About Kuwohi Road Pullouts
Kuwohi Road is usually treated as a means to an end, a seven-mile climb to the parking lot below the tower. But the road has pull-offs along it, and they are the best way to see the high Smokies without a hike.
What the pull-offs are
The road runs along the crest from just below Newfound Gap to the lot. At intervals the shoulder widens into pull-offs that hold a few cars each. Some face north into Tennessee, where the ridges fall away toward Gatlinburg; others face south into North Carolina and the Oconaluftee drainage. The forest is red spruce and Fraser fir, thick on the slopes, and the sky shows between the trees. In clear air you see layer after layer of ridge.
What to expect
- Elevation: about 5,500 to 6,300 feet, so the weather is cold, windy and changeable.
- Facilities: none at the pull-offs; restrooms at the Kuwohi lot.
- Time to allow: 5 to 10 minutes per stop.
- Fog: frequent; if the first pull-off is in cloud, the tower will be too.
Road status
Kuwohi Road runs April 1 to November 29 in 2026, and closes sooner for snow, ice and hazards. In late October a closure is possible any day. There is no timed entry or reservation system, and a parking tag is required for stops over 15 minutes. See the seasonal road page.
Make it useful
Use the pull-offs on the way down rather than on the way up: you will have seen the weather at the top and can pick the one with a clear view. If the tower is socked in, the pull-offs near the lower end often sit under the cloud and show the valleys. Combine them with Morton Overlook on Newfound Gap Road for a full afternoon on the crest.
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.