Foothills Parkway and Mountain Driving Tips (Maryville, Gatlinburg: home, safety, rich)

[LauraC]

I'm interested in the section of the Foothills Parkway that runs between Chilhowee and Walland. One of my game plans is to visit (day trip) Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, exit the Cove (before doing the full loop) on the wooded Parsons Branch Road, take 129 to Chilhowee and drive to Walland from Chilhowee on what I heard is the very scenic Foothills Parkway.

I understand that segment of the Foothills Parkway is only about 17 miles long. Here are my questions that I haven't found answers to in anything I've read or they seek your opinion:

If you have driven that section of the Foothills Parkway, are the scenic pull offs only on one side of the Parkway? If so, can you get to them by making a left on the Parkway or is there some barrier between lanes going in opposite directions?

In your opinion, what is the best time for viewing/photography, Fall or Spring? That is, does Fall foliage trump Spring wildflowers or vice versa?

Is Lake Chilhowee worth a stop in itself? Again, thinking of photos not something to do in the town.

How about Lake In The Sky?

By the way, in looking for info on the Foothills Parkway I found some nice photos on this website but that's not why I'm posting it. If you scroll down to the bottom of the page there is a link for Driving Tips in the mountains (any mountains) that newbies to Tennessee from relatively flat land might find very helpful.

http://blueridgehighlander.net/scenic_drives/tennessee/foothills_parkway/index.html (broken link)

[FL_TN_Nana]

[quote=LauraC;433227]I'm interested in the section of the Foothills Parkway that runs between Chilhowee and Walland. One of my game plans is to visit (day trip) Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, exit the Cove (before doing the full loop) on the wooded Parsons Branch Road, take 129 to Chilhowee and drive to Walland from Chilhowee on what I heard is the very scenic Foothills Parkway.

Laura, when we were in Cades Cove in late October, Parsons Branch was only open to the immediate area and the extension to NC was closed. Lots of trees down due to a storm. If it's open again, it would surprise me! Just go ahead and do the whole loop!

I understand that segment of the Foothills Parkway is only about 17 miles long. Here are my questions that I haven't found answers to in anything I've read or they seek your opinion:

If you have driven that section of the Foothills Parkway, are the scenic pull offs only on one side of the Parkway? If so, can you get to them by making a left on the Parkway or is there some barrier between lanes going in opposite directions?

Lots of pullover parking places -- no middle barriers. Just a really nice "country" drive with lovely views.
In your opinion, what is the best time for viewing/photography, Fall or Spring? That is, does Fall foliage trump Spring wildflowers or vice versa?

Well, I have to admit I love the fall colors. But I've also been in that area in the springtime, which is also beautiful. Lots of dogwoods, redbuds, etc.
Is Lake Chilhowee worth a stop in itself? Again, thinking of photos not something to do in the town.

?

How about Lake In The Sky?
?

Have fun!!!

[mbmouse]

I did the Parsons Branch to NC once long ago and the Jeep Wrangler I was driving had a time of it. I would not suggest that road (which is one way only from TN to NC) unless you are in a very sturdy 4 wheel drive that is high off the ground. It was fun though! Not really a road, more like two ruts to aim your tires for hehehehehe

[LauraC]

I did the Parsons Branch to NC once long ago and the Jeep Wrangler I was driving had a time of it. I would not suggest that road (which is one way only from TN to NC) unless you are in a very sturdy 4 wheel drive that is high off the ground. It was fun though! Not really a road, more like two ruts to aim your tires for hehehehehe.

Oh, good to know. I knew it was one way out of the cove but the photo I saw made it look like a gravel wooded regular 8 mile road. I do know it's not open from like December to March (don't write that down, not exactly sure of the month's it's closed). I heard it is closed due to washouts frequently and was closed most of last year.

Laura, when we were in Cades Cove in late October, Parsons Branch was only open to the immediate area and the extension to NC was closed. Lots of trees down due to a storm. If it's open again, it would surprise me! Just go ahead and do the whole loop!

To be honest, I was more interested in doing Parsons Branch Rd to 129 than Cades Cove mostly because I wanted to do that whole section of the Foothills Parkway going from Chilhowee and heading north.

