Free Trolley Rides Make Exploring Gatlinburg Easier
By Leif Palmer
Posted on May 2, 2018
Most of us can probably agree that sitting in traffic behind the wheel of a car is everyone's least favorite thing to do when visiting the Smokies. But this week, we've got a great tip for helping you avoid doing just that. From June 16 through August 15, the city of Gatlinburg will be offering free trolley service along the Parkway downtown.
These specially-marked open-air shuttles will operate from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily during that two-month span, and extra stops along the Parkway have been established, bringing the total number of access points to 40. Guests pay nothing; just wait for the designated trolley to arrive, get on board and ride until you reach your destination. All Gatlinburg trolleys are handicapped-accessible.
Of course, even the city's regular trolley routes are reasonably priced. You can buy a $2 pass at the city's welcome center as well as at city hall and the Mass Transit Center. These passes give you unlimited access to the red, blue, purple, yellow and green trolley routes for the entire day for $2 per person.
While the free trolley only services downtown, the city's system at large offers access to all parts of Gatlinburg as well as parts of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Other routes cover the Parkway and main welcome center, Dollywood and Patriot Park in Pigeon Forge, the downtown/River Rd. area, East Parkway (U.S. Hwy. 321) and City Hall, and the Great Smoky Mountains Arts and Crafts Community.
If you take the Dollywood route, that allows you to connect with the Pigeon Forge trolley system, based at Patriot Park, which gives travelers even greater geographic reach without having to pile into the family car. That system even travels to points in Sevierville.
And if you let the trolley system do all the driving, you can leave your vehicle in Gatlinburg for the entire day. Thanks to our selection of six different lots and very competitive daily rates, parking in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, has never been easier! Even if you choose not to take advantage of the free trolley offer, so much of what visitors enjoy about Gatlinburg is located in the immediate downtown area, so from any of our parking lots, there's a good chance you can easily accomplish most of what you want to do on foot.
About Leif Palmer
Leif Palmer loves residing in Gatlinburg. He is an avid outdoorsman: rowing for exercise on the lake, trail hiking, and free climbing rocks in the mountains. He indulges his arty side by periodically beating up pieces of marble by sculpting. He is always frustrated by his inability to sink long putts, and hates his curly hair (but his wife loves it). Leif has been known to muster enough courage to change a diaper, and hopes his son will become a chip off the old block.