Ober Mountain Adventure Park & Ski Area, formerly known as Ober Gatlinburg, is a ski area and year-round amusement park located in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, within the Great Smoky Mountains. Originally the Gatlinburg Ski Resort, the park was established in 1962. Ober Mountain is the only ski area in the state of Tennessee and features 10 ski trails. The adventure park features a variety of shops, dining options, and seasonal attractions including an indoor ice skating rink, The Cloud Catcher Zipline, the Sky Village scenic chairlift, and multiple dining facilities.
The Gatlinburg Tram, the largest aerial tramway in North America, connects downtown Gatlinburg to Ober Mountain with a 2.1-mile travel over the mountains. Ober Mountain is also accessible via a 2.9-mile drive on Ski Mountain Road, which originates at traffic light number 10 off the Parkway in Gatlinburg.
History
1960s - Inception
Gatlinburg Ski Resort opened in December 1962, as a private club and one of the only ski resorts in the Southeast. It included a lodge, four ski runs, and an outdoor ice rink.[2] A Carlevaro-Savio Scenic Double Chairlift was installed as a ski lift.
1970s
After gathering inspiration from a trip to Europe in the early 1970s, in 1972, real estate developer Claude Anders began construction on the Gatlinburg Aerial Tramway to connect downtown Gatlinburg to the Gatlinburg Ski Resort. It opened on August 5, 1973. In 1974 the Gatlinburg Ski Resort faced operational and financial hardship from a lift incident, which created heavily negative publicity and strain on the business. In 1975, the Gatlinburg Ski Resort was bought by the Anders Family and merged operations with the Gatlinburg Aerial Tramway. In 1976, the Old Heidelberg Castle restaurant opened in the Ober Gatlinburg lodge, serving authentic German fare and live entertainment. The Alpine Slide opened in 1976 as well, served by the Scenic Chairlift. In 1977 it was renamed Ober Gatlinburg,[2][3] meaning "Upper Gatlinburg" or “Top of Gatlinburg” in German.
Upon purchasing Gatlinburg Ski Resort, there were four ski trails. The Anders Family grew the trail count to 10 trails.[4]
1980s
The Red Lift, a fixed grip quad chairlift, was opened in 1981 to serve the new beginner slope, Cub Way. The Black Lift, A Borvig fixed grip quad chairlift, was installed to serve the top of the mountain. Trails serviced by this new lift included Ober Chute and Upper Bear Run. In 1988, new slopes including the Lower Bear Run and Mogul Ridge opened, giving Ober the steepest advanced terrain in the Southeastern United States.
The Ober Gatlinburg Municipal Black Bear Habitat also opened in 1981. The upper mall, which currently houses the Ice Rink, retail shops, and eateries were constructed in 1981 and opened to the public in 1982.[5]
1990s
Officially opened in 1993, The Ober Gatlinburg Bungee Jump began offering guests the opportunity to jump from over 60 feet above the ground. In June of 1995, the Blue Cyclone Rapids water raft ride opened on the other side of the Bungee Jump staircase. In 1998, snowmaking efforts were upgraded for ski season with energy-efficient fan guns and pole guns. Snowboarding entered the winter scene and became increasingly popular at Ober in the 1990s.
2000s
The Wildlife Habitat was expanded in 2007 to become the Smoky Mountain Wildlife Encounter, featuring more native species and new exhibits including the Nocturnal House, Birds of Prey, and River Otters.
In January 2009, the Snow Tubing Park was opened for non-skiers to enjoy winter fun.[3]
2010s
In 2012, the resort installed a snowmaking system, which allows them to open earlier in the season, before natural snow occurs.[6]
In 2014, the Wildlife Habitat expanded to include Bobcat and Fox Exhibits.
In 2015, the Ski Mountain Coaster (later renamed the Tennessee Flyer Mountain Coaster) was built by ADG Mountainslides and opened as a year-round family attraction. Yeti’s Run ski trail also opened, adding more skiable terrain.
