Auto Driving Tours
Though much of the half-million-square-acre
park is still wilderness with natural features such as hiking trails,
mountain vistas, waterfalls, and nature trails, the Park contains roads
(both improved and unimproved) that showcase the natural beauty. Try
one or more of the following auto tours to get a good feel for what wonderful
things the Great Smokies National Park has to offer. The links will take
you to a detailed description of the tour, including maps, directions,
mileage and approximate time required to comfortably complete the tour.
Enjoy!
• Cades Cove Loop Road
• Cosby - Big Creek-Cataloochee Tour
• Greenbrier Road Tour
• Lakeview Drive
• Little River Road Tour
• Newfound Gap-Clingman's Dome Tour
• Parson Branch Road
• Rich Mountain Road
• Roaring Fork Motor Tour
• Blue Ridge Parkway Auto Tour
Cades Cove Loop Road - The most visited part of the Park--and for
good reason
Cosby-Big Creek-Cataloochee Tour - This 11-mile tour passes historic
schools, homes, and churches on the North Carolina-side of the Park.
Greenbrier Road Tour - This route follows the Little Pigeon River to
Trillium Gap and road leads to the trailhead to Ramsay Cascades, arguably
the best waterfall in the Park.
Lakeview Drive - This six-mile drive is also known as "the Road
to Nowhere" and affords great views of Fontana Lake.
Little River Road Tour - Originally an old railroad roadbed in Little
River Gorge, this 18-mile route runs from the Sugarlands Visitor Center
to the entrance of the Cades Cove Loop Road.
Newfound Gap - Clingman's Dome Tour -Newfound Gap Road, which is the
only road to completely traverse the Park, courses the 32 miles between
Cherokee NC and Gatlinburg TN.
Parson Branch Road -This 8-mile gravel road leads from the Cades Cove
Loop Road to US 129 toward the North Carolina side of the Park and
Calderwood Dam.
Rich Mountain Road -This 7-mile, one-way route runs north from Cades
Cove to the Park boundary at Rich Mountain Gap and on down the mountain
to Townsend TN.
Roaring Fork Motor Tour -A five-mile one-way tour near Gatlinburg that
is referred to as a "motorized nature trail".
Blue Ridge Parkway Auto Tour -This route follows the Appalachian Mountain
chain from Shenendoah National Park to the Great Smokies National Park—a
distance of 469 miles.
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