Snowy Slopes Signal Survival as Ober Gatlinburg Opens to Skiers and Snowboarders on December 16, 2016
It’s always a big deal when Ober Gatlinburg Ski Area opens for the winter season and this year it’s especially sweet because it means the town of Gatlinburg is getting back to normal after last month’s wildfires. Those snowy slopes signal survival as Ober Gatlinburg opens to skier and snowboaders on Friday, December 16, 2016. Some come on and let’s hit the slopes!
If you’ve wanted to try snow skiing or snowboarding, now is the time to bundle up and head to Ober Gatlinburg! Five of their ten slopes are now open! And if that’s not your thing, there’s also snow tubing, ice skating, scenic chairlift, aerial tramway, mountain coaster, alpine slide, carousel, wildlife encounter, arcade, restaurants, and shopping. There’s snow much fun at Ober Gatlinburg – it’s absolutely a whole day’s worth!
The wildfires didn’t damage the ski area and amusement park although many homes and businesses on Ski Mountain Road were completely destroyed by the firestorm on November 28. It did take a dedicated team of workers to get the power restored after a substation burned, to resurface the ice rink and slopes after they melted, and clean up debris and minor damage by the high winds so that Ober Gatlinburg could open again to the public.
To help you enjoy your winter adventure at Ober Gatlinburg, we have a few friendly tips for you to enjoy your visit.
- What to Wear – Dress in layers of performance wear, meaning no cotton, under your snow pants and jacket. You’ll be amazed at how warm you’ll get during activity so you’ll want to be able to add and remove layers. Wear just one pair of socks as snowboard and ski boots have liners. Bring gloves, hat, sunglasses or goggles. You can rent snow pants, jackets and helmets at Ober Gatlinburg.
- Take a Lesson – If you’ve never skied or snowboarded before you’re required to take a lesson for your safety and the safety of others. The one-hour Ski Class lesson runs about $19 per person and a private lesson at $60. Ski rentals run $20-$25 per person and snowboard rentals run $20-$25 per person.
- Lift Tickets – One-day ski area tickets cost between $29 to $65 per person depending on session day and time of ski session. Ober Gatlinburg Season Passes are available for $349 per person.
- Visit Ober Gatlinburg Slope Report to check current conditions.
For more information on all the fun winter activities and pricing, visit Ober Gatlinburg or call 865-436-5423. Ober Gatlinburg is open daily; hours are subject to change depending on weather conditions.
