Smoky Mountain Hiking

Millions of people each year travel to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to take in its natural beauty. A large majority of those people stay in either Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge. Most people will tell you to take I-40 to the Sevierville/Smoky Mountains exit. This puts you on Highway 66, which connects with Highway 441 in downtown Sevierville.

If you have ever taken this route on a holiday weekend or during the peak seasons, you know that traffic can be a mess, usually resulting in a 15-20 mile trip that takes 2 hours or more. There are lots of alternate routes you can take, and we usually make use of them to save time and to take in better scenery than that of the parkway in Pigeon Forge.

If you are coming from Birmingham, Atlanta, or anywhere south of Knoxville, take the Lenior City exit off of I-40. This will put you on Highway 321. After many years of construction, this road is 4 lane all the way to Maryville, save a few miles here and there. In Maryville, you will stay on 321, passing by the 200 year old Maryville College. My family takes this route and it is a sanity saver. We will often leave early enough to grab lunch to go at the Little River Grill in Townsend (home of the broasted chicken), and then head up to Cades Cove.
Follow 321 to Townsend, “the quiet side of the Smokies”. If your plans are to visit Gatlinburg, take the 30-mile scenic tour through the park. If you your destination is Pigeon Forge, follow 321 through Wears Valley, an equally scenic 2-lane road that runs the edge of the park boundary.

If you are arriving from locations north of Knoxville, there are several options availble to you. The quickest and most reliable will probably be to exit at Newport (ext 435). This will also drop you onto highway 321, which you can follow through Cosby and the Greenbriar area down to Gatlinburg. You can also try the Foothills Parkway, but this road can be closed during cold weather due to ice.
If you are coming from North/South Carolina or Atlanta, follow highway 23/441 through Cherokee, NC. This will take you into the park and across Newfound Gap, which is a great place to stop and stretch your legs. This road may be closed if there is sufficient ice near the top.

Well, that should help you find the quickest way to the Smokies. Look for our next article on getting around Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge off the Parkway.

If you know of any other great tips, leave a comment.