By Leif Palmer
Posted on June 23, 2021
Let's be honest. In a perfect world, no one would have to ever deal with having to figure our where to park a vehicle. We could simply teleport from place to place or maybe travel in those pneumatic tubes like everyone did on The Jetsons. Of course, we don't live in a fantasy world or a classic cartoon show. Parking is a reality for anyone driving to a vacation destination.
The good news is that when you drive to Gatlinburg, parking in downtown doesn't have to be a hassle. It's true that available real estate is at a premium there, and as a result, a lot of downtown businesses simply don't have the space to allocate areas for parking. And if they do, it's often limited in size and reserved for customers only. If you want to visit multiple attractions or businesses during your Gatlinburg visit, it's usually not practical to drive from point to point over the course of the day.
The solution for motorists visiting downtown Gatlinburg is to find one convenient parking location, leave the vehicle there for the duration of the stay and find alternative methods of getting from place to place. That's where we come into play. We have seven different pay lots located on or just off the Parkway, and each has abundant spaces. Whether you're visiting Ripley's Aquarium on the north end of downtown or the Space Needle or convention center closer to the south end, we have a parking area that will be convenient to your downtown vacation plans.
How much is parking in downtown Gatlinburg? Our rates are as low as $8 per day. When you consider the hassle of searching for parking at a number of different businesses, the amount of time spent driving in downtown traffic or the potential cost of paying a ticket for parking illegally (or worse yet, being towed away), $8 is a tremendous value. (Prices may be higher during some seasons or special event periods.)
And honestly, there are other ways of getting around downtown that are much easier than driving anyway. Downtown Gatlinburg is a very walkable area. You can easily cover the Parkway by foot and see most of what downtown has in store. There's also the trolley system. For just a few dollars more, you can travel to virtually anywhere in Gatlinburg as well as some points within the national park and even Dollywood. If you want to ride the Aerial Tramway to Ober Gatlinburg or the Chondola to Anakeesta, those admission prices include transportation to those respective mountaintop attractions.
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.