAMILY HORSEBACK RIDING!

Well, I must admit my husband did this because we happened to pass by going a back way to Cades Cove. Well, I didn't know my hubby really wanted to go horseback riding!! I was nervous , but the wife (owner) gave us a lesson and sent us on our way. I was nervous, but I think it was their son, quoted scripture to me and instantly the fear went away, It was awesome!! The horses were so sweet and smart. My horse, Bailey, was laid back but very wise he knew when to follow and when to lay back!! I thank the owners for this experience. I recommend Next to heaven for a heavenly experience!!

The ride was amazing and oh so beautiful! We went on a self guided tour, riding Appy and Booker. It couldn't have been any more perfect. The staff was nice and informative and the horses were easy to ride and really well behaved. I have years of riding experience and still had a blast :) my husband, on the other hand, doesn't ride, guess what, he had a blast too. Being from MI, we don't get to ride through the mountains and I wouldn't change this experience for anything. Thanks fellas for the perfect honeymoon horseback ride. ( I'm sorry I didn't catch your names so I hope you know who you are) oh, and I forgot to mention it is easy to find, not too far from Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg and they also cater to the "big and tall" folks, my husband is one of them, for a reasonable additional charge.

Not only were the horses and owners friendly and fun but it was great scenery and a wonderful experience. My son was very nervous but came back from the experience very happy and ready to go again. The owners made him feel comfortable and he loved it. It's where we will ride and zip everytime we visit the Smokies.

I would have given a zero rating if possible, instead of a one. I was part of a group of girlfriends that came from across the US to have a girls weekend in Wears Valley. We all met because of horses, are all avid riders, and a couple of us train and instruct as well. Since some of us were traveling a long distance for just a few days, we opted out of bringing our own horses and instead searched for a place that provided unguided rides. We made reservation with Next to Heaven a MONTH in advance, and we were assured that Monday was the best day for us to ride, as there would be plenty of fresh horses to pick from, as opposed to the weekend when things are busier. We were only staying Fri-Tues, so we scheduled for that Monday, and made sure they had a cell number so that we could be reached. When we showed up for our ride, they were closed. We received no phone call, no cancellation, nothing. There was simply a handwritten note on the door saying they would be open again on Tues, which of course was the day we were all leaving. If we had been given notice, we easily could have switched to another day, we planned on that Monday because THEY recommended it. We called the number on the door, no answer. Which left us scrambling trying to find another stable at short notice. We ended up at Smoky Mountain Riding Stables instead, and had a very nice ride in the park. Next to Heaven either didn't bother to write our reservation down, or didn't care to have our business, so I will be telling everyone I know to avoid them at all cost.

We had a little extra time and couldn't decide if we wanted to spend it at dollywood or horseback riding. Horseback riding here was more exciting than any dollywood ride! We made a good decision!