Skip to content
BusinessesGrow
The Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN

Photo: Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

SightseeingFamily FavoriteFree

The Parkway

US-441 through downtown Gatlinburg · Gatlinburg, TN

Why you should go…

The Parkway is the stretch of US-441 that runs through the center of Gatlinburg, about two miles from near the Welcome Center to the entrance of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Its intersections are numbered on the traffic lights, which locals use for directions. Along the way you pass Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies, the Gatlinburg Space Needle and the SkyPark chairlift, and the free city trolley runs along the street.

  • #main street
  • #shopping
  • #candy shops
  • #downtown gatlinburg
  • #smoky mountains

Good to know

General sightseeing guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • The forecast is part of the ticket

    Haze, low cloud, and rain flatten a view. Clear-day visits are worth rearranging your plans for.

  • Golden hour sells out first

    Sunset slots at observation decks and cruises are the first to go, so book those further ahead.

  • Dress a layer warmer

    It is always breezier up high and out on the water than it feels at street level.

  • Timed entry is common

    Plenty of landmarks release tickets in windows rather than at the door, so check before you walk over.

What's around here?

The closest stops to The Parkway, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Attractions
    Family Favorite

    Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies

    $25–$50

    A glass tunnel moves visitors through shark and stingray tanks in downtown Gatlinburg.

    0.5 mi awaySwitch it up: Attractions

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    Gatlinburg Space Needle

    Under $25

    A 407-foot observation tower with a glass elevator ride to a 360-degree viewing deck.

    0.5 mi awayMore like this

  • Museums
    Quirky Fun

    Ripley's Believe It or Not! Odditorium

    Under $25

    Ten rooms of oddities, shrunken heads, and optical illusions on the Gatlinburg strip.

    0.6 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    Gatlinburg SkyBridge & SkyLift Park

    $25–$50

    A 680-foot pedestrian suspension bridge with a glass floor section above the treetops.

    0.6 mi awayMore like this

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Family Favorite

    Anakeesta

    $25–$50

    A mountaintop adventure park reached by gondola, with treetop rope courses and zip lines.

    0.6 mi awaySwitch it up: Sport & Outdoor

  • Sightseeing
    Outdoor Adventure

    Newfound Gap

    Free

    The lowest drivable pass across the Smokies, straddling the Tennessee-North Carolina line.

    8.6 mi awayMore like this