The Smoky Mountain Range of the Appalachian Mountains along the border of North Carolina and Tennessee is one of the most atmospheric and beautiful pieces of scenery you are ever likely to see. Now, thanks to a new construction, you can see it better than ever, and without a lot of hiking to get there.
The Gatlinburg SkyLift, SkyDeck and SkyBridge was completed in 2019 and has so far been a huge draw to both tourists and locals alike.
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The Gatlinburg construction lies within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park which established in 1934 is now a UNESCO world heritage site. Covered in 187,000 acres (76,000 ha) of forest, it is the most visited national park in the whole of the United States.
While the SkyDeck and the SkyBridge were completed in 2019, the SkyLift has actually been in place since 1954, taking the form of a short 20 minute ride that takes passengers 500 feet into the mountains.
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The SkyDeck allows visitors to enjoy stunning panoramic views of the Smokey Mountains. They have snack bars and even craft beer so you can gently take in the scenery around you. The SkyBridge, which spans 680 feet, allows visitors to stroll among the trees some 140 feet in the air and take in views that no previous visitors, or in fact any human being, ever could before. At periodic intervals, there are even strong glass panels you can walk over, allowing you to see directly to the ground. So be brave because you truly are suspended in the air!
Gatlinburg itself has a long history, and aside from the Smokey Mountains is famed for Ripley's Believe It Or Not, a museum that hosts bizarre and mysterious wonders from around the globe. The first settlers to reach the outpost were Martha Jane Huskey Ogle and her seven children who moved from South Carolina in the early 1800s. It was in 1854 when the area was settled by a preacher and businessman, Radford C Gatlin, that the tiny town changed its name to Gatlinburg.
So, if you are interested in exploring the wonders of the Appalachian Mountains, then there is perhaps no better way to do it than head to Gatlinburg, a trip the whole family will remember.
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