For the Love of Gatlinburg: S1, E7 — Gatlinburg's Heritage & Evolution

Randy Watson, General Manager of Gatlinburg SkyPark, has spent nearly his entire life — and his entire 48-year career — in one place. Born and raised in Gatlinburg, Randy's family history in the area predates the national park itself: both of his grandfathers worked for the Little River Lumber Company before the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was established, and both families were among those who had to relocate when the park was formed.

Randy's own career began at age 14, cutting brush along the chairlift line with a hand sickle — the same attraction his father managed at the time, and the same one Randy now leads as the longest-running general manager in SkyPark's history. Along the way, he spent 15 years as a bluegrass musician, playing five-string banjo in a five-piece band that included Gatlinburg's former mayor on upright bass, and still plays today with his band Misty River at Blackberry Farm.

The conversation traces SkyPark's evolution from a single-chair lift installed in 1954 to today's SkyPark, home to the SkyBridge — the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in North America. Randy shares a vivid, emotional account of the 2016 wildfires, which completely destroyed the top of the mountain and the original SkyLift infrastructure, and the remarkable rebuilding process that followed — including a silver lining he didn't expect: the loss of hundreds of mature trees, deemed unsafe by arborists, opened up panoramic mountain views that hadn't been visible in decades.

• Family roots that predate the national park. Randy's grandparents on both sides — the Watsons and the McCarters — lived in what is now the national park and worked for the Little River Lumber Company before being displaced when the park was established.

• A 48-year career that started with a hand sickle. Randy's first paying job at age 14 was cutting brush along the Crockett Mountain chairlift line by hand — decades before he'd become the attraction's general manager, following his own father into the role.

• A double life as a musician. For 15 years, Randy worked at the Skylift by day and played five-string banjo at the Riverside Motor Lodge by night, in a band that included Gatlinburg's former mayor, Fred McMahon, on upright bass.

• The oldest running attraction in Gatlinburg. The Gatlinburg Skylift opened in 1954 as a single-chair lift, evolved through several upgrades, and now includes the SkyBridge — the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in North America at 680 feet.

• The 2016 wildfires wiped out the mountaintop. Randy evacuated his team at noon that day, unaware that 87-mile-per-hour winds would soon drive the fire directly into Gatlinburg; the top of the mountain, including the original SkyLift infrastructure, was completely destroyed.

• The company took care of its people. Five employees lost everything in the fires, but not one employee missed a paycheck — ownership immediately provided $1,000 in cash to each affected employee to help them get back on their feet.

• An unexpected silver lining. Arborists determined that over 90% of the mountain's large oak and tulip poplar trees were structurally compromised and had to be removed — inadvertently opening up sweeping panoramic views of the Smokies that hadn't been visible in generations.

• From 25 employees to 100. Under Randy's leadership, SkyPark has grown from a peak summer staff of 25 under his father to around 100 employees today, alongside major new additions like Clayton's Landing — a new western-facing plaza named after Randy's father, opening near Thanksgiving with its own dining and fire pit areas.