I just stumbled on some Adventure Rider website where there was a discussion of Parsons Branch Rd, that started in 2004 and ended in Spring 2006 so it's not really relevant now as to whether the road is open yet. But some biker posted the most gorgeous photos. I was wondering if anyone who had done Parsons Branch Road could confirm that this (the photos) is the kind of thing you could see from that road, or do you think these photos were taken from some biking trail. Here's the link. The bike is in all of the photos but it looks like it's not on the road. The photos are at the very bottom of the page:

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=45320

You have to admit, the photos make you want to go there.

[FL_TN_Nana]

I just went to the website and Parsons Branch is still closed with no opening date. You'll need to scroll down the page to see the Special Note.

http://www.yoursmokies.com/smokymoun...ionalpark.html

[mbmouse]

No fear LaurC! You can get pictures like that in about a 30 mile radius (probably further) in that area. Between TN and NC in any land in or adjacent to the Smokie Mountain National Park, this is a common landscape. So just because that road is closed doesn't mean you can't walk a lot of trails that are a very short walk off the main road and see the wonderful nature of the Smokies! Just a note about that area also, there are bears, so you do need to be sure you educate yourself for safety in that respect before going to far off the roads.

[Milo Bloom]

If you want to do a scenic drive AND have some fun on the gravel roads in the Smokies, then do this:

- Head south on US 129 through Maryville to Foothills Parkway southern terminus at Chilhowee Lake (nothing to see here, btw)

- Drive Foothills Parkway up to Look Rock, stop and enjoy the view. Side trip here to Top O' the World (Lake in the Sky is here) if you want; the lake is pretty but it is mostly just a weekend home community, kind of low-rent historically but changing.

- Get back on Foothills Parkway, travel down the other side towards Walland. Stop and enjoy the overlooks. Do not neglect the overlook of Millers Cove, it is especially pretty.

- At Walland, turn right on US 321, go to Townsend. Stop here and get a sandwich for lunch or whatever you may need, including gas.

- Drive to Cades Cove, do the full loop. Stop in some field and have a picnic. Note the location of the Rich Mountain Road on your right, but do not go down it. Check to make sure it is open, though. There is a gate right there, it is either open or closed. It's fairly evident.

- Do the full loop, enjoy some short hikes, Cable Mill Visitors Center, etc. When you come out at the campground, go back to the start of the loop.

- Continue on the loop a second time until you get to Rich Mountain Road. If it was open, that is. It's not that far in. Take a right and follow it over the mountain.

- Along Rich Mountain road, stop and look at wildlife that will be seen along the way. Turkeys, deer, bears, etc.

- Rich Mountain Road terminates back in Townsend. Take a left on US 321 and head back from whence you came.

I hope you took pictures!

[FL_TN_Nana]

I love the Rich Mtn. Road views. There's one especially beautiful place where you can see the church from your roadside view. I think it's the Methodist Church in Cades Cove.

Here's some of my pics from last October/November. Unfortunately some of the days were really cloudy, but we still enjoyed it immensely!

http://picasaweb.google.com/HaveMomW.../StarredPhotos

[EagleI]

Here's some of my pics from last October/November. Unfortunately some of the days were really cloudy, but we still enjoyed it immensely!

Thanks for sharing your photo album. Each view was prettier than the last!

[sliverbox]

One thing you might want to be aware of is that cades cove is the most popular area in the Smokey Mountains. Often times, the entire road will be bumper-to-bumper traffic for the entire 11 miles loop. That and people will stop every time there is a deer.So it can actually be insanely irritating. My suggestion is that if you want to see this up close, it would probably be much faster to do it by bicycle, or even walk it because this will often times be faster than driving it- believe it or not. Cades Cove is also accessible through Gatlinburg... so expect LOTS of traffic getting to it.

Another nice secret is that if you like the idea of Cades Cove, there is another part of the Smokeys on the NC side called Cataloochee, which is the same geographic type-a meadow with historic buildings. In my opinion, Catlooche is nicer and more interesting than Caded Cove. You do have to take about 10 miles on a gravel road up the side of a mountain to get there, but it isn't rough and a normal car can do it just fine. This is near Maggie valley, NC.