Parks
Looking for a place to run around and have fun? Try our parks. From the spectacular to the familiar, our parks are sure to increase your fun.
GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK
Great Smoky Mountains National Park encompasses 800 square miles in the states of Tennessee and North Carolina and is the showcase for some of the most inspiring natural and cultural treasures that the Southern Appalachians have to offer.
The Park's abundant plant and animal life and historical significance, coupled with its accessibility, makes this national park the most visited in the nation with over 9 million visitors annually. The Smokies lie within 550 miles of one-third of the American population.
The Park has more than 1,100 front country campsites, 100 backcountry campsites, 800 miles of trails, 700 miles of streams, 11 picnic grounds, 3 visitor centers, and numerous scenic overlooks. American black bears, deer, turkeys, flowers and other wildlife are popular with nature photographers in the Smokies. The Park's intricate trail system provides access to view the diversity of life in the Smokies. Many salamander and plant species are found nowhere else in the world, and the forests contain more tree species than any national park.
Park maps, guidebooks, handbooks and videos are available at the Park bookstores within each visitor center. More information can be found at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park website, www.nps.gov/grsm, and also by calling (865) 436-1200.
Popular destinations in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park include:
Sugarlands Visitor Center: 2 miles from downtown Gatlinburg. Allow an hour to view an extremely well-produced park film and browse the gift shop and natural history exhibits.
Newfound Gap: A favorite photo spot with incredible views straddling the Tennessee-North Carolina border. Approximate drive time from Gatlinburg is 30 minutes.
Cades Cove: A must see in the Great Smokies. Eleven-mile loop is popular with cyclists and motorists. See the true side of pioneer life in the remote mountains. Allow at least half a day. The approximate drive time from Gatlinburg is 45 minutes.
Oconaluftee Visitor Center and Mountain Farm Museum: Settled around 1800, Oconaluftee replicates a mid-19th century farm. Located 2 miles north of Cherokee, allow half a day. Approximate drive time from Gatlinburg is one hour.
History: The idea for a national park in the Southern Appalachians began in the late 1890s, and by the mid-1920s support groups from Asheville, North Carolina, and Knoxville, Tennessee, pulled together for an area between the two cities. The strongest supporters of the Park, interestingly, were not hardcore conservationists but motorists who wanted to preserve the beautiful scenery through which they could drive their new cars. Eighty-five percent of the land was once held by large commercial interests – primarily lumber companies – and the remainder of the acreage was small farms and miscellaneous parcels. More than 2,000 deeds, representing lands that were purchased by the states of North Carolina and Tennessee, were transferred to federal ownership. On June 15, 1934, Congress established the national park and allowed the building of the Park's infrastructure.
Over the next 16 years, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) worked to build many of the trails, campgrounds and beautiful stone bridges and buildings that are still enjoyed by visitors in the Park. When President Franklin Roosevelt formally dedicated the Park in 1940, it had become a sanctuary for all the people of the country and the rest of the world to enjoy.
As a steward of significant historic resources, the Park preserves and maintains a collection of some 77 historic structures, along with preserved scenes and landscapes in five historic districts. This collection, representing a century of human history in the Appalachian region, helps to tell the story of the people who lived and worked in the Park area prior to its creation.
Conservationists, backpackers, trout fishermen, and motorists were among the recreational groups driving the creation of the Park. Today, those and other visitors take pleasure in the Park's many recreational opportunities and sanctuary as a wild place. The Park's fundamental significance lies in its extraordinary quality as a sanctuary – the massive mountain ridges, deep-cleft valleys and unspoiled streams create entirely different ecosystems which are refuges for thousands of plant and animal species.
GATLINBURG'S PARKS AND COMMUNITY CENTER
The City of Gatlinburg offers many recreational opportunities to its visitors. The city has three parks and a community center that are available to our guests. The Community Center contains a 25-yard indoor swimming pool, game room, full-court gymnasium, eight-lane bowling center, workout center, four racquetball courts, and fully equipped locker rooms. Please call the Department of Recreation for more information at 436-4990.
Community Center Hours
- Monday through Friday- 8 am to 10 pm
- Saturday- 10 am to 10 pm
- Sunday- 1 pm to 8 pm
Community Center Summer Hours
- Monday through Friday- 8 am to 8 pm
- Saturday- 10 am to 6 pm
- Sunday- 1 pm to 6 pm
- (Swimming pool closes 30 minutes earlier)
MUNICIPAL PARKS
Herbert Holt Park
Located on 441 South on your right coming off of the Spur into Gatlinburg
- Covered Pavilion*
- Sinks
- Cooking Grills
- Picnic Tables
- Horseshoe Pits
- Playground Area
- Walking Trails
- Trout Facility
- Children's Steam Access
- Restrooms
Mynatt Park
Located on Airport Road/Historic Nature Trail on the right past the entrance to the Park Vista Hotel
- Covered Pavilion*
- Children's Stream Access
- Basketball Court
- Six Tennis Courts
- Picnic Tables
- Horseshoe Pit
- Playground Area
- Baseball Field
- Grills
- Restrooms
Mills Park
Located on Proffitt Road, just off Highway 321 behind Gatlinburg-Pittman High School
- Covered Pavilion*
- Softball Field
- Football Field
- Horseshoe Pits
- Playground Area
- Basketball Court
- Picnic Tables
- Two Tennis Courts
- Concessions
- Jogging-Exercise Course
- Restrooms
*Covered Pavilions can be reserved by calling the Recreation Department at (865) 436-4990.
