Date: September 23, 2008
Contact: Nancy Gray, (865) 436-1208
The Sugarlands Riding Stables in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, just inside the park’s Gatlinburg, Tenn. entrance, has reopened with a new wood and steel frame barn for housing horses. Hours of operation are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through the Thanksgiving Holiday weekend. The cost of a one-hour guided horseback ride is $25, plus tax.
The stable has been closed to allow construction of a new horse barn, a requirement under a new concession contract issued to Smoky Mountain Stables, Inc., owner Kenny Kear, that was effective December 1, 2007. "The barn is about 95 percent complete, with only a small amount of interior and exterior work remaining to be completed. About 25 horses are now available for public use out of the 48 horses this concessioner may use when the stable is fully operational. This barn is the first new horse barn built to support the park’s horseback riding concessions since the park began offering this service in the 1960s," said Concessions Management Specialist Joel Ossoff.
"We are pleased to see this much-needed facility nearing completion, allowing this concessioner to begin providing services at this location. A lot of thought went into designing an attractive barn that is functional and efficient for the concessioner and provides a safe and healthy environment for horses," Ossoff continued. While the concession is closed between the 2008 and 2009 seasons, the concessioner will also construct a new hay storage shed, office building, and manure pad, which are the other new facilities required by the concession contract.
In other news related to park horseback riding stables, another stable is now offering a new service for the first time. The wagon rides were authorized by a new concession contract awarded earlier this year. "Although carriage rides are offered at Cades Cove Riding Stables and are very popular at that location, wagon rides are only available at Smokemont," said Ossoff. "This new service will provide visitors with a chance to experience this historic mode of horse-drawn transportation on the historic route of the Oconaluftee Turnpike, one of the earliest routes through the mountains," Ossoff continued. The wagon can accommodate between 4-6 passengers and the fee for the one-half hour ride is $8 per person.
