Gatlinburg

Sitting at the edge of the Smoky Mountains, Gatlinburg and its neighbors Pigeon Forge and Sevierville form the busiest tourism hub in eastern Tennessee. The area is popular with vacationing families, and its many wedding chapels also draw couples. The towns owe their existence, in part, to the steady flow of visitors heading to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The park puts the focus on nature, but the gateway towns are much more about man-made attractions such as water parks, shrines to country-music performers, miniature-golf courses and music theaters. They're the type of high-volume travel destinations people either love or hate. You'll need a high tolerance for commercialization to enjoy them, but the attractions can be fun and the setting is beautiful. In Gatlinburg, the highest-profile attraction is the Ober Gatlinburg Ski Resort and Amusement Park. It sits high on Mount Harrison, and the preferred way of getting there is aboard the aerial tram that runs from downtown Gatlinburg. Winterfest is when Gatlinburg truly glitters, with 2 million lights illuminating the town. Spring's wildflower pilgrimage showcases the area's natural beauty. Other activities include skiing in winter, amusement-park rides and a bear habitat in the warmer months, and shopping year-round.

Gatlinburg Travels & Tours

Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies Home to over 8,000 fish, this $50 million salt water aquarium contains 1.3 million gallons of water and features a wide variety of exotic creatures such as giant sharks, stingrays, eels, sea turtles, and octopus. They also feature the longest underwater tunnel in the world. Rafting in the Smokies An adventure for everyone is available with this guide company that offers guided and unguided rafting trips, tubing trips, and boat rentals. No experience is necessary and several trips are available daily on the Ococee, Nantahala, and Big Pigeon Rivers. Gatlinburg Sky Lift For over 40 years families have been riding this double chairlift to the top of Crockett Mountain for unforgettable views of the Smokies. Open year round, this lift glides over the Little Pigeon River then climbs to an elevation of 1,800 feet. Mysterious Mansion of Gatlinburg The scariest and most exciting attraction in Gatlinburg, you'll experience the terror and horror of a classic, turn-of-the-century haunted house at this venue that features spooks, goblins, secret passageways, and a damp, dark dungeon. Hauntings - A Live Ghost Show The only scary theatre show in the area, this unique theatre features a live, sit down theatre production that features creepy lights and object moving about mysteriously. Great Smoky Mountains National Park An International Biosphere Reserve and a World Heritage Site are located at this popular National Park that has 500,000 acres covering parts of Tennessee and North Carolina and features over 4,000 species of plants and over 800 miles of hiking trails. Activities available including hiking, bicycling, picnicking, scenic drives, swimming, and fishing. There are also many camping sites available in various areas in the park. Smoky Mountain Stables One of the few horse riding stables located inside the Park, this stable is open daily from Easter through Thanksgiving and offers one hour, two hour, and half day guided rides through the scenic National Park. Special horses for children are available. Hillbilly Golf Take a ride on the incline to 300 feet above the city and play the world's unusual miniature golf at this venue that features two challenging 18 hole courses that are filled with mountaineer hazards including rocky walls, outhouses, and lush native plants. Ober Gatlinburg Ride the Tramway to this entertaining amusement park that features resort lodging, two shopping malls, and a wide variety of activities including indoor ice skating, snowboarding, go-carts, water rides, an Alpine slide, an arcade, bungee action, miniature golf, a shooting range, a velcro wall jump, and much more. Smoky Mountain Angler The oldest fly fishing guide and outfitter in Gatlinburg, this full line fly shop is offers Sage, St. Croix, and Cortland products, as well as locally hand tied mountain fly patterns and commercial flies. They are also an authorized fishing guide service for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and offer guided fishing trips for both the professional fly fisherman and the beginner.

Nature and Adventure

Pigeon Forge, just north of Gatlinburg, is one big strip of motels, fast-food and family-style restaurants, outlet malls and theaters. The most popular draw in the area is Dollywood, the theme park owned by entertainer Dolly Parton, who hails from Sevierville. It has rides, a water park, live entertainment, a bald-eagle sanctuary, a replica of Dolly's childhood home and a museum that recounts her career. Pigeon Forge is home to several other live-music theaters in addition to those at Dollywood. These venues are modeled on the Branson, Missouri, theaters and play host to musical revues, variety shows and performances by headliners such as Louise Mandrell. Dixie Stampede, also owned by Parton, is an elaborate dinner show with rodeo acts, musical performers and trained animals. Plenty of other family-oriented attractions can be found in town: waterslides, bumper boats, go-kart tracks, etc. Should malls be more your idea of fun, you'll find more than 200 outlet shops in Pigeon Forge. Special events take place throughout the year, including a Storytelling Festival in February and the Celebrate Freedom Festival in August.

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