Gatlinburg Workers Now Have a New Place to Park

The City of Gatlinburg opens a new permit-only parking lot, providing additional spaces for employees of downtown Gatlinburg businesses.

On Friday, June 13, a new parking lot opened, which allows employees of businesses in Gatlinburg to have another option to park their vehicles. This is part of the City of Gatlinburg’s growing commitment to supporting its workforce and improving accessibility in downtown areas.

This is just the second permit-only facility owned by the City. It was 2022 when they opened the first lot located at Newton Lane by Cherokee Orchard Road. That one currently provides 117 spaces making for a total of almost 200 extra spaces sorely needed to Gatlinburg workers.

The lot has been repurposed to provide an additional 75 spaces for permit-holders. For those of you who don’t know, this was the space—located at the intersection of Bishop Lane and Newton Drive—utilized as a storage area by the Mass Transit (trolleys). They now have a beautiful, practical space on 321.

Its importance was emphasized by City Manager, Greg Patterson: “It is essential that the City provides practical solutions for the people who keep it running—our local workforce,” Patterson said. “The City is committed to helping its businesses and their employees access their jobs more conveniently while also reducing strain on public parking resources. This is a meaningful investment in the Gatlinburg business community for their valuable employees.”

For parking permit eligibility, locals must provide proof of employment with a downtown Gatlinburg business. They are $30 a month and are available at the City’s Customer Service Center at 912 East Parkway from 8-4:30 Monday through Friday.

As someone who lives here, despite the fortunate fact I don’t have to drive to work, this is massively important. It’s often a problematic issue for locals—some of whom spend way too much time searching for a spot during busy periods. Hopefully this helps out my fellow workers in Gatlinburg a great deal moving forward. This is certainly a step in the right direction, in my humble opinion.

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