What to DoGatlinburg
What to Do in Gatlinburg
What to do in Gatlinburg: drive Newfound Gap Road and Cades Cove, see Kuwohi, ride the free trolley. No park entry fee, but parking over 15 minutes costs $5.
Gatlinburg
Tennessee mountain town at the main entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Gatlinburg's tourism site lists Nashville at 222 miles and 3 hours 41 minutes by car, and Knoxville at 42 miles. It says driving times are only an estimate. The closest commercial airport is McGhee Tyson in Knoxville, about 40 miles away.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park has no entrance fee. You need a parking tag for any car parked longer than 15 minutes. The tag costs $5 a day, $15 a week or $40 a year, and you must show a paper copy. Phone screenshots are not accepted. Most trailheads have no tag machine, so buy one before you go in. The Gatlinburg Welcome Center at 1011 Banner Road sells them.
The free Gatlinburg Trolley runs 365 days a year, from 8:30 a.m. to midnight from May to October and 10:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. from November to April. Kuwohi, formerly Clingmans Dome, is a steep 1 mile round trip walk from its parking area. Kuwohi Road is open from 1 April to 29 November in 2026. The Cades Cove loop is 11 miles one way and closes to cars on Wednesdays from May through September. The SkyBridge costs $40.95 for an adult at the ticket window.
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