A mountain town at the entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, with local craft shops, distilleries, and the Space Needle observation tower rising 407 feet high.
Gatlinburg, a small mountain town in Tennessee with fewer than 4,000 residents, sits at the entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. You can walk across the 680-foot-long SkyBridge suspended 140 feet above the ground, watch potters shape clay vessels in the 8-mile Arts and Crafts Community, or see sharks swim overhead in the 750,000-gallon tank at Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies. The town changes with the seasons – from skiing at Ober Mountain in winter to hiking and black bear spotting in spring and summer.
Getting Around Gatlinburg
You can walk to most places in the compact downtown area. The town's trolley system runs year-round, connecting the downtown area with the Arts and Crafts Community and Ober Mountain. Trolleys run daily with free service to nearby locations, making it convenient when you want to avoid parking.
Weather and Best Times to Visit
Plan your visit between September and mid-October for mild temperatures and smaller crowds. Summer temperatures reach the upper 80s and low 90s with high humidity, while winter stays cool and wet. Fall colors appear in mid-September at higher elevations, reaching their peak from mid-October through mid-November. Rain falls frequently throughout the year, particularly from May through July.
Mountain Activities
Great Smoky Mountains National Park has over 800 miles of trails where you can spot black bears, white-tailed deer, and wild turkeys. In 2021, 14 million people visited the park – more than Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Grand Canyon combined. At Ober Mountain, Tennessee's only ski resort, you can ski on eight trails served by three chair lifts in winter. In warmer months, you can see black bears and river otters in the wildlife encounter area or take the aerial tramway for mountain views.
Downtown Activities
The Gatlinburg SkyLift carries you up 1,800 feet to Crockett Mountain's summit, where the 680-foot-long SkyBridge stretches across the valley. From the 407-foot Space Needle observation tower, you can see the surrounding mountains from all angles. At Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies, you can walk through underwater tunnels in Shark Lagoon or watch penguins play in their habitat.
Arts and Local Culture
In the 8-mile Arts and Crafts Community loop north of town, you can step into working studios to see artists create paintings, pottery, handmade brooms, and jewelry. This community forms one of the largest groups of independent artisans in North America, with many craftspeople using techniques passed down through generations.
Food Scene
Local restaurants emphasize casual dining and breakfast spots. You'll find pancake houses and donut shops open from early morning until mid-afternoon. Several breweries, barbecue joints, and pizza places line the downtown streets. Many kitchens use Appalachian cooking methods and ingredients from nearby farms.
Seasonal Events
Winter brings the Winterfest Celebration, with millions of LED lights decorating downtown streets. The Smoky Mountain Music Festival fills the town with school bands and choirs each spring. The Gatlinburg Regional bridge tournament draws over 3,000 players to the Convention Center. On July 4th, the town starts its Independence Day parade at midnight, making it the first parade in the nation.
