Mynatt Park: Creekside Play, Kids Fishing and Picnics in Gatlinburg

About

Mynatt Park is where Gatlinburg families go to relax, and it is a welcome break from the downtown crowds only minutes away. The city park follows LeConte Creek on Asbury Lane, close to the Historic Nature Trail entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Shady picnic spots, a new playground and a stream set aside for young anglers make it one of the easiest outdoor outings in town for families with kids.

The park's signature feature is its children's fishing stream: a children-only section of LeConte Creek that begins at the national park boundary at the Historic Nature Trail entrance and runs about a quarter mile downstream. In June 2025 the city completed a 5,600-square-foot inclusive playground designed mainly for ages 5 to 12, with eight swings including adaptive ones, slides, climbing features, musical and sensory play, and shade structures. There are also tennis courts at the Don Watson Tennis Center, new pickleball courts, a basketball court and the 2016 Wildfires Memorial and Tribute Plaza.

The park is at 634 Asbury Lane, with ADA-accessible concrete paths and easy stroller access throughout. Picnic tables, grills and restrooms are on site. The covered pavilion can be reserved through the Gatlinburg Recreation Department at (865) 436-4990; visitors pay $25 for up to four hours or $35 for longer. Remember that Gatlinburg does not allow fishing in city-managed streams on Thursdays, when the city stocks rainbow trout.

Photo: Gatlinburg Convention & Visitors Bureau

Did You Know

• The children-only fishing section of LeConte Creek runs about a quarter mile downstream from the national park boundary (Gatlinburg Convention and Visitors Bureau).
• Gatlinburg operates the only municipally owned trout facility in Tennessee (Gatlinburg Convention and Visitors Bureau).
• The inclusive playground completed in June 2025 covers more than 5,600 square feet (Gatlinburg Convention and Visitors Bureau).
• The park is home to the 2016 Wildfires Memorial and Tribute Plaza (Gatlinburg Convention and Visitors Bureau).