Overview
Gatlinburg is a resort town located in eastern Tennessee. It is a gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Downtown Gatlinburg may come as somewhat of a shock for those on their way to a nature getaway in the national park — from the Space Needle to the amusement rides, the town hasn't necessarily chosen to embrace its "nature" side. That said, there is plenty of lodging, restaurants, and other amenities to make this town a useful base for exploring the park.
10 sights · 2 things to do · 13 places to eat · 12 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Gatlinburg
Gatlinburg Space Needle
Observation tower and arcade with escape rooms.
Museum of Salt and Pepper Shakers
Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts
Ober Gatlinburg
Includes an aerial tramway, alpine slide, bear habitat and ski resort.
Cooter's Place
Dukes of Hazzard store and museum.
Gatlinburg Sky Lift
Ride up Crockett Mountain for panoramic views.
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Apr–Oct. Summer highs reach about 85°F; winter lows dip to about 29°F. Wettest: Aug and Jun. (climate data from nearby Asheville)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- TYS McGhee Tyson Airport, Knoxville/Maryville — 28 mi away (major hub). Directions
- AVL Asheville Regional Airport, Asheville — 58 mi away. Directions
Gatlinburg is best reached by the north by taking I-40 to Tennessee Route 66 south. Follow Tennessee Route 66 to US 441 in Sevierville and follow US 441 through Pigeon Forge and into Gatlinburg.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
- Places to stay listed here: about $145–$145 a night (typical $165), from 2 listed prices.
- Typical meal: about $15 per person at listed restaurants.
- Estimated daily budget per person (room, two meals, local transport and an activity): budget ~$180, mid-range ~$230, comfortable ~$290.
Options are grouped as Bed & breakfasts, Hotels and motels, Cabin rentals, Campgrounds in the Sleep guide ↓.
Sample 3-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Cooter's Place
- Lunch Pancake Pantry
- Afternoon Guinness World Records Museum, Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum
- Dinner Alamo Steakhouse & Saloon
Day 2
- Morning Ober Gatlinburg, Gatlinburg Sky Lift
- Lunch Bennett's Pit Bar-B-Q
- Afternoon Hollywood Star Cars Museum, Smoky Mountain Winery
- Dinner Blaine's Grill & Bar
Day 3
- Morning Gatlinburg Space Needle, Museum of Salt and Pepper Shakers
- Lunch Calhoun's
- Afternoon Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies, Wild Bear Falls Indoor Waterpark
- Dinner Cherokee Grill
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Understand
The town's development is closely tied to that of the national park, which was opened in 1934. While in 1912 the town had only six houses, by 1935 over 500,000 visitors were passing through the town each year, and today over 9 million people each year visit the park. The town, which has a permanent population of only 3,900 people (2019), grew quickly to accommodate the influx, but has had to deal with issues of urban sprawl and air quality as a result of the huge numbers of outsiders that pass through. Gatlinburg is a typical tourist town, with many attractions and quirky shops lining the Parkway.
Get in
By car
Gatlinburg is best reached by the north by taking I-40 to Tennessee Route 66 south. Follow Tennessee Route 66 to US 441 in Sevierville and follow US 441 through Pigeon Forge and into Gatlinburg.
From the west, Gatlinburg can be reached by either US 441 (from Knoxville) or US 411 and US 321 (from Maryville, TN).
From the south, US 441 passes through the heart of the Smokies, bringing in traffic from Cherokee, NC. It is about 35 miles from Cherokee to Gatlinburg, but the high volume of tourist traffic on the road can make the trip at least an hour long.
From the east, US 321 brings in traffic directly from I-40 coming in from North Carolina.
Gatlinburg is a very popular resort town, which can be a nightmare for drivers during the peak summer months, especially on weekends. If you are headed to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park it is best to use the Gatlinburg Bypass to avoid the traffic delays. Once you are in town, there are several short cuts to get you through town and off the main drag!
Get around
Gatlinburg offers a trolley that takes tourists around the town without fighting the traffic. There are several park-and-ride locations: the Gatlinburg Visitor Center has free parking and access to the purple route; the Gatlinburg Mass Transit Center (located behind the Ripley's Aquarium) offers pay parking and access to all trolley routes. The Gatlinburg Bypass allows traffic heading into the National Park from the north to bypass the Gatlinburg business district. There are scenic vistas along this road as well.
