Scenic Drives: The Best Way to See the Smokies?
Great Smoky Mountains National Park covers over 522,000 acres of land. That statistic alone is bound to be overwhelming to visitors spending only a finite amount of time in the park. We had three weeks to explore the area, but we opted to not just venture into the park, but check out the surrounding towns as well. We also had work and errands keeping us busy, so we needed to be productive with our in-park excursions. While we love a good hike, we felt like hiking wasn't always the best way to explore. The park is just so big, and we couldn't spend all our time doing miles-long hikes through the woods. We discovered that a great, convenient way to explore the park is by taking in one of the many scenic drives. On work days, we could skip out during lunch and drive one of the parkways closer to the campground. Or we could venture a little further in the evenings, as the Tennessee sunset is very late in June - after 9PM! We took advantage of the late sunset many times, having a good 3-4 hours to explore in our after-work adventures. We also thought that heading out at off-times such as these would help us avoid the infamous Smokies traffic jams.
In this post we'll cover our favorite scenic drives, including ones with overlooks, wildlife, and some where you can still get your steps in, even if driving is your main mode of exploration.
Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail
The downside to scenic drives is that the driver sometimes misses views while keeping an eye on the road. We have an extra challenge in that we drive a large pickup truck. Unlike RVers who travel by motorhome and tow a small vehicle, our only vehicle is the truck that we use to tow our trailer. Clyde performed great on the mountain roads, but we do need to take extra precautions when maneuvering something that size through twists, turns, and narrow passages. For this reason, we thought our first scenic drive would be best left to the experts. We decided to go on a Pink Jeep Tour, which we talked about in more detail in our Pigeon Forge blog post. We could choose which road we wanted to venture on for our tour, and we chose Roaring Fork. This is a park road that takes you up to some scenic overlooks and then also brings you past some old pioneer homesteads. Our guide Len mentioned that bears were common sightings along this road. We did see a few from so far away that they looked Beanie Baby sized, but they were bears nonetheless! We would recommend Roaring Fork if you want a mix of mountaintop views, history, and some water cascades - with a little wildlife thrown in, if you're lucky. Just don't be like the sad soul who tried to drive his RV through the road and ended up getting stuck, destroying part of a bridge, and getting a federal fine. No trucks or RVs are allowed on this road.
Foothills Parkway
Foothills Parkway has an entrance in Wears Valley, only minutes from where we stayed. This parkway is a massive National Parks Service project that is taking years, and so far, only a few small sections have been completed. We did the part of Foothills closest to our campground but never ventured over to the other part that was open. That said, just our short drive on the eastern side of the parkway was so beautiful that we ended up driving it twice, once with Tanner, and once with BB the harp. We were confused that, when we drove, parts of the parkway that should have been open were not. For instance, Look Rock Tower is supposed to have beautiful views, but we couldn't access the road leading to it. There were no alerts on the NPS website, and only one very ill-worded electronic sign when we approached that section of the road. To this day we still don't know the dates that section is open versus closed this year, so research and probably a few phone calls will be needed to venture towards that part of the parkway. We were just content taking our local drives. After all, it's not every day your home is parked just 5 minutes from views like this! We would recommend Foothills Parkway to anyone staying in Wears Valley or Townsend, or motorcyclists looking for a short but scenic drive, and for anyone who wants to gaze upon the majestic Smoky Mountains. It's also a nice option to drive a section on your way to one of the other attractions nearby.
Cades Cove Loop
Cades Cove Loop is arguably the most famous drive in the Smokies. It's a 2+/- hour drive with lots of places to stop and learn about the history of the early settlers in the area. Wildlife is also commonly seen here. Our campground wasn't too far from Cades Cove, so we decided to head over on an evening after work. We were wary of the "must do" experiences in the park such as this one, with fear that it was so hyped up that we'd end up being disappointed. Perhaps we became overly cynical, because the loop was even better than we expected. We were only one of about a dozen cars navigating the loop, giving us plenty of freedom to go at our speed, stop where we wanted, and take leisurely walks around.
