City of Gatlinburg

08/10/2026

🐻 Take Time to Be BearWise 🐻

With residents and visitors plenty of people enjoying Gatlinburg’s neighborhoods, attractions, trails, cabins, and outdoor spaces, it’s especially important for residents and visitors to stay BearWise, in order to keep humans and wildlife safe.

Bears are naturally curious and always looking for food. When they find an easy meal around people, they can quickly learn to return for more. A few simple actions can help prevent conflicts and protect both people and bears.

Please follow these Smokies BearWise basics:

✅ Never approach, touch, or feed bears.
Give bears plenty of room and enjoy them from a safe distance. Never approach a bear for a photo or use food to attract one. When bears become comfortable around people or associate people with food, it can create dangerous situations for everyone, including the bear.

✅ Secure trash, food, and other attractants.
Keep garbage in properly secured containers and never leave food, coolers, food scraps, or other attractants outside. Even something as small as an apple core can encourage a bear to return looking for food.

✅ Keep vehicles locked and food-free.
Bears are strong, curious, and capable of opening unlocked vehicle doors. Lock your doors and remove food, trash, coolers, pet food, and scented items from your vehicle.

✅ Never feed bears.
Feeding bears, intentionally or by leaving food where bears can access it, is dangerous and can lead to repeated conflicts. It is also illegal in Gatlinburg.

✅ Clean grills and outdoor eating areas.
After cooking, thoroughly clean grills, tables, and utensils. Bring pet food and bowls indoors, and remove other food sources that may attract wildlife.

✅ Keep dogs leashed and under control.
Dogs can provoke defensive behavior from bears. Keep pets on a non-retractable leash when outdoors, and never allow a dog to chase, bark at, or approach a bear.

✅ Know what to do if you encounter a bear.
Never run or crowd a bear. Give it an escape route and slowly increase your distance. If you’re enjoying the outdoors, stay alert, stay together, and know how to properly carry and use bear spray.

✅ Report concerning bear activity.
If bear behavior threatens people, property, or public safety, contact the Gatlinburg Police Department at 865-436-5181.

The BearWise graphics below offer helpful reminders for staying safe at home, while traveling, and while enjoying the outdoors. Please share this information with family, friends, neighbors, and visitors.

Keeping our area BearWise is a community effort.

Small actions, securing trash, removing food sources, locking vehicles, keeping dogs leashed, and giving bears space, can make a big difference in keeping our residents, visitors, and bears safe. 🐻🌲

08/07/2026

📚✏️ Best wishes for a great school year! 🍎

As a new school year begins, the City of Gatlinburg would like to wish all of the students, teachers, administrators, and staff at Gatlinburg-Pittman High School, Gatlinburg-Pittman Junior High School, and Pi Beta Phi Elementary School a wonderful start to the 2026–2027 school year!

We hope this year is filled with learning, growth, new friendships, and exciting opportunities. Thank you to our dedicated educators and school staff for your commitment to helping our students succeed, and thank you to our families for your continued support.

Here’s to a fantastic 2026–2027 school year and best wishes to all of our students! ❤️📖🎒

08/05/2026

On Tuesday afternoon, Governor Bill Lee and Tennessee Department of Tourist Development Commissioner Mark Ezell visited the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to celebrate another milestone for Tennessee tourism.

The state announced that Tennessee welcomed a record 150 million visitors in 2025, generating an all-time high of $32.5 billion in direct visitor spending. As part of his announcement, Governor Lee recognized the partners which worked to keep the Great Smoky Mountains National Park open during the 2025 Federal Government shutdown, which included the City of Gatlinburg, along with Sevier County and other local governments, non profits, and tribal entities. These entities worked together to keep the National Park open so visitors could continue to experience America’s most-visited National Park, helping sustain tourism, support local businesses, and protect jobs throughout the region.

The success of 2025 tourism has led to the State’s tourism economy grown by 40% since 2018, which is nearly twice the national rate.

Representing the City of Gatlinburg were City Commissioner Chad Reagan, City Manager Greg Patterson, and Director of Operations & Communications Seth Butler, who joined Governor Lee and area tourism leaders in celebrating this historic achievement.

Gatlinburg is proud to play a vital role in Tennessee’s thriving visitor economy and remains committed to welcoming millions of guests to the Great Smoky Mountains each year.

07/31/2026

The Gatlinburg Police Department will host a free Child Car Seat Safety Check Event next week.

