Just because the bears have hibernated for the winter, doesn’t mean that you have to!
The holiday festivities have ended but Gatlinburg continues to provide more reasons to come and spend this chilly season in the Great Smoky Mountains.
1. Tube or ski at Ober Gatlinburg Ski Resort
Just imagine the excitement of skiing in the Great Smoky Mountains! Ober Gatlinburg Ski Resort and Amusement Park is the only Ski Resort in Tennessee and has terrain for all ages. With 9 trails to chose from, skiers will find a slope to suit any skill level. If skiing isn’t your thing, Ober also has tubing, indoor ice skating, and other exciting activities to keep you busy on a snowy, winter day.
2. Visit the Ripley’s Attractions and other Museums
Gatlinburg is filled with various Ripley’s attractions and other interesting museums. The parkway alone has the Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies, Ripley’s Believe it or Not! Odditorium, Ripley’s Guinness World Records Museum and so much more! The Salt and Pepper shaker museum is a fun place to see thousands of shakers from around the world. Other museums in Gatlinburg include World of Illusions and the Hollywood Star Cars Museum.
3. Cross Country Skiing – Explore the park
Pack up your equipment and play in the mountain snow! If Newfound Gap Road is not closed due to snowy or icy conditions, opportunities exist for cross country skiing and hiking in the snow. Clingmans Dome Road is closed to vehicles in the winter and starts 0.1 miles south of Newfound Gap. If you’re interested in seeing if any snow has fallen in the park, check out the two webcams located at Look Rock (mid elevation – 2,670’) and Purchase Knob (high elevation – 5,000’) – insert link
4.Catch a show
Make sure to stop by Sweet Fanny Adams Theatre if you’re looking for a show. Sweet Fanny Adams Theater is Gatlinburg’s only musical comedy entertainment attraction and oldest purveyor of professional, live-on-stage, original musical comedies. The theater opened in Gatlinburg in 1977 and is continually recognized as one of the most innovative and unusual professional theater companies in the country. It is also proclaimed as a National Historical Treasure by the city of Gatlinburg! The Iris Theater is located at the Space Needle on the parkway and also provides exciting entertainment including a hypnotist, a magician, and illusionist.
5. Warm up next to a fire
There’s no such thing as cabin fever in here in the Great Smoky Mountains. For those who’d rather spend their vacation avoiding the cold, what better way to do so than snuggling up next to a roaring fireplace?! All of our rental properties at Mountain Laurel Chalets’ has either a gas or wood-burning fireplace to keep our guests cozy. So whichever way you prefer to keep warm, we have plenty of cabins and chalets to accommodate our guests. Heaven’s View is a popular chalet to stay at during the winter months because of it’s view of Ober Gatlinburg! Guest can relax in the hot tub on the deck and watch brave skiers take on the slopes.
We do advise that if you are planning a trip to stay with us during the winter, it’s required to have a vehicle with 4-wheel-drive or with snow chains in order to safely drive on these mountain roads.
