Drive the Foothills Parkway National Scenic Byway

The foothills parkway runs parallel to the Great Smoky Mountains. It is approximately 30-miles in total. There are a few different places to get on to the parkway. There is one entrance near Fontana, Walland, Wears Valley, and Cosby. However Cosby is a smaller section and does not link to the other sections of the parkway. The section from Fontana to Wears Valley has some beautiful sights and is just under 17 miles long. There is one hike off of this section. The next section is from Walland to Wears Valley near Pigeon Forge. In this section there are no hikes but there are quite a few gorgeous overlooks to stop at. Since the parkway is also open at night it can be great to do pictures of the stars and milky way from here or to just stargaze. Nearby the parkway are places to stop for food, but there are no places for food or gas along the parkway. Another perk is there are many places for a nice relaxing picnic in the mountains however there are no picnic tables along the parkway so plan accordingly. The parkway is a great place to escape the crowds of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge while still being in the gorgeous Smoky Mountains.