Local advice on the road less traveled (Knoxville, Chattanooga: hotel, rental car)

[kanhawk]

I will be visiting relatives in southern Ohio in the fall and plan on using it as a jumping off point to take a road trip south through the mountains of Kentucky, Tennessee and possibly over into North Carolina. While I have been to Kentucky and Tennessee before I have never to the eastern mountainous region.
I like to avoid the worst of the tourist season and crowds if possible and I have 2 options available- around the 3rd week of September or the 4th week of October. While I like fall colors I prefer smaller crowds too. Can any locals tell me which of these 2 periods would have the least amount of tourist traffic on the roads?
Also, I like to stick to less traveled back country highways. I will likely go to Smoky Mountain National Park but I don't think I'll stay too long there as I have read it is the most heavily trafficked national park in the country. So, I'd like to hit places that have some great scenery but are more out of the way. I also like to mosey through small historic mountain towns. Any local advice would be greatly appreciated.

[knoxgarden]

Stick to the middle of the state for some less crowded and beautiful sightseeing.
Head to Historic Rugby and Wartburg in Tennessee. Wartburg is the jumping off point for the Obed National Wilderness area. A gorgeous and less crowded place to visit.
Obed Wild & Scenic River - Obed Wild & Scenic River (U.S. National Park Service)
Rugby is just a neat place and a good place to make your base for exploring.
Historic Rugby, Tennessee
Also plan a visit to Dale Hollow Lake. A gorgeous place with few visitors.
Lots of backroads around that whole area.

[creeksitter]

The trees will be spectacular in October. Just stay out of the smokies park and you'll be fine. Cumberland gap park is good for colors. For small towns I recommend Dandrige and Hot Springs NC. A couple years ago I drove from Hot springs south on 209 to I - 40 and the colors were eye-popping. On the way back I got off I-40 at the Big Creek exit #1, and just before the Smokies entrance I turned right to go towards Cosby in TN. Very little traffic, even in leaf season, but it is a very slow and partially unpaved road. But I didn't mind drivng slow because the colors were amazing. Big Creek is a uncrowded edge of the smokies.

That's just the beginning. There are a jillion beautiful roads in Tennessee. Get yourself a DeLorme atlas. Just stay off 441 in the mountains upon fear for your life and sanity. You will be stuck in traffic and I mean gridlock. Thats where all the tourists are so as a consequence the other roads are pleasantly empty. Well except for Cades cove and the little river road between G'burg and Cades cove. Avoid them as well. Avoid Knoxville during a football saturday, though during the actual game the roads will be empty.

[jabogitlu]

You should explore Madison County, NC. Some very beautiful small towns (Marshall, Hot Springs, Mars Hill) and some even prettier rural country (Wolf Laurel, Cutshalltown, Spillcorn, White Rock). All I can say is just get an atlas (or Google Maps) and start drivin'. I would advise the closer you can stay to the NC/TN line in your drives, the better. (No offense to our Knoxville/Cumberland crew ). Lots of country roads and pretty country in Greene, Unicoi, Johnson counties (TN) and Madison, Yancey and Mitchell (NC).

[Forest Breath]

You should consider the Cherohala Skyway going from Tellico Plains, TN to Robbinsville, NC. Good scenic road like the Smokies north, close to them as well. There are lots of side roads, picnic areas, waterfalls and places to hang out like Joyce Kilmer, Citico Creek, Bald River Falls, North River, etc.

Need more info just ask! It is a beautiful ride and a great place to spend a day or two!

Pics can be found here: BushwhackerJohn/Road Trips - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

[kanhawk]

Thanks for the suggestions and I will look into them.

[DreamingofTn]

There is a great book series called "Off the Beaten Path" with books specific to a certain state. You can find them on any major sales site. Amazon, Ebay, etc.

[kygman]

The best true statement I have heard about driving in the Smokies came from the Tram operator going over the mountain from Gatlinburg to Ober Gatlinburg ski lodge. ( I know you want to stay away from the tourist areas, but the view of the mountains in the fall from this tram is amazing!) He said if you want to drive through the mountains, get a rental car. Let them worry about replacing the brakes on their car, not on yours!

