Tennessee's Great Smoky Mountains region enjoys a long-standing reputation as a family haven, a prime spot for camping, hiking, and other outdoor adventures. And now thanks to the new Wilderness at the Smokies resort in Sevierville, about 30 minutes from Gatlinburg at the "gateway to the Smokies," there's plenty to do when the weather's not so great, too.

The resort houses two lodges: Stone Hill Lodge, which is connected to an outdoor water park only, and River Lodge, which connects

Tennessee's Great Smoky Mountains region enjoys a long-standing reputation as a family haven, a prime spot for camping, hiking, and other outdoor adventures. And now thanks to the new Wilderness at the Smokies resort in Sevierville, about 30 minutes from Gatlinburg at the "gateway to the Smokies," there's plenty to do when the weather's not so great, too.

The resort houses two lodges: Stone Hill Lodge, which is connected to an outdoor water park only, and River Lodge, which connects to both the indoor and outdoor water parks and offers 400 guestrooms and suites. Water-park admission is included for hotel guests.

Two outdoor water parks, Salamander Springs and Lake Wilderness, are open during warmer months, while the resort's indoor water park, Wild WaterDome, is open year-round. Wild WaterDome offers a number of less-standard features in addition to the usual water-park attractions; if guests are disappointed to learn that there are only two tube slides, they'll quickly get over it when they see the 10,000-square-foot wave pool, raft thrill ride that allows up to four people to ride together, and surf simulator. There's plenty to do for little ones, too, including bounce swings and a two-story water playground. A separate area for babies and toddlers is gated and set apart from the rest of the park for extra peace of mind. Bring sunscreen: a special roof allows the sun's rays to come through to the inside of the park for those looking for a tan.

Rooms at the Stone Hill Lodge vary from a standard double up to a king executive suite with room for eight. The Stone Hill Lodge is in a separate building from Wild WaterDome, but the resort provides a shuttle between the lodge and water park. The newer River Lodge property offers rooms and suites sleeping up to 15 people, as well as features like full kitchens with updated appliances, fireplaces, and separate living and dining areas. Both properties offer handicap-accessible rooms.

The Wilderness Lodge offers five different dining options including a snack stand, café and deli, as well as two casual sit-down restaurants, the Hidden Trail and the Thirsty Miner, where kids 11 and under get a free breakfast or dinner buffet with the purchase of an adult's meal. Still, meal prices are high and the food is just okay, so you may want to heat out to one of the local restaurants for dinner or opt for a suite with a refrigerator for keeping your own food on hand.