gatlinburg skylift park

The Gatlinburg Sky Lift Park has been a cornerstone in the Great Smoky Mountains  for years!  This magnificent attraction began with an innkeeper who owned property in the city named Rel Maples.  In 1953, Maples  read an article about Everett Kircher,  an expert ski operator in Michigan.  The two men met at the site where Maples leased the land to Kircher who would construct and operate the chair lift.  Kircher went out to California and bought a ski lift in the Sugar Bowl Ski area and dismantled it where it was transported to a dealership his father owned in Rochester, Michigan.  It was there where rebuilding the lift began.  The elder Kircher came to Gatlinburg to oversee the labor of building this incredible Lift.  After the land was surveyed, the construction of the road to the top and the challenge of building the towers and hanging the chairs began.   The Gatlinburg Sky Lift opened to the public in 1954 and offers breath-taking views of the mountains.  It was the first of it's kind in the Smokies and surrounding areas!

Gatlinburg Skylift Park was destroyed November 28, 2016 during the horrific fire that swept through the Great Smoky Mountains and parts of downtown Gatlinburg.  The Skylift's street-level building where tickets were sold was completely unharmed.  However, the higher level where the gift shop was housed, and the upper viewing deck was in complete destruction.  Many times after a tragedy everything seems to bounce back bigger and better than ever!  That was the case with Gatlinburg Sklyift Park!  Everything has been restored and a new attraction has evolved for 2019!  

Thousands are pouring into Gatlinburg to visit Gatlinburg Skylift Park's longest pedestrian suspension bridge in the country!  The views of the Great Smoky Mountains are unbelievably beautiful!  The huge Sky Deck overlooking the city is the perfect place to take photos.   The bridge itself offers a light swing and stretches 680 feet with height at 140 feet at its midpoint.  At the middle point are three glass panels where you can look straight down as you walk across.  To experience the sky bridge, you must ride the chair lift to the top of the mountain.  It's a relaxing ride where you'll enjoy a snack bar, gift shop, resting stops, a beautiful man-made waterfall, countless photo opportunities, and magnificent views of the mountains and the city of Gatlinburg.   Tickets are available at the street level in downtown Gatlinburg.  

 Gatlinburg Skylift Park is open most every day year around!  

• Summer Schedule - Memorial Day Weekend - Labor Day - 9:00 A.M - 11:00 P.M.
• Fall Schedule - September - December - 9:00 A.M. - 10:00 P.M.
• Winter Schedule - January - February - 9:00 A.M. - 10:00 P.M.  - Friday - Sunday - 10:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M.
• Spring Schedule - Monday - Thursday Only - March - May 9:00 A.M. - 9:00 P.M. 
• The Gatlinburg Sky Lift is open Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve, & New Year's Day from 9:00 A.M. - 10:00 P.M.

GATLINBURG SKYLIFT PARK IS CLOSED ON CHRISTMAS DAY!