Gatlinburg SkyLift Park + SkyBridge

The official site lays out the route.

• SkyLift: ride the open yellow chairlift up the mountain to Crockett Summit.
• SkyBridge: cross the pedestrian cable suspension bridge. The park bills it as the longest of its kind in North America.
• Clayton's Landing: the park's newest overlook, with wide views over the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
• Trails: a trail system of about 1.5 miles, including the SkyTrail to Tulip Tower, where signs explain the plants and wildlife.

There is food and drink on site, too: Smoky Mountain Smash is the burger restaurant, and Smoky Mountain SIPS serves craft drinks. A shop sits at the SkyLift exit.

The site sells a SkyPass for access to every attraction (SkyLift, SkyBridge, SkyTrail, SkyDeck, the restaurant and more). A family bundle gives full adult admission plus 20 percent off up to four junior tickets, and kids 5 and under are free. Prices and hours load from the website's live pages, so check the ticket page for the day you plan to go.

• Address: 765 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN 37738. Phone (865) 436-4307.
• Parking: the park lists parking steps away from the entrance.
• Time needed: one and a half to two hours with the trails.
• Best light: mornings and the hour before sunset, when the haze that gives the Smokies their name softens the views.

Wind and weather can pause the lift, so check the site on gusty or stormy days. If you are afraid of heights, know that the bridge is the key moment: it has solid sides, but you are looking straight down. Sit on the lift with the safety bar down and keep loose items zipped away, because anything dropped does not come back.

For other mountain views from the Parkway, compare it with the Gatlinburg Space Needle and the Anakeesta ride. SkyPark is the one that puts you on a bridge.