1. Nantahala Gorge Ruby Mine

    1. Nantahala Gorge Ruby Mine

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    Bryson City, NC

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    Nantahala Gorge Ruby Mine

    3.3 (3 reviews)

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    The Wandering Llamas - Chocolate Moose and Giraffybear

    The Wandering Llamas

    4.7(13 reviews)
    68.6 mi

    My wife stumbled across Wandering Llamas while researching things to do during our annual spring…read morebreak adventure. We spent two nights in the fox den treehouse which is located in one of the llama pasture areas. The "treehouse" is a elevated wooden shed like structure that has been refurbished into a pleasant little hideaway in the Smoky's. The treehouse has a nice deck to sit and enjoy the mountain view. There's also a nice swing chair and firepit to enjoy as well. The treehouse has electricity with a small electric heater to take the chill out. The treehouse was very clean and the bed unbelievably comfortable. The treehouse is a one and only. If you are renting here you have the treehouse and llamas all to yourself. The property owner and host (Sandy) lives on the property and is available if you are in need of anything. Sandy is very personable and will spend time sharing of herself with her guests. On the llama walk each person usually gets there own llama to walk with. Sandy accompanies you and can answer any llama related question you may have. The walk is at a very leisurely pace and lasts about two hours. The llamas are easy to walk and well behaved. Contrary to popular opinion of some the llamas did not spit at one another. One thing to be aware of if staying in the treehouse is there is no running water and only a fancy bucket of a toilet in an outhouse under the treehouse. This didn't bother us, but for some that don't care for "roughing it" I could see it as a drawback. (There is a gas station about a mile away that we used the bathroom at. We are members of the YMCA at home. There's a Y a few miles away and with the Y reciprocity program we were able to go there to take a hot shower. The Wandering Llama was an awesome get away experience for us and Sandy is a great host. We appreciate her sharing her llamas.

    A super fun, unique outing if you are spending time in the Smoky Mountains, about a 1.5 hour drive…read morefrom our cabin in Sevierville. We booked the 2-hour wine and cheese tour because it was the only tour that had open spots left (we booked about a week ahead). We skipped the wine and cheese part due to our concerns about COVID (the food is served in their open gazebo, so it's relatively safe - we just prefer taking extra precautions and had already eaten lunch just before we got there), but the llama hike alone was well worth it. The walk, about 1.5 hours total time, is along the gravel road, which is a little hilly, but manageable if you're fit (not so much if you have small kids that don't do a lot of walking). Most of the time was spent relaxing in an open field - very socially distant from the other eight people in our group - where we fed the llamas and took lots of pictures. The llamas are super friendly and so soft! Though Sandy (the owner) provides animal crackers and strawberries for the llamas to enjoy during the middle of the hike, definitely bring your own -- we brought graham crackers and sliced apples to feed them throughout the walk, and the llamas LOVE to eat! Sandy is very friendly and welcoming and took pictures of everyone during the hike, which she emailed to us later. A great highlight of our trip!

    Photos
    The Wandering Llamas - The tree fort at dusk

    The tree fort at dusk

    The Wandering Llamas - Me with Chester

    Me with Chester

    The Wandering Llamas

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    Santa's Land Family Fun Park & Zoo

    Santa's Land Family Fun Park & Zoo

    3.8(38 reviews)
    20.0 mi

    My review is based on the two places I visited at Santa's Land. A stop at Santa's Land on the way…read moreto Cherokee, NC of a family day trip. I've seen the signs for this place, but had never visited. We didn't go to in the park itself, but we did check out the gift shop, and Mrs. Claus's Kitchen. The gift shop was decorated with Christmas trees, and had every kind of ornament that you could imagine. The lady working check out was so friendly, and she told us about the different animals that she sees in her yard. Mrs. Claus's Kitchen was a stop for more fudge. It was a fun visit, Christmas in July.

    This is a roadside zoo. My heart broke as soon as we walked in…read more My parents wanted to take my 2 year old daughter here while we are visiting them from Washington state. Apparently they brought me here as a toddler 30 years ago and thought it would be fun to recreate the memory. I had no idea what it was or I would have never agreed to come here. The animals are kept in small, dirty cages of packed dirt and gravel. No attempt made to recreate their natural habitat or provide any enrichment whatsoever. The two baby bear cubs were the most tragic, following tourists as they walked around their very small circular enclosure, begging for food (that can be purchase from a gum-ball machine and inserted into a chute that goes into the cage.) I asked an employee where the cubs come from. "A man in Missouri leases them to us." I then asked what happens to them when they aren't babies anymore and he takes them back. The employee didn't know. Then I said, "so this guy in Missouri is just breeding bears and then shipping the babies across the country to be rented to places like this?" And she said, verbatim, "yeah, I try not to think about that part." I am glad my two year old will have no memory of this place. If she was older we would be having a long, somber conversation about animal abuse and exploitation for profit. And how any zoo with captive animals should be committed to research, conservation, and betterment of the species. It is crazy to think that in 2023, places like this still exist. Even after multiple citations from the USDA for violations of the Animal Welfare Act. We know better now. We have to do better. To alleviate some of my guilt for unknowingly supporting an establishment like this, I will be making a donation to the Western North Carolina Nature Center. Please take your kids there, not here. **inhumane animal conditions aside, the park is old and rundown. My daughter did enjoy the train ride and some of the old fair-style mechanical rides (carousel, circular cars and boats) and most of the staff were friendly.**

    Photos
    Santa's Land Family Fun Park & Zoo
    Santa's Land Family Fun Park & Zoo
    Santa's Land Family Fun Park & Zoo

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    Dig'n Zone Theme Park - Drive a real pavement roller!

    Dig'n Zone Theme Park

    4.2(25 reviews)
    35.9 mi

    We just had our second trip down there and it was better than the first! A theme park is only as…read moregood as its staff- and the staff at the Decimator and mini-tractors were fantastic! They were so wonderful with my son and the best part of the day! Everyone seemed to take pride in their work, the park was clean, staff was helpful, and seemed to truly enjoy their jobs. The new splash pad is a lifesaver on a hot day. They've added more shade, and it's safe to assume more will be added when we return next year. All bathrooms are single-stall family/accesible which I appreciated a great deal. They're also climate-controlled which helped. I love being able to use construction equipment and try stuff that I can't normally access in my daily life. Yes, it's expensive but utilize Groupon if you want to save money. It's definitely worth the price for us because my kid loves construction equipment and he can safely use it here. To the team: We'll see you next August if not before!

    I heard about this place and was glad I was able to finally visit…read more The location was easy to find. I am not sire if this was normal but there was only about 4 other groups besides ours so there was no wait I had no expectations of this place and I did no research but I was very impressed and had a great time. There were plenty of games and rides on actual machinery. Also, there is a cafe which I didn't attend and a small arcade area We did allow our daughter to visit the splash pad. She had a great time there. There were a lot of air conditioning bathrooms to help kids change into a swimsuit Overall, I am a fan of this place and would return in the future

    Photos
    Dig'n Zone Theme Park - Ride the Decimator!

    Ride the Decimator!

    Dig'n Zone Theme Park - Try your hand at the pipeliner to see if you can place the pipe in the right spots!

    Try your hand at the pipeliner to see if you can place the pipe in the right spots!

    Dig'n Zone Theme Park - Enjoy the Dig'n Zone Gem mine!

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    Enjoy the Dig'n Zone Gem mine!

    Nantahala Gorge Ruby Mine - kids_activities - Updated September 2026

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