A recent article on the Architectural Digest website listed its top 25 small towns in America, and Gatlinburg, Tennessee made the list. Here is what was said about it:
A mountain town with a fun side
Population: 4,206
Gatlinburg became a popular tourist destination upon the founding of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which is located right next to the town, but it dates all the way back to the Civil War. Today it’s known for its quirky cultural attractions, like the Salt and Pepper Shaker Museum, Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies, the Hollywood Star Cars Museum, and a 400-foot-tall Space Needle.
It is certainly an honor to make this list, but the short paragraph from the article doesn’t really do the town justice, as there is much more to Gatlinburg that a handful of quirky attractions.
Gatlinburg is home to many shops and fine restaurants. It is also one of the most beautiful places in the country, with the entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park located right at the edge of town. Whether your thing is hiking or shopping, there is no shortage of activities here.
Gatlinburg is also home to the Gatlinburg Arts & Crafts community, the country’s largest independent community of artists and craftspeople. You will find more than 100 artists creating and selling their work in the area. In addition to their own shops, you will find their work in the dozens of shops spread around Gatlinburg, as well as the craft shows that take place at the Gatlinburg Convention Center.
Thrill seekers should feel right at home in Gatlinburg. The drive into town takes you by numerous mountain coasters that rocket you down the side of the mountain. And we are home to North America’s longest pedestrian suspension bridge, the SkyBridge (we might add, the SkyLift that takes you there is located right next door to us here at the Historic Gatlinburg Inn). The national park contains over 800 miles of trails that can be explored by adventurers. Some of those trails feature breath-taking waterfalls.
So Architectural Digest got it right by including Gatlinburg on their list, but this town can’t really be described in one short paragraph. If you are looking for an escape, we invite you to visit us in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. The Historic Gatlinburg Inn is located right in the middle of town, making it quite easy to explore Gatlinburg from one end to the other without the need for driving. In addition, there are trolley routes you can ride, and even a double decker bus tour with numerous stops between Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.
You can read the complete article about the top 25 small towns in America on the Architectural Digest website here.