There are locations across the United States which have earned a certain reputations, based on the experiences of visitors but also the perception of those who haven’t been there as well. I’ll fully admit that before making my first trip to Gatlinburg, I already had my mind made up. I knew exactly what to expect and wasn’t going to be surprised when I found it. Except that wasn’t the case. I think it’s important to admit when you’ve stereotyped a place incorrectly, and to work against those perceptions. So, I’ve written this honest review of Gatlinburg as a way to highlight all of it’s great attributes while still acknowledging it’s flaws.
I will make a quick note before diving into the topic further. This review of Gatlinburg does NOT include any discussion on Pigeon Forge. While the two are usually linked together, they are two very different locations and experiences. I’ve visited Pigeon Forge in the past, so there’s the potential I’ll write a guide or review of it in the future, but this guide to Gatlinburg won’t be it.
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Is Gatlinburg a Tourist Trap?
The answer to the above question is, yes. But that seriously does a disservice to Gatlinburg and is exactly the perception that I think is important to fight against. It’ll also depend on how you personally define the idea of a tourist trap. Are you considering the presence of gift shops for the sake of gift shops, overpriced kitschy attractions, and everyone out to get your money a tourist trap? Or did you define it by simply thinking any place that gets millions of tourists a year is a tourist trap?
There is no doubting that the city owes it’s life to the fact it’s located immediately outside the most popular national park in America. Yet, that hasn’t turned other national park cities like Bryce Canyon City, Moab, or Bar Harbor into the same type of town that Gatlinburg is. It’s important to take a more critical view when answering the question “Is Gatlinburg a tourist trap?” Gatlinburg does indeed match the two definitions I put forward above, so it’s undoubtedly a tourist trap. However, that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth a visit.
Sitting down to write my review of Gatlinburg, I wanted to take a critical eye to the question of “is Gatlinburg a tourist trap?” What really has shaped my ultimate view is that the city has more than its share of places beyond the touristy core which you should visit. The attractions in and around the city serve more to give families or visitors additional ways to spend their time, beside simply inundating the national park. Not to mention, that for the most part all of these attractions are really fun and enjoyable experiences!
It’s important that when planning your trip to Gatlinburg, you really work to tailor that experience to your traveling party. As an example, our own trip was focused heavily on the national park, but also featured one of the excellent mountain parks (Anakeesta), a visit to the crafting shops outside of town, and a night along the strip. We didn’t do anything Ripley’s because we had been there, done that in St. Augustine or Chattanooga (for the museum and aquarium respectively). This made our trip exactly what we wanted it to be, and ultimately why I’d love to go back to Gatlinburg soon.
Breakdown of Gatlinburg’s Main Attractions
Now that we’ve gotten the tourist trap discussion out of the way, let’s turn this guide to Gatlinburg towards it’s biggest attractions. I’ve visited some of these directly, analyzed others through experiences with similar locations, and done in-depth research on the rest of what’s on offer.
The first batch of attractions to know about and decide between visiting are what I’ll call the mountain amusement parks. These all have a variety of activities, rides, and shows to draw in visitors to their mountaintop heights. Gatlinburg Skypark was the first to open, in 1954, and brought the first chair lift to the South. It still features some of the best views of Gatlinburg and the longest pedestrian cable bridge in the country. Ober Mountain is the next oldest and is the best choice for those visiting in the winter to enjoy the skiing on the mountain. My favorite of these is Anakeesta, which is also the newest. It features two awesome mountain coasters, a walk through the tree tops, and the stunningly awesome Astra Lumina light show in the evenings.
Down in the city proper, the next group of attractions could rightly be called the Ripley’s bunch. The most prominent of which is the Aquarium of the Smokies. I enjoy a good aquarium as much as the next person, and if you’ve haven’t been to one before your trip to Gatlinburg, then I’d definitely make a stop here. It’s a fantastic deal for families, and good way to spend a few hours. Ripley’s Believe it or Not is the “star” attraction in town. It features a large number of unique and rare exhibits, which are on a regular rotation. Ripley’s also owns a number of other small attractions around town, so take advantage of their combo tickets to make your dollar go further.
The last of the attractions I’d recommend checking out are collectively the local arts and crafters markets. The Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community lies just to the east of the town. Here you’ll be able to find a huge variety of arts, crafts, and locally made merchandise. I think its a great way to spend a couple hours, and a chance to enjoy the craftsmanship of local Gatlinburg residents. Who knows, maybe you’ll even find that perfect painting for your house! While you’re out visiting, you can also stop in at a genuine, family owned soda fountain as well!
