Dollywood Announces NightFlight Expedition, New Coaster and Water Ride for 2026
Dollywood has announced that NightFlight Expedition will debut at the park in 2026 in the Wildwood Grove area. The new attraction will be housed inside a 44,000 square foot building and combine elements of an indoor family hybrid roller coaster with a whitewater river raft ride.
“I’m just so proud that Dollywood has grown so much in its first 40 years that we’re able to add a ride like NightFlight Expedition,” Dolly Parton said about the attraction. “I have no doubt it’s going to be a huge part of Dollywood’s next 40 years. We’re always trying to take the natural beauty of the Smokies and make it part of everything we’re doing in the park, and they’ve definitely been able to do it with this ride.”
“A lot of people ask me about my favorite season in the Smokies, but no one ever asks me what my favorite time of day is. Our new ride sends you out into the mountains at night, which is the time that I think they really come to life! Obviously, Great Smoky Mountains National Park is known for the synchronous lightning bugs, but I also love to just sit and listen to the owls calling or the frogs croaking, and I love to see the stars sparkling like rhinestones up in the big old sky. It’s pure mountain magic.”
NightFlight Expedition concept art (Dollywood)
Wildwood Grove map with NightFlight Expedition (Dollywood)
What We Know About NightFlight Expedition
NightFlight Expedition will take riders on a 5.5-minute journey through the Smoky Mountains with four unique features:
A nighttime flight over the scenic Smokies
A thrilling whitewater rafting excursion through more than 500,000 gallons of surging water
A roller coaster ride traversing a mountain ridge
A boat ride through a mysterious, shimmering lake
Herschend Creative Studios has partnered with Mack Rides to build the attraction, which will feature custom-designed amphibious ride vehicles, vivid multimedia projections, dynamic onboard and offboard audio, and special lighting effects. The attraction is being advertised as the world’s first indoor family hybrid coaster and whitewater river raft ride.
For the latest updates and park tickets, visit Dollywood’s website.
