Gatlinburg
is a mountain resort city in Sevier County, Tennessee, just south of
Pigeon Forge and it borders the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
It is a popular vacation resort 10.41 square miles in area.
It is surrounded on all sides by high ridges, with the Le Conte and
Sugarland Mountain massifs rising to the south, Cove Mountain to the
west, Big Ridge to the northeast, and Grapeyard Ridge to the east. The
main watershed is the West Fork of the Little Pigeon River, which flows
from its source on the slopes of Mount Collins to its junction with
the Little Pigeon at Sevierville.
U.S. Route 441 is the main traffic artery in Gatlinburg, running through
the center of town from north to south. Farther along 441, Pigeon Forge
is approximately 6 miles to the north, and Great Smoky Mountains National
Park is 2 miles. The Gatlinburg Trolley, a privately funded public transit
system, caters to area tourists. Gatlinburg has numbered intersections
in the core of the town. The numbers hang from traffic lights or signs
and are written on official tourist maps.
Ober Gatlinburg is the only ski resort in the state. It has eight
ski trails, three chair lifts, and a wildlife encounter area and is
accessible via roads and a gondola from the city strip.
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