Feel the Need for Speed? Get Your Thrill (Safely)!
Lucky for you, the Smoky Mountains offers a ton of kart racing venues in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. Read on to find the best fit for your family, considering rates, car types, and venue options (both indoor and outdoor).
Kart racing is the ultimate family activity. On the track, adults feel like kids and kids feel like adults as the whole family drives go-karts, bumper cars, scooters, or other fun vehicles, racing and bumping each other like it’s NASCAR.
Gatlinburg has it all – except go-karts. Pigeon Forge is the hotspot for go-karts, with many venues located between Lights #5 and #7. There’s something for every taste and budget, and several venues offer more than just go-kart racing, including bumper cars and boats, arcades, mini-golf, and thrill rides.
Xtreme Racing Center and Arcade in Pigeon Forge is a prime spot for family karting without breaking the bank, featuring two of Tennessee’s longest outdoor concrete road courses and an arcade for the kids. Rates range from $11 to $30 for single to combo races, with top-notch Sodi GT-5 and RT-8 karts that reach speeds of 30 MPH and 40 MPH, respectively.
image courtesy of Xtreme Racing Center
If the weather isn’t cooperating and your family wants to have fun, look no further: the Blake Jones Racing Center offers plenty of amusement. The only indoor kart racing venue in the Smoky Mountains, this Pigeon Forge spot features a covered figure 8 slick track, an indoor oval drift track, and spin zone bumper cars. Their electric go-karts are silent, eco-friendly, and offer various speed settings for both rookies and experienced drivers.
Prices range from $10 to $26, with rules stating that single car drivers must be 10 years old and 56″ tall. Double car drivers must be 16 years old, with their passengers at least 36″ tall. Have younger kids? This venue has spin zone bumper cars for children 5 years old and up.
If you’re looking for a good package deal, try the one-day Parkhopper Pass that gives you 5 different activities at these 3 go-kart and amusement locations:
You can buy the pass at any of the three venues. For $30, you get access to all three go-kart venues, with multiple tracks, two laser tag arenas, two modern arcades, and one 18-hole indoor black light golf course. Safety rules on the kart racing courses are similar to those mentioned above.
If you want to add even more options for your family, try The Track, an all-in-one family recreation center. The Track offers hours of fun with go-karts, mini-golf, bumper cars, blaster boats, kids’ rides, arcade games, and adrenaline rides. The go-karts race around a three-tiered wooden track in either a single or double-seated kart. The Gator Golf mini-golf course winds through dark tunnels, jungle habitats, and beautiful waterfalls. Just watch out for the gators!
Next, smash into your friends and family in the bumper cars, or douse them with a water cannon in the blaster boats for a unique ride. For younger family members, Kids Country offers the Rio Grande Train, the Carousel, the Red Baron ride, Spin Tops, Swings, a ferris wheel, and the Noah’s Lark swinging boat. A fun day that will keep the little ones very happy!
For those seeking more action, The Track offers thrill rides like bungee jumping and skyflying (simulating the thrill of skydiving), as well as arcade games and Skee-Ball.
Top Go Kart Racing Centers
Xtreme Racing Center – Pigeon Forge Go Karts
3144 Parkway
Pigeon Forge, TN 37863
Web Site: xtremeracingcenterpigeonforge.com
Tel: 877-920-6294
Open 7 Days a Week
Prices: Xtreme Track:
GT-5 single run: $19.99
GT-5 & RT-8 combo race: $29.99 + tax
Elevated Track:
Single kart: $10.99 + tax
Double kart: $12.99 + tax
Blake Jones Racing Center
2891 Parkway
Pigeon Forge, TN 37863
9 AM to 9 PM Most Days of the Week
Web Site: blakejonesracingcenter.com
Tel: 865-774-5998
Prices:
Single GoCarts: 1 Race: $10 / 3 Races: $20
Double GoCarts: 1 Race: $12 / 3 Races: $26
Bumper GoCarts: 1 Ride: $10 / 3 Rides: $20
Speed Zone Fun Park
3315 South River Road
Pigeon Forge, TN 37863
Web Site: familyfunatspeedzoneinpigeonforge.com/
Tel: 865-908-7255
10 AM to 10 PM Most Days of the Week
Parkhopper Pass for Kart Racing and More: $30
The Track Family Recreation Center
2575 Parkway
Pigeon Forge, TN 37863
Web site: pigeonforgetrack.com
Tel: 865-453-4777
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