What to Avoid on “The Strip”
No review of Gatlinburg would be properly complete without an analysis of the wide array of places along “The Strip”. For the most part, the shops, restaurants, and other attractions are your standard tourist fare. Many are genuinely a good deal, even if they don’t look it from the outside (Hello, Circus Golf!) To make this guide most effective, I’m going to simply give you a few places to avoid on the strip, with an understanding that the rest are mostly what they appear to be from the outside and can contribute to the thought of ‘is Gatlinburg a tourist trap.”
The first places to avoid are all of the “arcades” you’ll find on the strip. Gatlinburg is seemingly an arcade mecca, simply by counting the five or so different arcades on the strip. However, there is nothing special about any of these and all they are going to do is serve as a temporary distraction to sink money into. Instead of spending money at the arcades, consider one of the many mini-golf courses instead. Most of these are actually pretty great, and I think a better bang for your buck.
The next location I’ll suggest avoiding is the Mountain Mall. It’s truly nothing special either and simply a collection of local shops selling the same stuff as everywhere else in town. If you’re wanting to do so shopping on the strip then I’d consider The Village Shops instead. These were generally more unique in my opinion, and nicer to walk around and look at. Even better, get out of town and visit the crafters in the Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community instead.
Finally, don’t visit any of the escape rooms either. This has become a hot new trend over the last few years, but really they are all the same. Practically every town across America has an escape room available, so why spend time on your vacation to one of the prettiest places in the country trying to escape a room. You can simply do that already by walking outside and enjoying the scenery!
Exploring Great Smoky Mountains National Park
It’s not really possible to write a review of Gatlinburg, without including discussion on Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The park is the entire reason why Gatlinburg is the place it is today, and is key to understanding the surrounding culture. Millions of visitors a year descend on the national park, and in turn, on the community of Gatlinburg. As one of America’s true gems, no visit to Gatlinburg is complete if it doesn’t include time spent inside the national park.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is quite a large park. It sits at 11th on the list of parks by size (excluding Alaska’s gargantuan parks), giving plenty of space for visitors to explore. For those staying in Gatlinburg, you’ll likely be spending the majority of your time on the Tennessee state line of the park. This portion of the park features a number of great locations to visit, including the famous Cades Cove, Mount LeConte, Clingman’s Dome, and the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. All of these are fantastic places to visit in the fall when it’s one of the best national parks to visit in the fall.
The average visitor and their family (ourselves included) will make a visit to Cades Cove. Not only is Cades Cove one of the easiest places to access in the parks, but it contains a wealth of history preserved from the time before the land was a national park. Visitors can traverse its wide open meadows, enjoy trails into the surrounding woods, or simply take time driving around its paved loop road. It’s the best spot in the park to spot wildlife like black bears or deer. It might not be my favorite spot in the park (see why in my Cataloochee vs Cades Cove post), but it’s definitely worth a visit.
Photo credit to Jacob Resor through CC BY 2.0 License
The more adventurous among us, may choose to tackle the long trails running deep through the park including to the top of Mount LeConte, or in crossing the park on the Appalachian Trail. One of the most unique lodges in the country, LeConte Lodge, is only accessible via a hiking multiple miles in. It’s an adventure in it’s own right, and staying in Gatlinburg can be a great way to relax before or after taking the trek. The park does offer hikes of all varieties, so even amateurs like me can find a pleasant stroll the enjoy what mother nature has to offer us.
Dining Guide for Gatlinburg
One of the easiest parts about writing a review of Gatlinburg, is to discuss the massive amount of dining options available. While it might seem daunting to figure out the best places to eat, it really comes down to deciding between local options, popular chains, or the higher-end offerings in town.
When it comes to local options, you’ll want to stick with down home southern cooking. Pancakes and breakfast are popular foods throughout the mountains, and Gatlinburg isn’t any different. While the debate might rage between Crockett’s and Pancake Pantry, I’ve got a different choice. Go with Log Cabin Pancake House. It’s a little off the strip, the wait will be a lot shorter (if any) and the food is absolutely spectacular. For something local that isn’t breakfast, consider heading out of town and making a stop at PawPaw’s Catfish Kitchen. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
For picky eaters of all types, Gatlinburg has got you covered. If you’re the kind of person who finds comfort in a meal you can get anywhere, then don’t fret. You’ll find common places like TGI Fridays, Bubba Gump Shrimp, Shoney’s, and even Melting Pot. There are also countless pizza places in town, making it almost harder to not find a good slice than the other way around. Additionally, McDonald’s and Subway have locations in town if thinking about dinner is a struggle after a long day.