When you first arrive, there is an information center where you can purchase an auto tour for $1 on an honors system. The auto tour comes with a pamphlet and a map of the park. I highly recommend the auto tour. We learned so much about the pioneers who built their homes in the area and the steps the government took to create the preserved park it is today. The area is steeped in Native American history, much of which isn't known, as the records became more detailed during the pioneer settlement. As the Europeans arrived at Cades Cove, the area grew into family villages rooted in sustainable farm living. Driving through the loop, you get a real sense of the technological developments through time during this era, from primitive crops to millwork.
As we drove the loop, I dazzled Anthony by reading the entire auto tour pamphlet in a British accent (a new skill I've been working on). We took lots of photos of the gorgeous mountains standing tall over the farmland, and we visited old homesteads and churches from the Civil War era. We spotted two black bears, over a dozen deer, a rabbit, and a turkey. Everything we heard about Cades Cove was true; it's great for wildlife sightings and learning about the history of the land. The views aren't mentioned much, probably because Cades Cove is in the valley looking up at the mountains, as opposed to the overlooks on top of the mountains. We thought this was a refreshing vantage point and is very much worth noting. We recommend this road for all of the above: the history, the wildlife, and the views. When it's not crowded, it's very peaceful. Allow time to pull over and stop along the way, even if to just get out of your car and marvel at the vast meadows at the base of the mountains.
A few details if you plan to visit Cades Cove Loop: On Wednesdays, the park is closed to automobiles, to make way for visitors who would rather walk or bike the loop. Also, going in the mornings or evenings is usually best, as it's less crowded and the chances of seeing wildlife are higher. Lastly, while mainly a scenic drive, the loop does have lots of hiking trails that begin from the road. Many are longer and more challenging, while some are only a mile or less. Even though we primarily drove the loop, we got a lot of steps in just by hiking the small trails and exploring the settlements.
Little River Gorge Road
We drove Little River Gorge several times, as it's not just a scenic route, but an actual road that connects the National Park to the town of Townsend, just west of where we were staying in Wears Valley. Our common drive to get to the park was to take Wear Cove Gap Road to Little River Gorge and then turn east until the road becomes Fighting Creek Gap Road, leading to the Sugarlands Visitor Center. However, towards the end of our time in the Smokies, we took a more deliberate drive along the entire road, continuing west because that's where some of the best lookouts are. This road parallels the Little River - a sight in itself - but it also features hiking trails, waterfalls, and picnic areas. Despite its proximity to the Visitor Center and Gatlinburg, the area is typically less congested than some of the roads on the other side of the park. We'd recommend Little River Gorge Road if you want to feel immersed in the forest, if you want beautiful river views, or if you want to see waterfalls without leaving your car, but it's not something we'd go out of our way for, had we been staying on the other side of the park.
Newfound Gap Road
Another famous road, Newfound Gap Road traverses the Smoky Mountains along the Tennessee-North Carolina border. Part of route 441, you can continue from Gatlinburg, past the Sugarlands Visitor Center and onto the road, which will bring you up and around the mountains, through tunnels, and even on a road loop de loop! Newfound Gap itself is a mecca along the Appalachian Trail, where hikers can emerge from the forest and get reacquainted with civilization (and take in the spectacular views) before continuing on their way. If you take the road all the way to the south end, you will enter the town of Cherokee, North Carolina, rich with Native American influence. We only went half-way, as we had an important hike on the agenda, which we'll talk about in next week's post. The northern half of Newfound Gap road is extraordinary, though. There aren't many words that will do the scenery justice, but hopefully the photos will. We recommend Newfound Gap Road to anyone who is looking for outstanding mountain views. This road will also lead you to the trailheads of some of the most spectacular hikes in the park. Next time we're in the Smokies, we'll be heading back to Newfound Gap to do some more hiking and to finish the road. We know it's worth every twist and turn. Feeling daring? RVs are allowed on this road, and we saw many RV drivers carefully navigating their way through. Just go slow and don't feel rushed. Remember, everyone behind you is surrounded by mountain views, so if they need to be stuck behind a slow poke, there's no better place to be!
As you can see, scenic drives in the Smokies aren't just for people who want an easy view. These views are for everyone, even if you're an advanced hiker. We thought we'd do more hiking during our stay in the Smokies, but we found the drives to be really convenient, with huge pay-offs. Some of our favorite days in the park combined a scenic drive with a few shorter hikes, and there's certainly nothing wrong with that! Clearly, as road trip fanatics, we're going to be advocates of a good scenic drive.