🗓️Thursday, August 6,
⏰ 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
📍Rocky Top Sports World - Gatlinburg, TN

The event is open to the public and provides parents, grandparents, and caregivers the opportunity to have their child safety seats inspected by Certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians, who will be employees of the Police Department and Fire Department.

Technicians will ensure each car seat is properly installed, verify that it is appropriate for the child's age, height, and weight, and provide hands-on education to help caregivers safely transport their children.

"A properly installed child safety seat can make all the difference in the event of a crash,” said Gatlinburg Police Chief Ronnie Barrett. “We encourage all parents and caregivers to take advantage of this free service.

For more information: https://www.gatlinburgtn.gov/article/3053388

07/22/2026

Earlier this evening, the City was honored to dedicate the pavilion at Mills Park in honor of Pleas Proffitt in recognition of his lifetime of service, leadership, and unwavering commitment to Gatlinburg.

Surrounded by family, friends, the Gatlinburg City Commission and City Manager, and many other community members, Mr. Proffitt was recognized for the lasting impact he has made on Gatlinburg. His dedication to serving others and his family’s enduring connection to the land that became Mills Park have helped shape generations of our community.

We are grateful to everyone who joined us for this special ceremony and helped celebrate a man whose legacy continues to inspire all of us. Pleas’ name will forever be a part of Mills Park, reminding future generations of the people whose dedication helped build the Gatlinburg we know and love today.

07/15/2026

🏆 CITY OF GATLINBURG RECEIVES TWO TML ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS 🏆

The City of Gatlinburg has been recognized with two of the Tennessee Municipal League's (TML) highest honors, receiving the 2026 Excellence in Public Works Award and the 2026 Innovation Award during the 86th Annual Tennessee Municipal League Conference in Kingsport.

These awards recognize municipalities that demonstrate exceptional leadership, innovation, and service to their communities.

The Excellence in Public Works Award honors the City's investment in its recently renovated and expanded Public Works Complex, while the Innovation Award recognizes Gatlinburg's nationally unique Trout Facility and Trout Program. Together, the awards reflect the City's continued commitment to providing exceptional municipal services, while enhancing the quality of life for residents and visitors alike.

"This is an incredible honor for the entire Gatlinburg community," said Gatlinburg Mayor Mike Werner. "These awards are a reflection of the dedication and professionalism of the City employees, who work every day to make Gatlinburg one of the best places to live, work, and visit in Tennessee. Whether it's investing in modern infrastructure or preserving one of Gatlinburg’s most unique facilities, City employees continue to set the standard for municipal excellence."

City Manager Greg Patterson said the recognition demonstrates Gatlinburg's long-standing commitment to investing in innovative programs and critical infrastructure that benefit both residents and visitors.

"Receiving two statewide achievement awards in the same year is an incredible accomplishment and speaks volumes about the caliber of employees we have serving the City of Gatlinburg," Patterson said. "These awards recognize two very different programs, but they share a common purpose, which is providing exceptional public service.

“From rebuilding critical infrastructure following the 2016 wildfires to operating one of the most unique municipal trout programs in the country, our employees continue to find innovative ways to serve the public with excellence," Patterson said.

Read More on the City's recognitions: https://www.gatlinburgtn.gov/article/3033345

07/08/2026

The City of Gatlinburg will conduct a public auction of abandoned/seized vehicles and any other items declared surplus at 2 p.m. tomorrow (Thursday, July 9) at the Impound Lot at the Gatlinburg Public Works Complex, which is located on Newman Road in Gatlinburg.

The impound lot will be open by 1 p.m. to allow for the inspection of vehicles.

07/04/2026

Happy Independence Day as America celebrates its 250th Birthday today! 🇺🇸 🎇 🎆

Thank you to everyone for coming out to the First in the Nation Independence Day parade last night. We hope to see everyone at the fireworks finale later this evening, which starts with a Drone Show at 9:50 pm and fireworks at 10 pm.

For more information, visit Gatlinburg.com/July4

07/03/2026

Road closures will be in effect for the Independence Day parade, which begins at 12:01 am on Saturday, July 4.

For more information on Independence Day celebrations in Gatlinburg, visit Gatlinburg.com/July4

Discover why Gatlinburg's 4th of July Parade was named one of the best celebrations in the country! Find details on the parade route and the fireworks show.