About Smokemont Overlook
By the time Newfound Gap Road reaches the Smokemont area, the drive has dropped from the spruce-fir crest into hardwoods, and the character of the park changes. The stop above Smokemont is the sort of overlook you notice when you are looking for one rather than one that stops you.
The view
From the pull-off, the Oconaluftee valley widens below. Forested slopes rise on both sides of the river. The Smokemont area is hidden in the trees, but you can see the line of the river and the gaps in the forest where the old settlement sat. In October the valley holds the late color, with the upper slopes already bare.
This is a ground-level view, not a panorama. The pleasure is in the repeated folds of ridge and the lack of crowds.
Visiting
- Where: on Newfound Gap Road, on the North Carolina side, a few miles above Smokemont campground.
- Time to allow: 5 to 10 minutes.
- Facilities: none at the pull-off. Smokemont campground and picnic area have restrooms; Oconaluftee Visitor Center is 10 miles down.
- Parking: a parking tag is required for stops over 15 minutes.
- Road: open year-round, weather permitting.
What is nearby
The Smokemont Baptist Church, a white frame church, stands just off the road near the campground. The Bradley Fork and Kephart Prong trails start in the area, though some Helene-damaged trails in the Oconaluftee area are listed as closed, so check the park's conditions page. The Mountain Farm Museum and Oconaluftee Visitor Center are farther down.
If you are driving up from Cherokee, this is a convenient place to stop and check your fuel and time before the climb to the gap. Allow 35 minutes from here to Newfound Gap.
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.