Are you looking for amazing views of the Smoky Mountains? How about adding a little adventure to those views?? My husband and I have been to Gatlinburg once in the past and came down for a second trip because we enjoyed it so much! This time, we decided to focus on finding new things to do that we had not tried in the past!
One of the new activities we did this trip was venturing to the top of one of the mountains via ski lift! SkyLift was the first of its kind in Gatlinburg! It’s a fun ride to the top of the mountain where you get AMAZING views!!
Here is what you need to know about the Amazing Gatlinburg SkyLift Park!!
There it is! Here are some of the best views in Gatlinburg!
Our hotel was close enough to the strip in Gatlinburg that we were able to walk and SkyLift was located directly on the strip!
Cost
First, let’s talk about the cost! The prices for SkyLift Park were reasonable and comparable to similar attractions in the area.
Plus, coupons are available in the majority of the coupon books that are at the Tennessee Welcome Centers and at other attractions throughout Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge!
The Ride Up
Next, let’s talk about the ride!
The SkyLift has a ski lift to take you to the top of the mountain to experience the spectacular views of the surrounding area!
Personally, I am not a fan of ski lifts or ferris wheels, even though I can ride any other amusement attraction in the world with no issues!
However, I knew what I was getting into and wanted to experience the views and the SkyBridge enough to face my fears!
The ride was safe and very smooth and gave a sneak peek of the views at the top of the mountain.
My husband enjoyed the ride up a great deal!
SkyLift Park
Next, let’s discuss this original park with it’s unique idea to offer an amazing view to every visitor and local!
SkyLift was originally just the ride to look around and then ride back down. Now, there is so much more! There is a snack area, bar, gift shop, and the SkyBridge! Plus, there are several seating areas throughout the park to just sit and enjoy the views!!
I love the fire pit idea! It was always full of people when we were up there!
Rocking chairs were all around to sit in and enjoy your time and the views!
The concession stand, gift shop, and bar are located in the main building shown in the picture below.
They have important safety rules posted. However, I do think it’s kinda scary that they have to specifically state not to lift children over railings!!! YIKES!!
The Views
Most importantly, let’s talk about the VIEWS!
The views from the top of the mountain speak for themselves! Just amazing!
I jsut can’t get over the amazing mountain views!
All of the pictures are overlooking the Gatlinburg area. Considering we are from Indiana, the mountains in the background just amazing! These are definitely views we do not have at home!
The SkyBridge
SkyBridge is the newest attraction added to the SkyLift Park and it’s located 140 feet in the air!
If you look closely at the two pictures below you can see the carpet covering the bridge (to help with grip while walking on it in the winter) pulled over to the side. There is a glass bottom in the middle of the bridge!
You can see straight down! The pictures do not give the view any credit, but I wasn’t going to tear up their carpet even for an amazing picture. (The pictures I took are from the carpet being moved already.)
The view is crystal clear, even with the snow and ice!
We were able to #passtheglass. However, next time, I will definite get better pictures of the glass bottom of the SkyBridge!!
The Ride Down
I have to say, I enjoyed the ride down more than the ride up!
The views were good on the way up but fantastic on the way down!!
The views are just grand!
Speaking of grand…I had my husband wave Hi so I texted this picture to our daughter to show our grandkids! They were at our house before we left and questioned our suitcases. They thought we were going to Disney!
Again, it’s a very smooth and safe ride. That is just what I was hoping for!
The Night Views!
The nice thing about the SkyPark ticket is that it is good all day!
We were able to go up in the morning and then again at night!
Christmas lights remain up from November through early February in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.
They had just changed over to Valentine’s decoration the day before we went up!
Just spectacular views!
It’s a great view of the Gatlinburg strip at night all lit up!
The views were different, but just as amazing at night!
Bonus: A Little History
Much of Gatlinburg caught fire in 2016 and many businesses and individuals lost their homes and property.
The following are some beautiful and amazing photos from before and after the fire that were in the gift shop area of the Park.
SkyLift was the first ski lift or another type of ride to the top of the mountain around Gatlinburg!
This is all especially touching for me since my husband is a fire fighter.
If you are looking for a great place to stay during your next Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge trip, check out our cabin! Meet our Mountainside Hideaway!
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Gatlinburg, pigeon forge, and the smokies are a must for everyone. There’s a reason why it’s number one park in the nation. I’ve been going since I was 3, 45 years and it’s still like a second home. The Skylift is a must, atleast once, day time and night. A different amazing view for each..
We were able to do The Sky Lift both at night and during the day and it was just great! The views were very unique each time. It was definitely a great experience!
It is definitely a place to make time to go to! There is so much to do for anyone and everyone!
We have been tentatively planning a trip to Gatlinburg FOREVER, but this makes me want to finally go. I’ve been avoiding it since COVID, but I didn’t realize how much I could do outside. These photos show how gorgeous it is.
There is a TON of stuff to do outside! Plus, everything that is in Pigeon Forge as well!
I rode the Sky Lift when I was a kid and I loved it. I live about 3 hours away from Gatlinburg and have been seeing all my friends post pictures of the new Sky Bridge on social media and it makes me want to go so bad. I am glad to know they have improved the area at the top. When I went you just got off looked around and rode back down. Thanks for sharing your experience. Now if I can get my husband talked into going.
-Erin
It is very nice on top and they are doing more construction to add other areas up there, as well as a walking path! The construction looked like it was close to being done when we were there–so there will be even more to explore!
Gorgeous! I would also have to conquer my fears to get on a lift like that. We do love Gatlinburg, though! We just visited this past fall (imagine those views!) and I’m sure we’ll have another chance soon enough!
I had never done the lift before and would definitely do it again!
As a PNWer, I love seeing different lifts in other parts of the country! Looks like a fun place to explore and take the family!
It definitely is a great place to visit! We keep talking about going with the grandkids sometime, but so far it’s just been me and my husband and we love that!