About Walland Overlook (Foothills Parkway)
Between Walland and the Missing Link, the Foothills Parkway climbs onto the ridge and a small pull-off looks south across the Walland valley. It is a pastoral view, with fewer cars than any named stop in the national park.
The view
Below the overlook, the valley lies in a quilt of fields, barns and woodlots, with the road and the Little River winding through. Foothills rise behind it, then the Smokies in long blue folds. Wherever there is haze, it softens the distant ridges; on a clear fall day they are crisp. The scene is more domestic than wild, and part of the appeal is the contrast between farm and mountain.
Visiting
The pull-off holds a few cars. Plan on ten minutes.
- Getting here: from Townsend, take US-321 east to Walland and follow signs to the Parkway.
- Facilities: none. Walland and Townsend have stores.
- Road: a two-lane Parkway, 45 mph, winding. Weekends bring cyclists and motorcyclists.
- Season: open year-round, but ice and tree falls close it in winter; check the Foothills Parkway page.
On the road
The Missing Link, which joins Walland to Wears Valley, was finished in 2018 and is a new road with wide pull-offs. The Parkway gives you the Smokies from the north at a pace no other park road offers.
The best months are April, when dogwoods bloom in the valley, and October, when the ridges turn. In summer, morning is better than afternoon because haze builds. Allow an hour for a short out-and-back from Walland, or two hours for the whole western section with stops. See the park conditions page for closures.
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.