The majestic Blue Ridge Parkway runs from Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to the southern entrance of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, U.S. 441, known in the park as Newfound Gap Road, is a high mountain road that cuts across the ridge near the center of the park, providing outstanding scenic views.

Car: From the north, take I-40 from Knoxville Tennessee (about 25 miles away), to U.S. 66, then U.S. 441 south to Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Drive 2 miles south on U.S. 441 to Park Headquarters and Sugarlands Visitor Center.

From the south, take U.S. 441 north to Cherokee, North Carolina, then drive 2 miles north on U.S. 441 to Oconaluftee Visitor Center.

From the west, take U.S. 129 south to Maryville, Tennessee, then take U.S. 321 north to Townsend, Tennessee, and then on to the park's west entrance. Drive west about 7 miles through the park to Cades Cove. (The visitor center is 5 miles farther on Loop Road.)

From the east, take I-40 west from Asheville, North Carolina (about 40 miles away), to U.S. 19, then U.S. 441 to the park's southern entrance near Cherokee, North Carolina.

Air: McGhee-Tyson Airport, the nearest major airport to the park, is located 45 miles west of Gatlinburg, between Knoxville and Alcoa, Tennessee. The Asheville Airport is south of Asheville, North Carolina, about 50 miles east of the park. The Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge Aviation Center, located 12 miles north of the park in Sevierville, serves private aircraft.

How far are you from
Great Smoky Mountains National Park?

Atlanta 141.7 mi.
Asheville 54.4 mi.
Augusta 176.0 mi.
Biloxi 480.8 mi.
Birmingham 240.9 mi.
Bowling Green 185.7 mi.
Charlotte 150.1 mi.
Chattanooga 110.5 mi.
Chicago 480.7 mi.
Cincinnati 243.6 mi.
Columbia SC 183.5 mi.
Columbus, GA 239.0 mi.
Crawfordsville 352.0 mi.
Dallas 783.7 mi.
Dayton, TN 86.0 mi.
Dayton, OH 282.8 mi.
Detroit 458.4 mi.
Evansville 273.6 mi.
Fort Wayne 381.0 mi.
Gainesville 423.3 mi.
Germantown 274.6 mi.
Greenville SC 83.8 mi.
Houston 797.2 mi.
Huntsville 189.9 mi.
Indianapolis 315.8 mi.
Jackson, MS 448.4 mi.
Kansas City 653.4 mi.
Kingsport 78.6 mi.
Kokomo 359.4 mi.
Lexington 164.3 mi.
Little Rock 505.0 mi.
London, KY 103.9 mi.
Louisville 216.2 mi.
Memphis 361.3 mi.
Miami 712.7 mi.
Milwaukee 558.1 mi.
Minneapolis 824.2 mi.
Mobile 432.3 mi.
Montgomery 277.7 mi.
Murfreesboro 161.1 mi.
Myrtle Beach 295.9 mi.
Nashville 186.6 mi.
New Orleans 542.5 mi.
Oklahoma City 785.7 mi.
Orlando 509.9 mi.
Pittsburgh 379.0 mi.
Raleigh 276.9 mi.
Richmond 361.9 mi.
Springfield, IL 438.1 mi.
St. Louis 419.6 mi.
Tallahassee 365.8 mi.
Tampa 538.7 mi.
Toledo 410.8 mi.
Tuscaloosa 287.8 mi.
Washington, DC 419.0 mi.
Winston-Salem 185.6 mi.