[zazakat]

If you can not do the enitire 544 miles of pure mountain terrain the below route will take you and I was going to have to choose, I would not miss Hot Springs NC - I would ask for cabin 1 (gotta bring your own bedding- sheets,blankents and pillows), eat at the 'bridge street cafe' and soak in #4 hot tub at the springs, this little town has a little red train cabuse as their 'visitor center'. This little town was formed around the little store that supplies the hiker's from the appalachian trail, which runs through the town. The stone ruins of the original hot springs building is still at the springs, and they now have hot tubs, pretty private too, all along the river and in the woods, with the srpings piped into the hot tubs that are drained and refilled with fresh spring water for each use. They also offer many kinds of massages. Nothing fancy here, just absolutely relaxing and real. Gotta go to Hot Springs at least once. You can plan your trip to begin in Lenior cityand get there easily if that is where you want to start your 'mountain trek' -
You could get to Lenoir City then Hot springs (call and make reservations before you go to hot springs, for the cabin and the hot springs, two different things) (cabin cost about $60- ??, you use the bathouse and your hear and see the roaring river from the little front porch of your cabin, build a fire in the fire pit in the front of cabin, , sleep in the loft and open the little round window and let the rushing sound of the river put you to sleep. It's going to be chilly in october. Basaboard heat, no bathroom-you are very close to the store and bathhouse. I think chek in is 3p, check in, relax, put on a sweat suit ONLY, bring two towels each, drive or walk to the hot tubs across the street, take off your sweat suit slip in the tub, soak, dry off, put on sweat suit, go straight to restaraunt in sweat suit, eat, go to cabin and crash to the sound of nature.

Biltmore House and Gardens in Asheville (less than 30 mls south of hot springs) is most definately worth seeing in a lifetime,,,,<5 mile long driveway <a railroad was built for the sole purpose of shipping the building supplies to the location <boling alley inside <tapestries --- AMAZING --- not just the house, but the entire grounds are breathtaking, (flowers do not bloom in October- still it is beautiful) Tickets about $35 plus lunch, and they have a winery !!!

lI did not route you thru Asheville, but you can see how to get to asheville from hotsprings and pick up the route from asheville if you have money and time to see Biltmore. Otherwise I would follow route I have suggested.


Please 'google map' the following in this order:

> Lexington, Ky
> Hazard, Ky (LaCitadel Hotel) - definately on "the road less traveled" NOT fancy
> Mountain City, Tn
> Butler, TN ---- beautiful lake and small town ---- goog starting point
(Newport,Tn also a good starting point-BUT- You do not want to stay in Newport)
> Hot Spings, NC
> Bluff, NC (hwy 209)
> Lake Junaluska, NC (look at a map -you can split and go thru Sylva, NC or below)
> Hazelwood, nc
> Balsam, Nc (hwy 23/74)
> Ravensford, NC (Blue Ridge Pkw)
> Cherokee, NC (time and children? see the "Okunaluftee Village') (also - look for a little OLD MOTEL - there a couple still left that has their little balconey/deck built DIRECTLY on the River running thru Cherokee) Hwy 441 to hwy 19
> Cheoah, NC, (Hwy 143 IS Cherohala Skyway and turns into hwy 165 later )
> Robbinsville, NC
> Mcguires, NC
> Tellico Plains, TN (Cherohala Skyway ends here as Hwy 165)
> Athens, Tn is at I-75
(you are at I-75, 35 mls soutn to Chattanooga, TN or 35 mls north to Knoxille I-40)

Hope this helps, also do a google search on "the dragon's tail" (this is a section of hwy 129 that is known as 'the dragons tail' at Fontana Damn/Fontana Village)
this would be the road you could take instead of the Cherohala Skyline --
you would end up going thru Calderwood and End up in Maryville, Tn. and would go to Lenior CIty to hit I-75 and I-40 about 15-20 mls from Maryville.

Safe travels !!!!

[zazakat]

Please let me make an important correction on above post:

I mean you can START in NEWPORT, TN ---- NOT ---- LENIOR CITY, TN

(post sais you may END UP in Lenior City, Tn - that is correct)