If you’re searching for the best you can eat, then one of the many steakhouses in town could be calling your name. The Greenbrier Restaurant is a little ways from the hustle of downtown, but well worth the trip for it’s quiet atmosphere, fabulous food, and great forest views. However, if you’re looking to stay in town or maybe even walk, then consider the Peddler Steakhouse. It sits against the Little Pigeon River and offers a fresh garden bar and can’t beat ’em steaks! You really can’t go wrong with either location for top-class dining in Gatlinburg.
My Personal Experience in Gatlinburg
As I said at the top, I went into my trip to Gatlinburg with relatively low expectations. My perception had already been colored by misconceptions, driving through town, and what I knew about “similar” places I’d visited before. Our trip was also only scheduled because I had gotten suckered into a time-share presentation (which is a whole different story). With all this in mind at the beginning, our trip turned out to be one of the most enjoyable weekends in a long time, and came at a time where it was vitally important in my life to get some time away from the “real world”.
My intention on our trip to Gatlinburg was to split our three days between the national park, Gatlinburg “proper” and then some of the outskirts items. Since we had previously visited Cades Cove on a trip to Townsend a few months prior, we decided to explore a different part of the park. The Elkmont Historic District protects one of the earliest “resort” communities in the area. Many of the cabin homes are preserved and visitors can walk through most of them. We also took a lovely stroll alongside the Little River as well.
As far as time spent in Gatlinburg proper, we walked up and down the strip a few times. On our first night in town, we had a nice dinner at The Melting Pot and enjoyed some touristy attractions on the strip. We also walked along the strip on our second night in town, visiting some of the little shops and enjoying a couple beers at Boudicca’s Celtic Pub. The last night in town, we walked the strip back from Anakeesta, so not much was open but it was a nice cool evening.
I’d say that the highlight of our trip to Gatlinburg was Anakeesta. I wasn’t 100% sure what to expect there since I’ve never visited a place quite like it. Many of the activities are for smaller kids, but you can brave them as an adult as well. I really enjoyed riding the mountain roller coasters, though they are an additional cost to ride. The same goes with the spectacular Astra Lumina event that happens after dark. It’s worth the extra cost and is one of the coolest light displays I’ve ever seen.
Ultimately, I’d love to make another trip to Gatlinburg in the near future. My perception of the city was definitely changed, and there is plenty to see in town that we missed the first time. In particular, I’d like to visit the Ripley’s stuff, go up to the Skybridge, and spend another day at Anakeesta. Our trip was in the spring, so I’d like to make a trip in the Fall or Winter when Gatlinburg experiences different transformations for these seasons.
How to Make the Most of Your Trip to Gatlinburg
This honest review of Gatlinburg was designed to give you some realistic insight in to this little mountain town and help you make informed decisions for your trip. However, I’d be remiss in writing this guide to Gatlinburg if I didn’t include a few tips or suggestions to make the most of your trip to Gatlinburg.
- Plan your days around one big attraction. Don’t try to squeeze too much into one day so you won’t feel rushed trying to get it all accomplished.
- Prioritize spending time outdoors. Much of what makes Gatlinburg special is it’s connection to the Smoky Mountains. Take advantage of that on your trip for the best experience.
- Don’t be afraid to take the bus. Gatlinburg’s bus system is free and easy to use. It’ll limit the amount of walking you need to do and cut down on parking costs.
- Avoid staying too far away from Gatlinburg. The further from the strip you are, the harder it will be to enjoy time in town. So if you’re here for that then consider staying close to downtown.
- Make your trip last 3-5 days. Three days is the minimum to really get to experience Gatlinburg, while anything more than 5 days could be stretching your trip to Gatlinburg thin.
Hopefully this honest review of Gatlinburg has helped you plan your visit and enjoy it to the fullest. If it has helped you and you’d like to help me continue writing and travelling I’d greatly appreciate your support. Following me on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok will help you stay in touch. If you’re feeling super generous, you can tip me through the Ko-Fi box below! Finally, please share on your social media platform of choice! Sharing really does help the most!
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