Gatlinburg- yay or nay?

[Zora]

For my thru (2 weeks or so now, yikes!) one thing I'm really interested in is the cultural aspect along the trail. This is a prime reason I picked it vs PCT or other longer trails.

I'm considering a night in Gatlinburg as it seems very, uh, 'merikan. I've been out of the country a while and am fine with tourist trap/culture shock/whatever. It's interesting for me.

Just what are people's thoughts on there? I need a drop location at that point anyway and have to decide soon where to mail the drop, to Gatlinburg, or elsewhere.

[garlic08]

If you haven't been there, check it out, for sure. Once may be enough. I had fun there on my one visit nearly 40 years ago. I skipped it, actually avoided it, on my AT hike. It is conveniently located and it sounds like an easy hitch.

[rafe]

I think they call it (or used to call it) the Niagara Falls of the south.

[full conditions]

I've lived on the other side of the mountain from G-burg for about 35 years now and I have a few mixed feelings about that little redneck riviera. First, let me admit that when I was "dating" my future bride, we would go off to Gatlinburg on our days off, go hiking, eat out and stay and some hotel in town. It was great good fun. Second, the aquarium in town has an amazing coral reef exhibit. And lastly, the people watching is as good as wildlife watching in Yellowstone - you'll feel like an alien from another planet. On the other hand, like most towns on the trail, its a huge money suck and unlike most other trail towns, its crowded and busy - on weekends, its wall to wall humanity. Look at it this way, if you do go, you'll be grateful to be back on the trail again.

[Hoofit]

It sure is total culture shock, at least it was for me, coming out of the woods into the equivalent of Dolleyville!
On the plus side, returning to Mother Nature sure feels good after a couple of nights in such a place.
And hey, you're Guaranteed to see Bears!
Though they may just be hanging out in the shop window...

[Starchild]

G-burg is part of trail culture and it's wonderful diversity. Because it is so extreme and different it should not be missed for the experience you want out of your journey. It is also a stark difference from the Smokies which you will be taking a break from which is also welcome to some people. The Smokies being one of the most regulated sections of the trail, and G-burg can feel like a island of freedom and is a very stark and immediate change from GSMNP to G-burg, that difference should be experienced.

As for a mail drop, IMHO it's the wrong place for that, There is so many resources there that you may as well experience them, much better to mail drop at Fontana or Standing Bear. Also on the off chance that you get a ride the opposite direction into Cherokee you will have to work out the logistics of your package if you drop in G-burg. I would however highly recommend G-burg over Cherokee if given the choice.

[Slo-go'en]

G-burg was a lot more interesting in the 80's before it's make over. The place was a real hoot back then when it still had a 1950's look and hillbilly feel to it.

You can send a mail drop to Fontana Village and most hikers can make it through the park in 5 nights so there is little point in going to Gatlinburg unless weather drives you off the ridge line. But if you don't mind loosing a day and spending some money, a trip down to G-burg can be amusing. If you do go, the Smoky Mountain Brewery has great steaks and craft beer made on site. If you need to go to the supermarket, that's an all day trip via the trolley cars.

[rafe]

Enjoyed my one night in Gatlinburg, but no need to go back. Cruising the strip was fun. I ate like a pig and regretted it. Knowing my next shower was going to be in Hot Springs, I deemed it rather necessary.

[dudeijuststarted]

I myself am a proponent of checking out as many towns / hostels as possible on a first AT thru, but that is just me. "Roaming from town to town" like an old lonesome hobo was kind of the point of the hike for me. That being said, the Ripley's stuff in Gatlinburg is a pretty fun mental refresh (Aquarium, Haunted House, and the Psychedelic Maze!) Bennett's BBQ buffet is pretty awesome too.

Allow yourself to have fun. The thousands of miles of rocks, roots, and climbs aren't going anywhere...

[Mr. Bumpy]

Dollywood has great roller coasters

[colorado_rob]

I personally had zero interest in that people-zoo called Gatlinburg. I guess you could call it "interesting", but no thanks, there are plenty of actually interesting places along the way.

FWIW: I resupplied at Fontana (my wife met me there) then at Hot Springs with a food top-off at standing bear (just past the north side of the smokies), and that worked just fine. Fontana to Hot springs is only 108 miles, we (my wife and I) did it in exactly 6 days, I realize we were cruising, but say you take 8 days, carry 6 days of food out of fontana, top off at Standing Bear, good to go for Hot Springs.

