Ober Gatlinburg is the most famous Gatlinburg landmark. Seated high in the mountains overlooking Gatlinburg, the views are breathtaking. If you like to ski, snowboard, ice skate, or go tubing, you definitely need to check it out. In the summer Ober becomes an amusement park with mini golf, water rides, scenic chairlift, alpine slide, kiddie land, and the wildlife encounter (after December 1, open subject to bear hibernation).
If you are planning to take your first trip up the mountain, I would recommend taking the Aerial Tram, located at traffic light #9 on the parkway. A round trip ticket is $9.50 for adults and $6.50 for children ages 7-11. If you are purchasing a lift ticket (skiing or snowboarding) you’ll get a $5 credit. If you want to save some money, Ober is only a fifteen minute drive up Ski Mountain Road Go through Gatlinburg and take a right at the last traffic light onto Ski Mountain Road. Stay straight and you’ll run into it. Parking is $4.00.
Once you arrive, you’ll enter through the shopping mall consisting of ski, gift, and fudge shops and an arcade upstairs. The ice skating rink is located downstairs. If you don’t ski or ice skate, you are going to be a little bored, since many of the activities cater to the kids. You could always check out the restaurant and lounge, but take it easy if you’re driving, the road is curvy! It does look old inside, but not run down. The place has been around forever. I do not ski or snowboard (just never tried), so I can’t give any opinion on the condition of the slopes. If you are planning to ski, you need to check out the snow report. The slopes are open only if temperatures permit.
Ober offers eight slopes for all abilities, lessons for all ages, night skiing, and equipment rental. Ice Skating is $8.00 which includes skate rental and 3 hours of skate time. Summer attraction coupons are $3.00 each and a book of ten can be purchased for $27.00. Most of the attractions cost one or two tickets.
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