In 2017, the snowmaking system was upgraded, with a focus on Cub Way.[2]
In 2018, Ice Bumper Cars were opened as an indoor, year-round attraction, and in 2019, Summer Tubing and the Rock-Climbing Wall opened.
2020s
In 2022, Ober Gatlinburg was purchased by a group of Sevier County natives and was rebranded as Ober Mountain Adventure Park and Ski Area.[7]
In June 2023 the Downhill Mountain Biking park was opened with 11 trails and full-service rentals. New mountaintop green space, a jumbotron TV, and children’s attractions were added that summer as well.
In 2024, the 5,000 square foot Sky Village Scenic Deck opened at the top of Mount Harrison, making it the highest scenic viewing area in Gatlinburg outside of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. On August 17, The Cloud Catcher Zipline opened at the top of Mount Harrison, with the highest elevation launch of any regional zipline.
In January 2025, The Ober Challenge Lift, a fixed-grip Doppelmayr quad chairlift, opened to replace the Black Lift. The Ober Challenge Lift serves the ski slopes to the top of the mountain in the winter and every other chair is replaced with a bike rack to service the downhill mountain bike park in the summer. In February of the same year, The Sky Village Lift, a scenic chairlift, opened. It is a Doppelmayr fixed grip quad chairlift and takes guests to the summit of Mount Harrison, making it the highest lift-served peak in the Smoky Mountains.
Ski Slopes
Ober Mountain features 11 ski trails of varying difficulty from easy (green) to advanced (black diamond). The trail breakdown is as follows:[8]
🟢 Easy – 3 trails (27%)
🟦 Intermediate – 6 trails (55%)
◆ Advanced – 2 trails (18%)
Difficulty
Slopes
Length
Drop
🟢 Easy
Ski School
Teaching Area
Gentle Slope
🟢 Easy
Cub Way
1800' / 548m
163' / 50m
🟢 Easy
Lower Castle Run
515' / 157m
88' / 27m
🟦 Intermediate
Castle Run
585' / 178m
163' / 50m
🟦 Intermediate
Upper Bear Run
3200' / 975m
393' / 120m
🟦 Intermediate
Lower Bear Run
1600' / 488m
160' / 49m
🟦 Intermediate
Ober Chute
4400' / 1340m
556' / 170m
🟦 Intermediate
Yeti's Run
700' / 213m
120' / 36m
🟦 Intermediate
Alpine Way
2900' / 884m
279' / 85m
◆ Advanced
Grizzly
3800' / 1158m
556' / 170m
◆ Advanced
Mogul Ridge
0472' / 144m
201' / 61m
Alpine Way was previously accessible the Blue Lift, a fixed grip double, that originated next to the Sky Village Lift and ended at the top of Alpine Way for skiers in the winter and the top of the Smoky Mountain Bobsled for guests in the summer. The Blue Lift was removed in 2024 to make room for the new Sky Village Lift, which has a mid-way drop-off point in the same region as the old Blue Lift. The mountain's new ownership is considering options to provide access to Alpine way to skiers again in the future.
Lifts
Scenic Lift
There are five lifts with a mix of ski-focused chair lifts and passenger-focused chair lifts. There are three lifts that primarily service skiers in the winter, one of which is converted for mountain biking in the summer. There is one chair lift primarily focused on scenic foot traffic that ascends to the top of Mount Harrison, where there is a scenic overlook. The final lift is a magic carpet that provides access to the top of the tubing hill.
The aerial tramway coming down from the mountain in October 2023.
