Gatlinburg is a year-round destination; summer’s great for outdoor activities, fall brings spectacular fall colors, and winters with mild temperatures and a little snow is a great way to beat the crowd at the Gatlinburg! 

Best Time To Visit Gatlinburg: Summer and fall are the peak seasons in Gatlinburg, with the highest visitation occurring in the months of June through October. While summer months are great for outdoor activities and sightseeing, the gorgeous fall foliage in October is a huge draw and brings a ton of visitors to the city. However, summer and early fall are also the busiest seasons in Gatlinburg, and you may experience extended wait times at the Smoky Mountain Park entrances and other attractions in the town. So visiting Gatlinburg during the shoulder months, November through May, is a great way to beat the crowds at Gatlinburg. However, if visiting the Smoky Mountains is the primary purpose of your trip to Gatlinburg, you must know that some sections of the Smoky Mountains remain closed during the winter months.

Time Required At Gatlinburg: If you plan on visiting the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and also exploring the town of Gatlinburg, I recommend spending a minimum of four days, as visiting Smokies requires at least a couple of days, and to see the major highlights of the town of Gatlinburg, you would need an additional two days. If you’re visiting only Gatlinburg, two days are sufficient to visit most of the attractions in Gatlinburg and the nearby town of Pigeon Forge. However, if you’ve more time, you could spend an entire week hiking, tubing, visiting museums, amusement parks, and watching shows in the charming mountain towns of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.

Getting To Gatlinburg: Gatlinburg, located in the southeastern US, is pretty far from all the major international airports, making the regional and domestic airports the best choice to get to the town. There’s no direct Amtrak train service to Gatlinburg, but Greyhound offers bus services to Knoxville, Tennessee, which is just 35 miles from Gatlinburg.

• Flight: The McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS), Knoxville, Tennessee, about 42 miles from Gatlinburg, and the Asheville Regional Airport (AVL), Asheville, North Carolina, around 85 miles from Gatlinburg, are the closest major domestic airports to the town of Gatlinburg. The international airports are pretty far from Gatlinburg and require a good amount of driving – Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT), Charlotte, North Carolina, approximately 190 miles from Gatlinburg, and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Atlanta, Georgia, nearly 205 miles from Gatlinburg.
• Train: There’re no direct Amtrak train services to Gatlinburg, and the closest Amtrak station to town is located in Greenville, South Carolina, approximately 135 miles from Gatlinburg.
• Bus: The closest Greyhound bus stop near Gatlinburg is located about 35 miles from Gatlinburg in Knoxville, Tennessee, where you could rent a car and drive to the Gatlinburg.

Transportation & Parking In Gatlinburg: Parking is not a problem in Gatlinburg as most resorts, hotels, attractions, and even the Great Smoky Mountain National Park has ample parking spaces. However, there’s a ton of traffic in the Smokies during the peak seasons, so it’s a good idea to get an early start and hitting the popular vista points early in the day. Though Gatlinburg offers a Trolley System serving the town of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, I recommend renting a car when visiting Gatlinburg.

Lodging & Dining In Gatlinburg: Gatlinburg, being a resort town and a gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, offers plentiful lodging options, including resorts, hotels, cabins, and bread and breakfasts. The town also features several dining options, including fine dining, lively local eateries, and dinner shows which I have reviewed in detail in the later section of the post.