Dollywood's Splash Country is a 35-acre (14 ha) water park located in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, adjacent to the Dollywood theme park. The park's central theme rests around entertainer Dolly Parton's childhood swimming in the rivers of the Great Smoky Mountains. Dollywood's Splash Country operates from May through September.[2]
Opened in May 2001 in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, Dolly's Splash Country is an addition to the Dollywood Company's theme park. The park is built into the natural terrain of a 25-acre mountainous area adjacent to the main Dollywood theme park. The park was a $20 million investment ($34.4 million in 2023 dollars[3]) by the Dollywood Company.
To decide on a name for the park, Dolly Parton held a contest to come up with the most original name. Parton received over 16,000 entries. John Torres' entry won, and he and his family were rewarded with five years' worth of seasonal passes and a canoe that was signed by Dolly Parton.
The park opened with attractions such as the Mountain Waves wave pool, Raging River Rapids, the Downbound Float Trip lazy river, the Butterfly, Little Creek Falls, Wild River Falls, and Mountain Scream.
In 2003, a $1.5 million ($2.48 million in 2023 dollars[3]), 2-acre (8,100 m2) expansion called Raintree Hollow opened featuring Soaker Springs and Mountain Twist.
In 2004, Dolly's Splash Country changed its name to Dollywood's Splash Country. That same year, Dollywood's Splash Country added Big Bear Plunge and debuted the Riverside Retreats.
The former logo was used until 2016.
In 2005, the park opened Bear Mountain Fire Tower, a multi-level play structure, and quick-service restaurant Brushfire Grill.
In 2006, Dollywood's Splash Country added an attraction consisting of twin-speed slides called Fire Tower Falls. This attraction opened up a new path to the Mountain Waves attraction.
In 2010, Dollywood's Splash Country added Slick Rock Racer, a four-lane mat slide, spanning 300 ft (91 m) in length. The ride starts with an initial dip to build speed allowing riders to gain additional momentum to propel them to the finish. This ride was a $1 million expansion located between Mountain Twist and Raging River Rapids.
In 2013, Dollywood's Splash Country opened River Rush. River Rush uses ProSlide Technology's hydromagnetic technology to propel the rafts up hills. Dollywood's Splash Country also introduced the Timesaver H2O pass allowing guests to reserve their place in an attraction line.[4] Dollywood's Splash Country logo received minor updates.
In 2017, a new attraction called Tailspin Racer was opened at the entrance to the park. Wild River Falls saw a major facelift, including new paint on the slides' exteriors.[5]
