About Little River Gorge Overlook
Little River Road follows a steep gorge for much of its length, and at the stretch east of Metcalf Bottoms the pavement hugs the cliff above the water. This is one of the places where the road is cut into the slope, and a pair of pull-offs let you stop and look down.
What you see
The view is about depth. The gorge walls drop sharply from the road to the river, covered in hemlock, rhododendron and hardwoods. The Little River below runs white over boulders, and in autumn the sound reaches the pull-off even with the windows up. In late October the leaves are mostly down along the cliff and you can see the rock faces and the stream bed through the bare trees.
Because the walls are steep, the gorge is shaded for much of the day. Midday sun, when it reaches the water, makes the river sparkle. Mornings are cool and foggy; evenings are dark.
Practical notes
- Where: on Little River Road between Elkmont and the Sinks, within about 10 miles of Sugarlands Visitor Center.
- Parking: two small pull-offs. The road has no shoulder, so pull completely off.
- Safety: there are no railings at the gorge edge in places; keep children close and stay off the rocks.
- Facilities: none. Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area, a few miles west, has restrooms.
Combine it with
The Sinks, a churning drop in the river, and the Meigs Falls pull-off are a few minutes farther west. Laurel Falls Trail, farther east, is closed and not expected to reopen until 2027. The road is open year-round but rockfalls and washouts do occur, especially after heavy rain. A parking tag is required for stops over 15 minutes.
Good to know
- Do I need a parking tag?
- A Park It Forward parking tag ($5 a day, $15 a week or $40 a year) is required for any vehicle parked more than 15 minutes inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Entry is free, and federal passes such as America the Beautiful do not replace the tag.