Visit The New Gatlinburg Sky Lift Outdoor Attraction

The Best Seat in Gatlinburg

One of downtown Gatlinburg’s most iconic outdoor attractions was damaged during the fiery blaze that devastated the Gatlinburg area and surrounding Smoky Mountains on November 28, 2016. The upper section and the upper terminal area of the lift had significant damage. They experienced a total loss of the viewing deck and gift shop. The Gatlinburg Sky Lift took some time to repair, but the job was done! As of May 26, 2017, the Gatlinburg Sky Lift reopened for business! Gatlinburg couldn’t be happier, and to show the community-wide support, the first ride to the top was celebrated by Gatlinburg Mayor Werner himself, accompanied by Sevier County Mayor Larry Waters. Book a Gatlinburg cabin rental today and prepare to make lifelong memories!

Out With the Old And In With the New

Most people don’t know exactly how old the Gatlinburg Sky Lift really is. The Gatlinburg Sky Lift first opened in 1954, making it just over 60 years old! They’ve recently upgraded quite a bit and now feature three seaters! Each lift chair is capable of seating up to three people; fewer can ride in the same seat if preferred as well. There are just over 90 seats, and the Lift is currently in a continual carousel state. You will board from downtown and will ride along increasing in elevation to the top deck, and will then swoop to the highest point of the ride, and will then begin the descent back to the bottom. As we said, the Lift is currently in a continual carousel state, meaning you will have to hop on and off the same way that one would get onto and off of a ski lift. This is only temporary, as they plan to finish the motion stabilization sometime in the fall, which will allow guests to get off on the top deck and enjoy the observation deck. Once the stabilization is complete, there will be a brand new gift shop to enjoy along with the panoramic views from the observation deck. There is more! They are planning to add a new restaurant at the top of the Sky Deck! We should see this as an addition to take place in the fall of 2018.