Page 16 - TRC Website Guidebook 2022

Scenic Drives

Cades Cove Loop Road — 11 miles

The Cove is best seen via Cades Cove Loop Road, which is a one way paved
lane that skirts the bottoms of the forested mountains which surround the
fields of the valley floor. The Loop Road takes vacationers on a historical tour
of early pioneer farms, fields, roads and trails, leaving the Smokies’ visitor with
the feeling that they have witnessed something wonderful and wholesome. Cades Cove Loop is open to auto, bicycle and foot traffic every
day of the year from sunup to sundown with a few exceptions. All day Wednesday during the summer months, the Loop Road is reserved for
bicycles and hikers.

Foothills Parkway — 44 miles

Approved by Congress in 1944, the Foothills Parkway, located in the mountainous foothills of the Tennessee Valley, mostly travels below
and parallel to the Great Smoky Mountains. The Parkway route allows for RVs and trailers as well. This scenic mountain drive is an
experience you’ll want to make time for. The Foothills Parkway provides some beautiful views of the Smokies – especially in the fall color
season.

If you can’t get enough the Great Smoky Mountains’ scenic drives or you just want to view them from another perspective at a much lower
altitude, then you’re going to love the Foothills Parkway. The views from these lower mountain ridges are spectacular. The Foothills Parkway
takes visitors above the treetops and foothills from the valley below, offering incredible mountain vistas across the entire face of the Great
Smoky Mountains National Park.

FOOTHILLS PARKWAY WEST: This 17-mile long section of the Parkway travels along the backbone of the Chilhowee Mountain between
Chilhowee Lake and the town of Townsend in Blount County.

FOOTHILLS PARKWAY EAST: This 5.5 mile section of the Parkway is in Cocke County cradled just below the Great Smoky Mountains
National Park. You can pick up the Foothills Parkway East near the town of Cosby in Cocke County.

FOOTHILLS PARKWAY SPUR: This approximately 5-mile section of the Parkway is the most traveled amongst the 4 sections of the
Foothills Parkway. Located in Sevier County, this section connects the towns of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. This spur travels between
ridge tops rather than over them as compared to the other sections of the Parkway that use only ridge tops.

CENTRAL FOOTHILLS PARKWAY: The “Missing Link” of the Foothills Parkway opened on November 10, 2018. The 16 miles of the
“Missing Link” section as it was referred to, provides stunning views of Wears Valley, Townsend, Walland, and the surrounding area. This
section from Wears Valley, TN to Walland, TN connects to the existing 17-mile Foothills Parkway West.
14