Local weighs pros and cons of the rebranded Ober Mountain
If you want to learn about inertia, there are worse places than a mountain top. For many years, Ober Gatlinburg made its money in inertia – skiing, tubing and summer sledding. But over time, another type of inertia set in. Ober was in decline. The quality was lessening. Other places in the mountains were more popular and frankly, better. If you know much about inertia, it takes an outside force to stop it. In this case, the outside force was Joe Baker – a local entrepreneur flush with distillery cash – who stepped in and bought Ober Gatlinburg and rebranded it Ober Mountain. As a local who has been going up the mountain for more than 30 years, it’s something I’m thrilled to see.
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What is Ober Mountain?
The answer to that question is a little bit dependent on the season. In the winter, Ober is Tennessee’s premier – and maybe only – ski and snowboarding destination. It features top-of-the-line snow makers that provide the white stuff even when Mother Nature doesn’t. The idea is that Ober is a mountain chalet, a getaway with European style and plenty to do year-round for the entire family.
What can you do at Ober Mountain?
Activities include skiing, tubing, sledding, the Alpine coaster (the Tennessee Flyer) and the Alpine Slide – a sled with a break that runs along a concrete path down the mountain. There are also year-round ice skating and ice bumper cars, a scenic chairlift, an indoor carousel and an outdoor rock climbing wall as well as a wildlife habitat where you can learn more about the animals that live in the Smokies. The Cloud Catcher zipline is a newer addition to the mix. In the winter, there is also a snow zone where kids can play – weather permitting. And in the summer, there’s summer tubing and downhill mountain biking. There’s some shopping and dining – but not like Anakeesta.
Pros of going to Ober Mountain
One major upside to me is that there’s no per-person cover charge. You can drive up to Ober and walk around, spending only the parking fee. If you want to ride the Aerial Tramway up, the ticket runs for about $30, though booking with Tripster can save you a few dollars. Also, some of Ober’s activities that don’t involve the snow or biking are included in the wristband price. That means for $49 ($39 for seniors) – at the time of this writing – your family can ride the tram and plan a day that includes ice skating, summer tubing, the alpine slide, climbing the rock wall, riding the mountain coaster, see wildlife and more. And all without having to dip back into your wallet to pay for extras. Also, you can get some great views down to Gatlinburg in the valley below.
Cons of going to Ober Mountain
It’s still a work in progress. However, it’s exciting that Baker purchased Ober and is making massive improvements, but Rome wasn’t built in a day. The ice rink is small and if you’re an experienced skater, it can be underwhelming. The dining options are snacks and a small cafe and the shopping still leaves something to be desired. Also, winter tubing, snowboarding, skiing and any off-site activities (like rafting and ziplining) are NOT included in the wristband price. Additionally, if the weather’s bad or rainy, there’s no a la carte pricing for the wristband activities. In other words, you can’t just pay to do the indoor stuff. It’s all or nothing.
Is Ober Mountain worth it?
Yeah, I think it is. That $50 wristband for all the activities it buys? That’s a legit vacation day in Gatlinburg and you get to do a lot of different things. As a dad of three kids, it’s an excellent deal if you’re staying in a hotel on the strip and don’t have to pay the additional parking fee as well.
Parking, pricing, hours and more
Ober Mountain is open daily year-round. For parking, you’ve got two options. For the first option, you park down on the Parkway and ride the Aerial Tramway up to the mountain – which is greatly preferred – though I try to find a nearby spot that’s a little cheaper. Alternatively, you can drive up to the top and park in one of Ober’s many lots. The biggest problem with the second option is when the first lot or two fill up, you’ll have a little hike up the mountain to get to the facility. At the time of this writing, parking was $10 per standard vehicle. But also, the Tram is a great ride – it feels European – and adds a unique experience to your day.
A wristband that includes the Tram and Ober’s other activities is $49 for ages 5-49 or $39 for ages 60 and up. Ages four and under are free with a paying adult, unless restricted by size or age. If you decide only to purchase a Tramway ticket, you can upgrade to the full wristband at the park. Ober is located at 1339 Ski Mountain Rd in Gatlinburg, TN.
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I think Tennessee residents should get a discount because we live here year round. Locals get tired of the same old things. If the state offered discounts to locals we might visit these attractions more often. Florida gives discounts to locals like Disney World and Bush Gardens.
I think the prices are a little steep. I also think that everything should be unlimited with the wrist band purchase.
The wristband purchase should not limit amount of rides. I think people would stay longer and ultimately spend more money on other things there as well as return trips, if they didn’t feel like the cost of rides were so high. This is especially true for families with a lot of kids.
I will never return. Very outdated. Tourist trap. Overrated. Go visit a real mountain. It is a cheap amusement park.
It is most definitely worth it. One of the best deals in Gatlinburg. Summer time is great there. October fest there is very cool. There are around 10 bigger activities and several smaller ones. The wrist band is the way to go. Very few activities are less than 10 bucks in all of Sevier County. So it’s a great deal. To me anyway. I try to go every year. Still fun..