Ober Gatlinburg is a ski area that is located in the state of Tennessee in the United States of America. The resort is in the town of Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Ober Gatlinburg encompasses a total of 10 ski trails, that are serviced by four ski lifts, gondolas and or trams. Ober Gatlinburg is considered a smaller-than-average ski area, with only a maximum of 32 acres available to ski.
This area is equal to 13 hectares, 0 square miles or 0 square kilometers. The slopes of Over Gatlinburg see on average 36 inches or 14 cm of snowfall a year. Gatlinburg is home to Ober Gatlinburg Ski Resort as well as Amusement Park. Gatlinburg is well known for its beautiful hiking trails and riverfront.
Ober Gatlinburg Skiing
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In 1962, Ober Gatlinburg started as one of the first ski resorts in the American South. At the time, it had been a unique plan at the time that a Ski Mountain may create its own snow however on reflection, synthetic snow has very set out. Because of the cold winters and mountainous terrain of the Smoky Mountains, skiing in Tennessee has been a fixture in Gatlinburg ever since.
The ski resort is located on property adjacent to the national park, this ski slope provides beautiful scenery and slopes in Mount garrison only a short drive from Gatlinburg. In recent years, Ober Ski Mountain has expanded its list of tourist attractions and adventure activities to become a truly year-round attraction that continues to delight visitors.
Snowboarding and Skiing
The mainstay of Ober is its ski slopes. With 10 runs and 2 quad lifts, the mountain provides you with a number of runs for beginners, intermediate and advanced skiers and snowboarders. The longest run from the highest of the mountain, “Ober Chute” is simply underneath a mile long and descends over 500 vertical feet to the bottom.
A med addition to Ober is a terrain park added in 2009 and this feature has a number of rails, boxes and jumps for freestyle snow sports. If you do not own ski equipment, it is easy to rent from the lodge. A ski stop here caries all the attire and equipment you wish for every day on the slopes. Also, lessons are available for visitors who are new to skiing.
Because of a brand new grant from the National Ski Areas Association, Ober has taken initiative to form their slopes with a lot of property and increase their snow-making capability at constant time, a certain win for the atmosphere and skiers.
You must know that parking on Mount Harrison needs a fee and for a more interesting trip and free parking you should consider purchasing a tram ride up the mountain instead. If you are a rental ski and snowboard instrument, you must arrive well earlier for your sport session.
The wait will be long and inward early means that you will be able to get pleasure from a full day on the slopes and create the foremost out of your cash.
Tubing
Tubing is a famous snow activity that offers you 300 feet of exhilarating downhill action. Snow tubing with the children is a big hit. Children 6 years and above can ride unaccompanied but younger children must ride with an adult. In the world of tubing, what comes down must come back up at least when you are on a ride.
A magic carpet conveyor transports you to the top of the slope and saves you a troublesome slog uphill. Tubing at Ober is very famous and sessions can fill up quickly.
To make sure high-quality expertise, Ober limits the number of tickets in order that the runs are not too huddled. Tubing tickets are sold first come, first serves basis and only be purchased on the website. Call ahead earlier to visualize however huddled the runs are or if tubing sessions are canceled or delayed owing to the inclemency.
Presale tickets will be purchased at the tramway mall in downtown Gatlinburg for next-day sessions. These tickets are good for the ride to Ober on the tramway as well as for a tubing session.
Ober Gatlinburg is more than a Ski Slope
Aerial Tramway
Ober enjoys a great location but it did have one limitation. The drive up the mountain roads to the resort could be a little daunting to you. This is a reason behind Ober constructed the Gatlinburg Aerial Tramway in 1973. This tramway not only allows skiers to enjoy ample parking in town but also grants you breathtaking views of the Smoky Mountains. Since it started its operation, the Tramway has transported more than 18 million passengers from Gatlinburg to Ober.
Aerial tramway ranks as one of the largest cable cars in the United States of America. Views from the aerial tram are great any time of the year but if you could only go one time of year, Fall brings awesome colors to the Smokies. Likewise, a trip on the tram is breathtaking at night when you can see the dazzling lights of the beautiful valley.
