Trolley Your Way To A Fun Fall In The Smokies
By Leif Palmer
Posted on October 25, 2021
There are so many things to see and do in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, but if your only mode of transportation for getting around in the Smokies is a car, then it can sometimes be challenging to get to all the places you want to experience. Many businesses in town have limited (and sometimes zero) vehicle parking, so searching for it when going from destination to destination can eat up a fair amount of your allotted sightseeing time.
That's why the Gatlinburg trolley system is so awesome. It can easily get you from point A to point B when your travel destinations are just too far apart for you to comfortably walk. And it's free, which will save you money on gas, not to mention the headaches that can often go along with driving in peak-season traffic and hunting for parking.
What's really cool is that the trolley can take you places other than just those located along the downtown Parkway. Read on to learn exactly how far the Gatlinburg trolley system can take you. As Dr. Seuss would say, “Oh, the places you'll go!”
Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community
Two trolley routes-the blue and the yellow-service this enclave of artisans and craftsmen located on the north end of town. The yellow route takes you from Ripley's Aquarium on a full loop of the crafts community and back downtown. The blue route also includes other downtown points like Historic Nature Trail and Cherokee Orchard Rd.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
This route, color-coded as tan, will take you to points inside the national park, including Sugarlands Visitor Center, Laurel Falls parking area and Elkmont Campground before returning to Gatlinburg. Note, however, that this is a seasonal route that only runs June through October.
Pigeon Forge and Beyond
If you take the purple route to the Gatlinburg Park & Ride station at the Gatlinburg Welcome Center on the north end of town, you can catch a trolley from the Pigeon Forge trolley system. That will then connect you to Pigeon Forge and Sevierville destinations like Dollywood theme park as well as Dolly Parton's Stampede in Pigeon Forge and the Tanger Outlets/Five Oaks area in Sevierville.
Taking advantage of the Gatlinburg trolley also means you only have to make one parking decision. And our multiple convenient downtown lots give you lots of choices when it comes to Gatlinburg trolley parking.
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.