See
Most visitors to Gatlinburg are here due to the close proximity to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and the surrounding outdoor adventures, but for those who want to escape from nature there are a vast number of attractions in town, ranging from interesting to educational to tacky & bizarre.
See Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies
Located at traffic light number 5, 1-865-430-8808. Open 365 days a year: 9AM-11PM Memorial Day through Labor Day, Su-Th 9AM-11PM and F Sa 9AM-11PM the rest of the year. Ripley's Aquarium has the world's longest underwater aquarium tunnel; over 10,000 sea creatures including sharks, jellyfish cuttlefish, sea horses; hourly dive shows; other exhibits including Touch-A-Ray Bay; and educational programs. Adults $22.29, ages 6-11 $12.25, ages 2-5 $5.56, under 2 free. Annual passes available with various benefits.
Do
Visitors to town will likely spend their days in Great Smoky Mountains National Park enjoying activities such as hiking along the Appalachian Trail, but for those looking for adventure rides, arcades, water parks, or other diversions there is plenty to choose from in town.
Attractions
Festivals and events
- March-June Smoky Mountain Springfest
- April 12 White Blaze Day benefiting The Appalachian Trail Conservancy ~ held in the parking lot of The Happy Hiker from 10am - 6pm. Free live Blue Grass, lots of food, - all proceeds benefits The Appalchian Trail Conservancey (the folks that maintain the AT).
- Mid April Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Easter Show
- Mid April Ribfest & Wings
- Late April Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage
- Early May Smoky Mountain Bigfoot Festival
- Mid May Gatlinburg Scottish Festival & Games
- Mid May Gatlinburg Fine Arts Festival
- Early July 4th of July Midnight Parade
- Early July River Raft Regatta
- September 1-December 31 Old Fashined Hayrides
- Mid September-Late October Smoky Mountain Harvest Festival
- Late September Taste of Autumn
- Early October Gatlinburg Heritage Days
- Early-Mid October Gatlinburg Craftmen's Fair
- November-February Smoky Mountain Winterfest
- Early November Winterfest Kickoff & Chili Cookoff
- Early November-Late December Gatlinburg Trolley Ride of Lights
- November 11 Veterans Day Celebration
- Late November Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Holiday Show
- November-December Old Fashioned Hayrides
- December 1 Fantasy of Lights Christmas Parade
- Early December Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Christmas Show
- December 31 New Years Eve Ball Drop and Pyrotechnic Show
Buy
Eat
Budget
Mid-range
Eat Alamo Steakhouse & Saloon
Eat Smoky Mountain Brewery
A cross between a ski lodge and a Bavarian beer hall, this pub offers sandwiches, snacks and beers, with televisions and an enclosed deck.
Splurge
Eat Texas Roadhouse
A chain restaurant that features steaks.
Eat The Peddler
A great steakhouse which allows patrons to view and choose from several cuts of steak before being cooked. Steaks are cooked over hickory for a nice woody flavor. Much better than chain steakhouse steaks.
Sleep
Gatlinburg has an abundance of accommodations to choose from. Lodging is also available in the nearby towns of Pigeon Forge and Sevierville.
Bed & breakfasts
Hotels and motels
Stay River Terrace Resort and Convention Center
Offers private balcony views from king or double queen rooms with mini fridge, microwave and coffee maker. Amenities include two pools, a restaurant, lounge, and 25,000 square feet of meeting space that includes a ballroom, breakout rooms and a conference center. Bus parking available.
Cabin rentals
Campgrounds
Stay Camping in the Smokies
- Leconte Vista RV Park & Campground 1739 Parkway.
Go next
To the north, Pigeon Forge offers a wide array of shops and attractions including Dollywood. To the south, across the Great Smoky Mountains, the town of Cherokee is an interesting Indian village and casino gambling.
Nearby
Pigeon Forge
City / town · 60 listings · 6 mi away
Dollywood
City / town · 4 listings · 6 mi away
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Park · 19 listings · 8 mi away
Sevierville
City / town · 22 listings · 11 mi away
Kodak
City / town · 2 listings · 19 mi away
Cherokee
City / town · 12 listings · 20 mi away
Bryson City
City / town · 5 listings · 20 mi away
Newport
City / town · 2 listings · 25 mi away
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