Entering Gatlinburg Tennessee, 'Gateway to the Smokies' The City of Gatlinburg, TN. is nestled at the doorstep of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. The choices for entertainment, lodging, and dining seem almost endless. You will notice that all of the stop lights have numbers on them (1-8). These numbers will be reffered to by all of the locals to help you navigate around town I-40 (exit 407) to the Great Smoky Mountains Please note: As this is the most traveled route to the Smoky Mountains from the Knoxville area, for the first 13 miles of this highway you will be traveling Tennesse State Route 66. At Sevierville this route now becomes US Route 441. Have a safe trip!