Gatlinburg.com - Gatlinburg Visitor Information:
Somewhere between the first ride and the last hike, it will dawn on you. You're getting a true mountain experience. Gatlinburg really is the perfect place for your family to stay and play.
Gatlinburg, Tennessee, is full of amusements and is surrounded by the nation's most popular national park. Whether you stay here for two days or a week, with your entire family or just the two of you, it will be a vacation you'll remember for a lifetime. Most of the visitors have been to Gatlinburg before. Perhaps it started with their parents or grandparents, but now it's an annual retreat. If you've never been here, then it's time to start a tradition of your own.
No matter where you stay in Gatlinburg, you will be nestled in the mountains. Great views abound. Choose from a wide range of hotels, motels and cabins. You can't go wrong with either selection. Whether it's the "something for everyone" aspect of this fun mountain town or the allure of the surrounding natural beauty, this is the perfect family tradition.
You've seen mountains before. But nothing can prepare you for the awe-inspiring beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
You've seen the sun rise in the mornings. But have you seen the sun reflecting off a breath taking frost covering acres of forest? Perhaps you've tasted freshly grilled trout, but have you eaten one that you recently pulled from a stream? The Great Smoky Mountains National Park offers more than 800 miles of scenic hiking trails, horseback riding, backcountry camping, trout fishing and endless family fun.
There's no better place to appreciate the changing seasons. It's as if Gatlinburg were placed just so visitors could experience Mother Nature's most inspiring be a You know you shouldn't eat that funnel cake and then ride the alpine slide, but if you wait to eat it, you'll be running into taffy/Go-Kart time. It's just one of the many dilemmas you'll face in Gatlinburg. How can one play miniature golf, experience the world's longest underwater aquarium tunnel, ride America's largest aerial tram, visit the unique museums, take a turn on all the live-action rides, run through the video arcades and still have time for the national restaurant chains, local cafes with mountain-style cooking and delicious gourmet meals offered at practically every corner? You can do it. The key is longer vacations.
As if the natural beauty surrounding Gatlinburg is not enough, this quaint mountain resort is also filled with the man-made variety. You'll find more than 450 unique shops in downtown Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Arts &Crafts Community. In fact, you will see craftsmanship at its best, using simple tools and skillful hands. Located at the edge of Gatlinburg, the Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community is recognized internationally as the largest group of independent artisans in North America. The eight-mile loop features artisans who whittle, carve, cast, sew, weave and transform raw elements into works of art and function. Gatlinburg's artistic roots are ancient and inspired by our rich mountain history.
Gatlinburg Tennessee official website: National Park
Great Smoky Mountains National Park encompasses 800 square miles in the states of Tennessee and North Carolina and is the showcase for some of the most inspiring natural and cultural treasures that the Southern Appalachians have to offer. The Park's abundant plant and animal life and historical significance, coupled with its accessibility, makes the national park the most visited in the nation with over 9 million visitors annually. The Smokies lies within 550 miles of one-third of the American population.
The idea for a national park in the Southern Appalachians began in the late 1890s, and by the mid-1920s support groups from Asheville , North Carolina , and Knoxville , Tennessee , pulled together for an area between the two cities. The strongest supporters of the Park, interestingly, were not hardcore conservationists but motorists who wanted to preserve the beautiful scenery through which they could drive their new cars. Eighty-five percent of the land was once held by large commercial interests -- primarily lumber companies -- and the remainder of the acreage was small farms and miscellaneous parcels. More than 2,000 deeds, representing lands that were purchased by the states of North Carolina and Tennessee , were transferred to federal ownership. On June 15, 1934, Congress established the national park and allowed the building of the Park's infrastructure.
Over the next 16 years, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) worked to build many of the trails, campgrounds and beautiful stone bridges and buildings that are still enjoyed by visitors in the Park. When President Franklin Roosevelt formally dedicated the Park in 1940, it had become a sanctuary for all the people of the country and the rest of the world to enjoy.
As stewards of significant historic resources, the Park preserves and maintains a collection of some 77 historic structures, along with preserved scenes and landscapes in five historic districts. This collection, representing a century of human history in the Appalachia region, helps to tell the story of the people who lived and worked in the Park prior to its creation.
Conservationists, backpackers, trout fishermen, and motorists were among the recreational groups driving the creation of the Park. Today, those and other visitors take pleasure in the Park's many recreational opportunities and sanctuary as a wild place. The Park's fundamental significance lies in its extraordinary quality as a sanctuary--the massive mountain ridges, deep-cleft valleys and unspoiled streams create entirely different ecosystems which are refuges for the hundreds, even thousands of plant and animal species.
The Park has more than 1,100 front country campsites, 100 backcountry campsites, 800 miles of trails, 700 miles of streams, 11 picnic grounds, 3 visitor centers, and numerous scenic overlooks. American black bears, deer, turkeys, flowers and other wildlife are popular with nature photographers in the Smokies. The Park's intricate trail system provides access to view the diversity of life in the Smokies. Many salamander and plant species are found nowhere else in the world, and the forests contain more tree species than any national park.
Park maps, guidebooks, handbooks and videos are available at the Park bookstores within each visitor center. More information can be found at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park website, www.nps.gov/grsm, and also by calling 865-436-1200.
Popular destinations in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park include:
Sugarlands Visitor Center: 2 miles from downtown Gatlinburg. Allow an hour to view an extremely well-produced park film and browse the gift shop and natural history exhibits.
Newfound Gap: A favorite photo spot with incredible views straddling the Tennessee-North Carolina border. Approximate drive time from Gatlinburg is 30 minutes.
Cades Cove: A must see in the Great Smokies. Eleven-mile loop is popular with cyclists and motorists. See the true side of pioneer life in the remote mountains. Allow at least half a day. The approximate drive time from Gatlinburg is 45 minutes.
Oconaluftee Visitor Center and Mountain Farm Museum: Settled around 1800, Oconaluftee replicates a mid-19th century farm. Located 2 miles north of Cherokee, allow half a day. Approximate drive time from Gatlinburg is one hour.
