About Foothills Parkway Pullouts
The Foothills Parkway West runs about 33 miles along a ridge on the north side of the Smokies, and between its named overlooks it has many small pull-offs. Most hold one car, sometimes two. No plaque tells you what you are looking at.
What you see
The pull-offs face south, so the main Smokies range stands across the horizon in long blue layers. Between the Parkway and the park lies a lowland of farms and woodlots. Each pull-off picks out a different slice: one frames Cove Mountain, another the long ridge above Cades Cove, another the gap at Wears Valley. In fall the color moves from the ridge down, and the pull-offs let you see both bands at once.
The road
The western section opens in two pieces. The part from US-129 to Walland, about 17 miles, has been open for decades. The 16-mile Missing Link from Walland to Wears Valley opened in 2018 after half a century of building. Both are open year-round, though winter ice closes them. Sections from Wears Valley to Cosby are unbuilt.
Using them
- Choose by light: early and late, when low sun picks out the ridges.
- Park fully off the road: the Parkway is narrow with fast curves.
- Cyclists: weekends bring road riders; give them space.
- Facilities: none. Use restrooms in Walland, Townsend or Wears Valley.
- Time to allow: 5 to 10 minutes each. The full drive takes 90 minutes to two hours with stops.
For road updates see the NPS Foothills Parkway page and the park conditions page. The eastern section from Cosby to I-40 is a 6-mile stretch with its own overlooks and is also open.
Pair them with
Look Rock for the tower, Wears Valley for lunch, and Townsend for the route to Cades Cove. It is one of the least crowded ways to look at the Smokies.
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.