Sightseeing In
The Great Smoky Mountains
National Park

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park encompasses over one-half million acres, making it the largest National Park in the East. An auto tour of the park offers panoramic views, tumbling mountain streams, weathered historic buildings, and uninterrupted forest stretching to the horizon.

There are over 270 miles of road in the Smokies. Most are paved, and even the gravel roads are maintained in suitable condition for standard two-wheel drive automobiles. Travel times on most roads will average 30 miles per hour or slower.

Driving in the mountains presents new challenges for many drivers. When going downhill, shift to a lower gear to conserve your brakes and avoid brake failure. If your vehicle has an automatic transmission, use L or 2. Keep extra distance between you and the vehicle in front of you and watch for sudden stops or slowdowns.

The following is a partial listing of some of the park's most interesting roads. To purchase a copy of the park's official road guide, Mountain Roads & Quiet Places, call (865) 436-0120 or stop by any park visitor center. Or, Click Here for maps that you can download and print. You can also Click Here for up-to-date information on roads, campgrounds, picnic areas and the backcountry areas.

Newfound Gap Road
(33 miles - Paved)

This heavily used U.S. highway crosses Newfound Gap (5,048') to connect Cherokee, NC and Gatlinburg, TN. Highlights include numerous pullouts with mountain views and a variety of forest types as you ascend approximately 3,000 feet up the spine of the Great Smoky Mountains. Newfound Gap itself features a large parking area, scenic views, restrooms, wayside exhibits, and access to the Appalachian Trail.

The Spur

Technically part of the Foothills Parkway, The Spur is the only direct route from Gatlinburg to Pigeon Forge. A scenic four-lane highway, it follows the West Prong of the Little Pigeon River.

Clingmans Dome Road
(7 miles - Paved)

This spur road follows a high ridge to a paved trail that leads 0.5 mile to the park's highest peak. Highlights are mountain views and the cool damp spruce-fir forest similar to the boreal forest of Canada.

Little River Road
(18 miles - Paved)

This road parallels the Little River from Sugarlands Visitor Center to near Townsend, Tennessee. Highlights include the river, waterfalls, and wildflowers.

Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail
(8 miles - One-Way Traffic)

The Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is an intimate journey through the Smoky Mountain's lush forests. In places, 8-mile long, one-way road reveals some of nature's secrets, while in others it weaves the story of the people who once lived here. Water is a constant companion on this journey. Cascades, rapids, and falls adorn the streams. The sound of rushing water is never far away.

Along the route are several hiking trails including the hike to Grotto Falls. This same trail continues to Brushy Mountain and Mt. LeConte.

Second growth forests line the road on its journey. A few better-drained ridges support a pine-oak forest, but cove hardwoods and hemlocks dominate the landscape. Rhododendrons with thick, sprawling foliage green the understory year-round. In early July their pink blooms highlight the shadowy forest. The Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is open to vehicle traffic from early spring until December 1 each year. An inexpensive guide booklet is available at the beginning of the trail and at visitor center bookstores. RVs, trailers, and buses are prohibited on the narrow, winding road.

Loop Road
(11 miles - One-Way Traffic)

One of the most popular ways to visit Cades Cove is by driving the eleven-mile, one-way Loop Road. A driving tour booklet providing more information about the story of Cades Cove can be purchased at the start of the loop for a minimal fee. The road is generally open from sunrise to sunset. The opening is postponed until 10 a.m. on Wednesday and Saturday mornings from approximately May through September to allow walkers and bikers to travel the road without motorized traffic. The speed limit is 20 miles per hour. The one-lane road has parking lots and pull-offs which slower drivers are encouraged to use to allow other traffic to continue moving. Traffic can be heavy, particularly during the height of summer or during the height of autumn colors. Driving time may be as long as three hours during peak seasons. Two parallel, two-way, gravel roads cross through the cove: Sparks Lane on the eastern end of the Cove and Hyatt Lane towards the western end. In addition to the paved Loop Road, two, one-way gravel roads leave the Cove. Rich Mountain Road leads to Townsend, Tennessee and Parson's Branch Road empties onto 129 on the southwest end of the park.

Gravel Roads

Many park roads have only a gravel surface. Two-wheel drive vehicles can drive these roads. Some provide access to less visited park areas while others are scenic drives in their own right. Below are descriptions of the three main gravel roads. All of them are one way.

Rich Mountain Road
(8 miles - One-Way Gravel)

Rich Mountain Road heads north from Cades Cove over Rich Mountain to Tuckaleechee Cove and Townsend, TN. The 8-mile road provides beautiful views of Cades Cove. Many prize-winning photographs come from here. Situated on a dry ridge, an oak-dominated forest lines the roadside. Once outside the Park, the road becomes steep and winding.

Parsons Branch Road

Parsons Branch Road leads from Cades Cove southwest to U.S. Route 129 near Deals Gap. Virgin Oak Forest lines this historic route. Floods caused serious damage to the road bed in spring 2003, forcing closure of the road.

Heintooga-Roundbottom Road
(15 miles - One-Way Gravel)

Heintooga-Roundbottom Road is a 15-mile road leading from Balsam Mountain Road to Big Cove Road. It takes one hour to drive. The only access to the area is along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Starting from a mile high, this road descends through the Raven Fork drainage basin. A few small vistas open along exposed ledges. The road travels through lush second growth forest and along cascading streams. Heintooga-Roundbottom Road is an opportunity to experience the Great Smokies' solitude and wilderness. Following Raven Fork's playful waters, the road leads into Cherokee, NC along Big Cove Road.