Winter Activities in Gatlinburg, Tennessee

The tourist town of Gatlinburg is located in the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee. There is something for everyone is this bustling little resort town no matter the season, but winter in Gatlinburg is no exception. Lots of people make it a tradition to visit Gatlinburg for their annual Winterfest. This event is now in it's seventeenth year and will be in full swing for four months. The winter activities start in November and go until February 28th. Gatlinburg will be transformed into a winter wonderland with millions of holiday lights on display.

Gatlinburg will continue the winter festivities with the arrival of the new year. Gatlinburg will have a street party beginning at 11:00 p.m. on New Year's Eve with a Ball Drop in the same style as the renowned Times Square. The winter street party will include fireworks and fun until 12:30 a.m. on the New Year's Day. There will be live entertainment, free party favors and hats for a usual crowd of about 40,000. Many families return every year for New Year's Eve as a tradition and the areas restaurants and businesses join in the celebration every winter.

Tennessee is not exactly renown for its winter snow or skiing, but Gatlinburg does have the only ski resort in Tennessee. The Ober Gatlinburg Resort has plenty of fun winter activities. Of course, not all of the snow is created by nature at this ski resort! They use a combination of man-made and natural snow. Gatlinburg has eight ski slopes open during the winter which range from beginner to advanced. There is also snowboarding available.

If you've never tried Gatlinburg's winter sports but have always wanted to, they have that covered as well. The Smoky Mountain Snow Sport School has a variety of winter sport lessons available from qualified instructors. The school offers 4 and 5 week winter programs. They also have one day programs for church groups, primary and middle schools, as well as high schools. The Smoky Mountain Snow Sport School has the daily program available for colleges for credit and non-credit and programs for the specific needs of Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and other special interest groups. Their program meets and exceeds the state's requirements of physical education credit and they have programs designed for all skill levels in alpine skiing and snowboarding.

One of America's largest aerial tramways makes departures regularly from downtown Gatlinburg and goes directly to the Ober Ski Resort and Amusement Park. This tramway has two passenger cars which are counter balanced with 120 passengers in each car. For a more adventuresome ride, maybe the scenic chairlift would be a better choice. This chairlift ride will take about 15 minutes to reach the top where you will be able to relax and enjoy the scenery. There are restroom facilities and a snack bar. You can catch the chairlift ride to head back down for another 15 minutes of breathtaking views of the Smoky Mountains. You won't want to forget your camera on this ride. As beautiful as the scenery is, you will probably want to pass on this ride if you don't like heights. If you prefer to have winter fun indoors, there is a 140' x 75' ice-skating rink to use no matter the weather, or enjoy a meal at the ski resort's restaurant.

There are so many places to stay while enjoying the winter activities in Gatlinburg. The choices include chalets, cabins, bed and breakfasts, lodges, inns, condominiums, hotels, motels and even campgrounds. Gatlinburg has almost 11,000 places to stay in the Smoky Mountains, with a style to suit just about everyone. The accommodations range from charmingly rustic to very elegant. No matter where you choose to stay in Gatlinburg for a winter getaway, it's sure to be an enjoyable and relaxing break from the ordinary routine.