Planning on visiting Pigeon Forge? Many of us most likely know how by cardiovascular system, getting escape 407 from I-40 and following Parkway into the location. This is exactly probably the most prominent route to Pigeon Forge, with over 50,000 people creating through the Parkway each and every day.
Occasionally, though, using the beaten path may imply sitting in visitors with rush hour or even in line making use of several thousand different visitors coming to Pigeon Forge. But, wea€™re right here to assist you miss the hold off and move on to having a good time faster with these 7 alternative tracks.
Atlanta, GA to Pigeon Forge, TN (Southern)
1. Hwy. 411 to Hwy. 321
Times: 4 hrs, 17 moments
Value: Bypass site visitors in Knoxville and Exit 407 on I-40, stunning rural views, historical villages, travel alongside the Great Smoky Mountain National playground
This course is a wonderful selection for northbound people that hate the interstate or those who desire rural panorama. Using this path means youra€™ll manage to avoid Knoxville visitors while having historical cities like Townsend and Wears Valley.
Grab I-75 North from Atlanta to Exit 293; proceed with the hand to the right to get in onto 411. From that point youra€™ll be traveling alongside beautiful interstate 411 north for 25.1 kilometers, experiencing calm rural horizon as you go along. Folks that like to traveling by I-75 North to Tennessee can simply take Exit 27 at Lenoir urban area to directly submit Highway 321.
Youa€™ll mix the small Tennessee River if your wanting to enter into Maryville. That is outstanding location to see any time youa€™re in search of a pit avoid, with historic Maryville university, an attractive the downtown area shopping room, along with the Foothills shopping mall. . Eventually, youa€™ll come to a junction after moving Maryville senior high school the place youa€™ll become proper onto interstate 321, W. Lamar Alexander Parkway.
Keep on Highway 321, that may elevates through gorgeous cities of Townsend and Wears area. Townsend is actually a gateway for the Great Smoky Mountains state playground and Cades Cove. Therea€™s also an abundance of retailers and cool diners consider in Townsend. Another great avoid along this path is actually Wears area, a tiny city with a big character and plenty of record. Youa€™ll get a hold of plenty of craft stores and one-of-a-kind storage in this town. Should youa€™re looking things to do in Maryville, Townsend, or around Blount state, make sure you go to the Blount County Chamber of Commercea€?s website for cool a few ideas and strategies. In addition, visit the Wears area Chamber of Commercea€™s site for a few tips on activities to do in Wears Valley.
If you stick to Highway 321 through Townsend and Wears Valley, youa€™ll sooner or later end up from the Parkway, right in one’s heart of Pigeon Forge.
From Google Maps
2. Hwy. 23 North By Cherokee, NC
Opportunity: 3 several hours, 55 moments
Benefits: push through a national woodland and a nationwide playground on your way to Pigeon Forge, go to several tiny old towns, go through the social middle which Cherokee, NC
From Atlanta need I-85 North towards Greenville, SC unless you arrived at escape 113. Grab the exit onto I-985 North and proceed with the sidestep north past Lake Lanier. Eventually the bypass turns into interstate 23 North. Proceed with the road by stunning outlying nation. After traveling on freeway 23 North for 29 miles, youa€™ll arrived at the point whereby freeway 441 nourishes into road 23; hold leftover to continue going north through Chattahoochee nationwide Forest.
After an attractive 28 kilometer extend through nationwide woodland youra€™ll carry on interstate 23 and soon you arrive at an intersection. At this point, youa€™ll capture a right to keep onto freeway 23 and manage north until road 23 finishes. From that point youa€™ll decide to try enter Highway 74, that is in which youa€™ll continue before you take Exit 74 to US-441. Continuing on US-441 for approximately five kilometers, youa€™ll end up in Cherokee, NC.
Cherokee are a great area to avoid and explore. You can check out the Musuem with the Cherokee Indian to learn more about the indigenous individuals that nonetheless phone Cherokee house, or check out among the numerous shops providing real and interesting wares. Cherokee can the home of Harraha€™s Cherokee Casino, one of many just gambling enterprises from the region.
When you go through Cherokee, youra€™ll find yourself from inside the Great Smoky hill state Park by means of US-441. It is perhaps one of the most stunning chapters of the drive. Make sure you take your time to enjoy the river run alongside the trail together with prepossessing hill vista. Be mindful, though, whenever transverse this course, because roadway has actually several razor-sharp figure which could grab the naive drivers by surprise.
After you move the Sugarlands biking Stables you need to arrive at the Gatlinburg sidestep on the remaining. Capture this escape and you alsoa€™ll undergo another extremely scenic drive, including hill overlooks with a birda€™s vision look at Gatlinburg. The bypass needs your around Gatlinburg visitors and drop you off in the wooded neighborhood hooking up Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, discover to locals given that Spur, that’ll take you directly to Pigeon Forge, TN.
From Bing Maps
Individuals visiting Pigeon Forge from the East generally bonus codes grab I-40 western to escape 407, but therea€™s a lot more scenic way to contact Pigeon Forge while concurrently obtaining possibility to see incredible hill and rural vista.
3. US-19 Southern Area Thru Cherokee, NC
Opportunity: couple of hours, 17 moments
Advantages: Beautiful rural views, push through historical Cherokee, NC, creeks that are running alongside the trail, final extend through the nationwide playground
Tourist on this course will take I-40 western in direction of Knoxville and proceed with the interstate to escape 27 in Clyde, NC and access road 74. Youa€™ll travel on interstate 74 for just a little over 2 miles past Haywood local clinic and Tuscola high-school before you take Exit 103 onto interstate 19 / Dellwood Rd. As soon as you submit interstate 19 youa€™ll read beautiful pond Junaluska your right.
Youa€™ll trips along freeway 19 for a number of kilometers, fundamentally coming to Cherokee, NC. When you get across the link that transverses the Oconaluftee lake, youa€™ll bring your very first to enter Highway 441 / Tsali Blvd.
After you enter onto road 441, youra€™ll make same path talked about in route no. 2 about this number, going through the Great Smoky hills National Park and bringing the Gatlinburg bypass to reach in Pigeon Forge.
From Yahoo Maps
Nashville, TN to Pigeon Forge, TN (Western)
Website visitors visiting Pigeon Forge from the west will often have to cope with Knoxville site visitors before taking the last stretch to Exit 407. Both of these routes will help you sidestep Knoxville and provides and easy-going drive.
4 & 5. Hwy. 321 to Pigeon Forge
Opportunity: 3 hours, half an hour
Pros: avoid Knoxville site visitors, push through old villages, take pleasure in gorgeous mountain surroundings