The Best Foliage and Fall Color Drive Routes in East Tennessee
The fall foliage drive is great as a destination or as an add-on. When coming to Knoxville for a football game why not take time to view the display of fall colors on the Appalachian Mountains? The people in the area are warm and friendly. The fall colors are superb. There's not a more relaxing drive anywhere.
Starting from Knoxville, each of these drives take about an hour to get to your destination. They are each off of a major highway and easy to find. These routes send you through breathtaking scenery. Grab a picnic lunch and head on out. Your day of relaxing scenery of fall foliage is waiting for you.
Gatlinburg in Gatlinburg, TN
Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail
From Knoxville take I-40E to exit 407. Follow the signs into Pigeon Forge and then into Gatlinburg. Turn up the hill at the traffic light by the Space Needle. Follow the signs. The Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is an impressive 5 mile long drive.
On the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail there are plenty of places to stop for a picnic, hike or just sit and enjoy the fall colors. Food can be picked up at any of several places in Gatlinburg. There are plenty of places to purchase gasoline or other supplies.
Gatlinburg is a tourist town of many interesting shops and restaurants. It is surrounded by the mountains of Tennessee. Visitors choosing the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail may also decide to stop at the several outlet malls, restaurants and attractions of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
Cades Cove, TN
Cades Cove is a Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
From Knoxville take I-40 to Exit 386B to Hwy. 129 (Alcoa Hwy.). Continue into Alcoa and go past the airport into Maryville. When the highway splits, stay in the left lane toward Townsend. (This fork is US 321 North and TN. Hwy. 73.) Follow Hwy. 73 into Cades Cove.
Cades Cove is one of the most popular attractions in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The highlight of the park is the 11 mile loop road. This circular drive takes you through the valley of Cades Cove. There are many places to stop and have a picnic, view historic buildings or just enjoy the scenery.
Visitors on this loop may be treated to views of wildlife. Deer and small animals are abundant. The occasional sighting of a black bear is not uncommon. Signs and park rangers will remind you not to feed the wildlife.
The buildings in the park include a grist mill, barns and several churches. Most of the buildings are from the 19th century. The Methodist church has one of the oldest cemeteries in the area. It is just off to the side of the church building.
The Cades Cove loop road is heavy with traffic in the fall. Visitors will want to allow several hours to stop and view the scenery or wildlife on this trip. There is a visitor center with restrooms.
The highway to the park itself is a major therefore. There are plenty of places to buy gasoline or food for a picnic in Townsend but nothing available in the park itself.
Cove Lake
Cove Lake State Park in Caryville, Tennessee is just north of Knoxville and very easy to get to. To get there take I-75 North to the Caryville Exit 134. When you come off of the ramp turn left at the traffic light. The park entrance is on the left about 3 miles from the traffic light. Watch your speed through Caryville.
There are several places to purchase gasoline in Caryville. The park has a restaurant, restrooms and a few vending machines. There is a Wal-mart in Jacksboro which is on the left, past the park entrance about 3 miles.
At Cove Lake visitors can enjoy the breathtaking scenery of the mountains. There is plenty to do at the park. Trails, picnic areas, a campground and fishing are some of the activities that are offered. A full article of Cove Lake can be found here.
Sources
Personal Experience
Cove Lake State Park
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
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Published by Gayle Crabtree
Gayle is an expert in budget and family travel. She is a trained mission team leader who has traveled extensively throughout the United States and Canada. Her road trips experiences include traveling with di... View profile
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- An East Tennessee fall foliage drive is great as a destination or as an add-on to a trip.
- These routes send you through breathtaking scenery.
Source:
National Parks Service
8 Comments
Post a CommentEast Tennessee does have amazing fall foliage colors! We drive from N.Georgia through the Blue Ridge Mountians and along portions of the Appalachian Mountains to go to Gatlinburg & Pigeon Forge every fall to see the foliage and the beautiful fall decor' these TN. towns display.
:)
I can't wait for the leaves to turn. I'll be upstate when it happens in Pennsylvania.
Sounds wonderful!
I bet there are beautiful drives. No colors like that where we are!
we got stuck in the Cades Cove loop when we first moved to TN - we were still living in a rental cabin and took a ride for something to do - I should have found a restroom "before" the loop - LOL.
Sounds beautiful, but a long drive from California! :)
Oh, awesome stuff! My wife and I have done all 3, and except for maybe adding Big Ridge, Frozen Head, or Panther Creek, you couldn't have made a better list, Gayle!