[mattjv89]

I went into Gatlinburg to top off on resupply and swap out shoes at the NOC great outpost there. I was ready to get back out by later the same day but it was certainly a memorable experience! Given your stated intention of experiencing the cultural aspect along the trail I'd say go for it. As a few others have mentioned it's not a great place for a mail drop. There is (at least there was last year) a Wallgreens right in the center of the strip that has a grocery section with plenty of hiker staples to make it to Standing Bear, no need to take the trolley downtown to the grocery store.

[tiptoe]

I too enjoy visiting trail towns, and after my initial HUGE culture shock at the general tackiness of the place, I really enjoyed myself there. There's food everywhere (especially the big, greasy breakfasts I crave when hiking), a great outfitter, a laundromat, a good supermarket, post office and library (accessible by the local trolleys), craft beer and moonshine, bluegrass; and the locals are really friendly and helpful. I'd recommend it to anyone not from the area; there's nothing else like it near the trail.

Go for it, Zora. I got a maildrop at the NOC Outpost, which worked out fine for me.

[evyck da fleet]

I wanted to go into Gatlinburg because of the pink flamingo tackiness and there's no way I'd drive there from Atlanta. One of the guys I hiked with said it best; It was like the NJ boardwalk without the water. I resupplied there, went to the Smokehouse Brewery and then Puckers for the amusement factor, stayed the night near the outiftter, had a big pancake breakfast and got the hell out. No need to take a zero there and I was glad to be back in the Smokies the next day.

[Kebler]

Love Gatlinburg for some reason. Trashy, no doubt, but a fun town nonetheless. If your there for breakfast, hit up Pancake Pantry...just make sure you have cash(no debit/credit). Park Grill has good dinners, a little pricier, but I've seen thru hikers in there attacking the AYCE salad bar.

"Merica at it's finest"

[CamelMan]

Well, I live in Gatlinburg so feel free to PM me about anything. But on my planned thru-hike, I plan on skipping Gatlinburg. ;) The only consideration is being able to hike all the way through the Smokies without resupply, I guess.

There is free moonshine and in general, if you want to hang out, party, people watch, it can definitely be an experience, but most of the people you'll see are going to be from somewhere else. Just don't drink too much, this place is crawling with police looking to arrest people for public drunkenness. :)

I wouldn't say this is a "trail town", that's something like Hot Springs. People are not here to experience the park unless you mean driving to Newfound Gap or taking a short hike to one of the waterfalls. (For the most part.)

[Harrison Bergeron]

A very strange place indeed. Great NOC Outfitter, though. Which, by the way, I was very disappointed that the giant AT map on the wall that supposedly ended Bryson's hike wasn't there. I expected to see a big X saying "Bryson wimped out right here".

How could anyone not love a town that encourages you to stagger from one free moonshine stand to another for a quarter of a mile? Talk about your trail magic!

And being a bit horizontally-generous in proportion myself, I couldn't help but love a place where 200 pound hikers look like athletes. Remember the cruise ship in that Wall-E movie? Gatlinburg's a lot like that. It's a great ego-booster.

Where else can you tour an aquarium followed by a Ripley's freakshow, see an entire collection of Batmobiles, visit a salt-and-pepper-shaker museum, and then end your day at a hillbilly blue grass show?

[Sclark9082]

Loved the place. Niagra of the South...well placed name. sort the tourists from locals...count the teeth in a smile. Sorry...true. Laundry facilities: Non-existent.

[turtle fast]

I don't understand why hikers seeking a more cultural experience go the other way at Newfound Gap hit Cherokee on the Qualla Boundry. Visiting the Native American ancestral homelands of the Cherokee with a great museum is worth it. Plenty of hotels, dining galore, a casino, grocery stores, is walkable, and as Appalachian Trail thru hikers are rarer here I think are genuinely treated better by the locals. ( I've been there half a dozen times at least) Also from Newfound Gap Cherokee Transit used to provide shuttles (check if they still do) which was convienant.

[TNhiker]

Also from Newfound Gap Cherokee Transit used to provide shuttles (check if they still do) which was convienant.



sadly, they dont run this line anymore....

[Hikingjim]

Classic tourist trap town, but fun if you want a change of pace for a small busy town, drinks, and a night out