Arcade
Arcade features fun video games and games where anyone can earn tickets for prizes. This is one of the great activities to do for the kids.
Indoor Ice Skating Arena
In the heart of Ober’s Mall area and you will find a big ice rink that operates all year around. Ice Skates are available for rent and this snow activity is a great alternative if skiing or snowboarding just is not your thing.
Chair Lift
A scenic chairlift, beginning at Ober Ski Lodge transports you higher into the mountains. A glance over your head brings you increasingly breathtaking Smoky Mountain views. This is a perfect place that brings a date or an opportunity for some to capture to these panoramic mountain views.
Alpine Slide
After a ride to the scenic chair lift, you can pair it with an adrenaline-pumping descent down the alpine slide. You will love flying down the contours of the mountain with these two weaving tracks that pass through woods and ski trails. You should not worry though, every sled is equipped with breaking devices so you can go as fast or slow as you want to.
Wildlife Encounter
A small zoo operates at Ober Mountain that features local animals such as bears, energetic river otters, birds of prey and cute bobcat kittens, etc.
Summer attractions
Some attractions at Ober are only open for the summer season such as Amaze’n Maze, The Blue Cyclone Water Slide, the Mini golf course, A Spinning Chair Swing, and The Lightnin’ Raft Ride. In addition, Ober provides a large playground and ride for young kids that also operates for the summer season.
These rides are part of the expanding amusement park section of Ober, which makes it a truly year-round venue for family fun in the Smoky Mountains. A new mountain coaster is slated to open Spring of 2015 and is creating a lot of buzz in the Smokies. This new ride, modeled after famous mountain coasters in Europe, will soon be the longest of it is kind in the Smoky Mountains and is bound to delight adrenaline junkies.
Things to know when Skiing at Ober Gatlinburg
Ober Gatlinburg is one of the Smoky Mountains’ top winter destinations. This is a place where you can enjoy a fun day of skiing on the slopes. If you always wanted to try skiing then this is an ideal opportunity because Ober Gatlinburg provides you with professional lessons and some easy beginner hills.
The ski areas are also fun for experts since there are many challenging slopes and a pair of black diamond runs. From beginners to experts everyone can have a great time at this place.
Here I am going to tell you some things that you need to know about Ober Gatlinburg skiing-
Ski Slope Conditions
The skip slopes at Ober Gatlinburg feature a variety of terrain for skiers of all levels such as beginner, intermediate and advanced. The ski area tickets give you unlimited access to the ski slopes and lifts for one session of skiing or snowboarding. These sessions include full-day sessions, twilight sessions and night sessions and you can also buy tickets for multiple days.
When you are planning your skiing trip then you have to be sure to check the Ober Gatlinburg slope report for the latest conditions and trail availability.
Ski Gear Rentals
There is no need to worry if you do not bring your ski gear on vacation because there are convenient equipment and clothing rentals at Ober Gatlinburg. You must keep in mind that all rentals are available on a first come first serve basis and cannot be reserved in advance. Additionally, for ski and snowboard rentals, there are a limited number of helmets, pants and jackets for rent too. You must remember to come to your one-day rentals at the end of the day otherwise you are charged for an additional day.
Skiing Lessons
One of the great things about skiing at Ober Gatlinburg is that there are ski lessons for beginners as well as advanced skiers. If you are a beginner then the most effective thanks to start is with a group lesson wherever you are matched with different beginners and learn in a very unaggressive atmosphere.
During this lesson, you will go through the basics of Ober Gatlinburg’s Skii School slope and be able to practice using the Magic carpet surface lift. You will conjointly check in for personal lessons for an additional personal approach.
Ski Area Access
To access the ski area at Ober Gatlinburg, you can take the Aerial Tramway from downtown Gatlinburg. This distinctive mode of transportation is one of the most important aerial tramways within the United States of America and transports you a 2.1 mile from downtown up to Ober Gatlinburg.
The trams depart often every 20 minutes and have a capability of 120 passengers per tram. As an alternative, you can drive up Ski Mountain Road, which is off of the Parkway at traffic light number 10. There is restricted parking handiness and therefore the road could also be restricted to 4-wheel drive vehicles throughout inclement weather.
