Gatlinburg Attraction
About Gatlinburg Welcome Center
The Gatlinburg Welcome Center is at 1011 Banner Road, on the southbound side of U.S. 441 (the Spur) between Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, about 2 miles before town. The City of Gatlinburg, the National Park Service and the nonprofit Smokies Life run it together, so the staff can help with Gatlinburg lodging, attractions and the trolley as well as everything in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Plan Your Visit
📍 Address
1011 Banner Road, Gatlinburg, TN 37738
📞 Phone
(865) 436-4178
🕒 Hours
Open daily except Christmas Day. Smokies Life lists 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. March to November and 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. December to February. Hours can change.
What you can do there
- Ask about the national park and pick up maps.
- Get Gatlinburg information on lodging, attractions and the trolley system.
- Look over a detailed 3-D map of the park.
- Shop the Smokies Life bookstore for park guides, books and souvenirs. Smokies Life is a nonprofit that supports science and education programs in the park.
- Use the public restrooms.
The National Park Service lists longer hours for the center than the Smokies Life store does, 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. from June through October and 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. from November through May. If you are arriving near closing, call ahead.
Parking tags for the national park
Entering Great Smoky Mountains National Park is free, but any car parked in the park for more than 15 minutes needs a parking tag. The Welcome Center is one of the places that sells daily, weekly and annual tags in person. Visit Gatlinburg lists them at $5 a day, $15 a week and $40 a year. Daily and weekly tags bought in person start the day you buy them unless you ask for a next-day tag. Prices can change, so check the NPS fees page for the latest.
Fishing licenses
You can buy a fishing license here. Fishing inside Gatlinburg city limits and fishing in the park need different permits, so tell the staff where you plan to fish. Visit Gatlinburg lists permits from $3.50 to $9 a day, depending on where you fish and whether you buy one, three or ten days. Prices can change, so check Visit Gatlinburg’s FAQ for the latest.
Park and ride the trolley
The center doubles as a free Park-n-Ride lot. Leave the car, catch a Gatlinburg Trolley and you’ll be downtown in a few minutes without hunting for a space. The trolley is free, runs every day of the year and stops at the Mass Transit Center at Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies. From November 1 through April 30 the main routes run 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., though hours vary by route and events.
Nearby
In the holiday season this is a handy place to park before a night of Winter Magic lights downtown. For an easy walk into the park from town, see the Gatlinburg Trail, or browse all Gatlinburg attractions.
Photo at top: the Gatlinburg Welcome Center by Sarah Stierch, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (resized).