The aerial tramway departs from downtown Gatlinburg and travels west to the resort. The system was built in 1973 by Von Roll Ltd.[5] and has two 120-passenger cabins. They were replaced by Doppelmayr and built by CWA Constructions in Olten, Switzerland. Construction started in November of 2006 and completed in May of 2007.[4] The 2.1 miles (3.4km) tram ride runs 17 miles per hour (27km/h) and takes about 10 minutes.[9] In 2021 the haul rope was replaced and the motors were replaced with new A/C drive motors.[4]
Mountain Biking
In June of 2023, downhill mountain biking was added to Ober Mountain. Eleven trails were carved into parts of the mountain for the first season, and the trail network has expanded to 14 trails in the summer of 2025. The mountain also invested in a fleet of over 100 Specialized Status 160 bikes that are available to rent for guests who
Ober Mountain features family activities inside at the base of the mountain, including an indoor ice-skating rink, ice bumper cars, and a children’s carousel inside the Mountaintop Mall. During winter season when the Ski Lodge restaurant and lounge is open, there are also arcade games available in the lodge.[11]
Outdoor Attractions
The number of outdoor attractions for families vary by season. In the warmer months, Ober operates the region’s only traditional alpine slide, The Smoky Mountain Bobsled, which has been active for nearly 50 years. Additionally, the Tennessee Flyer mountain coaster is available to guests who can control their own speed up to 25 miles per hour. In the main green space outside of the lodge, there are multiple children’s rides including Summer Downhill Tubing, Chair Swings, Rock Climbing Wall, Spider Jump bungee trampoline, Inflated Jump Pillow, and seasonal inflatable bouncy houses. During the winter season, there is a Family Snow Zone available for people of all ages to experience winter wonder and play in the snow.[11]
Tubing Hill: A multi-lane snow tubing hill has up to 10 lanes that are approximately 400 feet (122m) long with a 50 feet (15m) vertical drop. The tubing hill is serviced by a magic carpet, as is the ski school slope. In the summer, the snow tubing hill is fitted with summer tubing tracks, which simulate the experience of tubing on snow.[12]
Climate and Snowfall
Weather
Gatlinburg, Tennessee, located within the Great Smoky Mountains, experiences a temperate climate characterized by four distinct seasons. In downtown Gatlinburg, winters are generally mild with limited snowfall, while higher elevations such as Mount Harrison and Ober Mountain experience colder temperatures and greater snow accumulation. The coldest months typically occur from December through March, with January and February producing the most snowfall. Spring begins in mid-March, bringing average daytime highs in the 60s to 70s °F (15–25 °C) and the emergence of green vegetation and wildflowers. Summer temperatures in the region generally range from 70 to 85 °F (21–29 °C), though humidity can make conditions feel warmer. At higher elevations, temperatures are often 10 to 20 degrees cooler than in downtown Gatlinburg. Summer is also the wettest season, with frequent afternoon showers and thunderstorms. Autumn attracts many visitors for its seasonal foliage displays, which typically peak from mid- to late October. Fall temperatures gradually cool from the warmth of September to average highs near 65 °F (18 °C) and lows around 50 °F (10 °C) by November.
Snowmaking
Given the lower elevation and unpredictable winter climate, snowmaking is a vital part of ensuring an enjoyable winter experience at Ober Mountain. Ober Mountain invests in state-of-the-art machines that allow for production of real snow from water with no chemical additives even when natural snowfall is limited. This allows for fuller slopes no matter the ambient temperature and extends the winter season. It generally takes 2-3 cold nights to open the first few ski runs, usually in late November to early December. Ober has 14 all-weather snowmaking machines, 11 SMI Latitude 90 machines and three SnowMagic machines. These machines allow Ober to make snow in any temperature, so they can start snowmaking in October when temperatures are still warm, which allows for an opening date in mid- or late-November. They also allow for a longer and more consistent season.[13]
Surrounding Region
Ober Mountain is situated in a subrange of the Appalachian Mountains noted for its extensive biodiversity and distinctive haze that gives the mountain range its name. The area borders the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which encompasses over 500,000 acres across Tennessee and North Carolina and is the most visited national park in the United States. The surrounding region includes a combination of protected natural areas and developed tourist destinations, with recreational opportunities such as hiking, wildlife observation, and scenic driving along routes including Newfound Gap Road and the Blue Ridge Parkway.
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- 27% beginner
- 55% intermediate
- 18% advanced
