The highlight of my trip to the Great Smoky Mountains was finding an epic ride to my Airbnb while stranded in the rain

• I took an aerial tram up into the Great Smoky Mountains in spring 2023.
• The ride was not part of my initial travel plan. In fact, I’d never heard of it before this trip.
• I spotted the tram while stuck in the rain with no taxi. It was the highlight of my trip.

During a trip to the Great Smoky Mountains in spring 2023, I had an experience I never expected — taking an aerial tram ride high above them.

I never knew this tramway existed before I arrived at Great Smoky Mountains National Park. But it turned out to be the most unexpected highlight of my trip.

And if I hadn’t been stranded in the rain, I never would have ridden it.

I was dreading a three-hour walk to my Airbnb on a rainy day in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, when I spotted a tram in the sky.

I spotted the aerial tram from a restaurant in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, a town near Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I was trying to figure out how to get to my Airbnb, but with no taxis available, I faced a three-hour walk in heavy rain.

The tram travels between downtown Gatlinburg and Ober Mountain, a tourist attraction with a roller coaster and other rides that happened to be just a 30-minute walk from my Airbnb.

Completed in 1973 to bring skiers safely up to the slopes, the tram ascends 300 feet above the Great Smoky Mountains and has carried millions of people up to Ober Mountain, according to the company’s website.

I was relieved to avoid an hourslong rainy walk and went to the tram station, which was across the street from the restaurant.

I bought a $30 tram ticket for a two-mile ride above the mountains.

At the station, I learned that it’s one of the largest aerial tramways in the US.

Each tram car can hold 120 people, according to Ober Mountain.

Once on board, I was impressed by how much room I had to move around and see the park from different angles.

I don’t think my tram ride was completely full.

The ride lasted about 10 minutes. I thought it swayed quite a bit, but not enough to be uncomfortable.

The tram travels at 17 miles per hour, according to the Gatlinburg Attractions Association.

I thought the aerial views of the park from the tram were epic and some of the best of my trip, even in the rain.

I couldn’t help but think that if I hadn’t struggled to find taxis, I never would have experienced the tram.

When I made it safely to my Airbnb, I was grateful for the unexpected adventure.

I’ll be back to ride it again on a sunny day.

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