Gatlinburg

Gatlinburg

Gatlinburg, city, Sevier county, eastern Tennessee, U.S. It lies about 30 miles (50 km) southeast of Knoxville, at the northwestern entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. English and Scotch-Irish settlers began to arrive along the Little Pigeon River about 1795; by 1835 the settlement was called White Oak Flats. It was renamed in 1860 for Radford Gatlin, who opened a store there in 1855. In an American Civil War skirmish (1863) near Gatlinburg, Union forces routed a Confederate force that included Cherokee, marking what was said to be the last major military engagement east of the Mississippi River in which Native Americans participated.

Gatlinburg subsequently developed as a resort centre for the Smokies region; tourism is now the basis of the city’s economy. Skiing facilities, scenic sky-lift rides, amusement parks, unusual museums, and whitewater rafting are among the many tourist attractions, which also include Christus Gardens, a series of dioramas depicting the life of Christ. The park headquarters is nearby. The city is noted for its mountain handicrafts, and the Gatlinburg Craftsmen’s Fair is held annually in July and October; a Scottish festival is held in May. Inc. 1945. Pop. (2000) 3,382; (2010) 3,944.