Dolly’s Smoky Mountain waterpark announces the all-new Big Bear Plunge

Dollywood’s Splash Country guests can take the plunge—the Big Bear Plunge—when the water park introduces its new $1.4 million attraction in June 2004. Big Bear Plunge, a white water rafting experience, takes passengers on a 548-foot-long ride through dark caverns with winding bends and steep drops reminiscent of challenging river expeditions. Dolly said,

“With our Big Bear Plunge, we’ve brought all of the thrills and excitement of white water rafting right here to Dollywood’s Splash Country. It’s a great way for families to enjoy one of the most fun outdoor adventures we have to offer here in the Great Smoky Mountains.”

Passengers will take in the scenery as open 10-foot-wide channel sections send the rafts downriver through the tree tops before plunging into total darkness in a nine-foot-diameter tunnel. Accompanied only by the sounds of gushing water and echoing screams, the rafts are then dropped into a 12-foot-diameter tunnel before they are propelled upward around a seemingly never-ending sweeping curve before crashing through a wall of fog. Finally, the rafts reemerge into daylight where they unexpectedly plunge down multi-bump cliff drops before splashing into the pool at the ride’s conclusion.