Little River Road: Overlooks, Trails and Waterfalls Written by: David Angotti Local Expert's Rating: 3.5 / 5 The Bottom Line: The drive along Little River Road provides spectacular scenery, but this is not a great utilization of time unless the drive is combined with Cades Cove or Laurel Falls Hike. Little River Road is best known as the road to Cades Cove from Gatlinburg. It starts at Sugarlands Visitor Center in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, just a very short drive south from Gatlinburg.
Best time for Little River Road in Tennessee 2021 Best Season
Little River Road 226 reviews #6 of 104 things to do in Great Smoky Mountains National Park Scenic Drives Write a review About Scenic road through the Great Smokies. Suggest edits to improve what we show. Improve this listing All photos (170) Top ways to experience nearby attractions Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Audio Driving Tour 24 Little River Road is the main east-west road through Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It begins at its intersection with Newfound Gap Road shortly after it enters the park from the town of Gatlinburg. It follows along its namesake Little River for most of its length. 1. Mannis Branch Falls These are small waterfalls you can see that are flowing into the river. You can pull over and see them from the road once you get out of the car. 2. Metcalf Bottoms picnic area The Metcalf Bottoms picnic area is a spot where you can eat right along the river. 3. Little River Road Your Connection to the Tennessee Side of the Park This scenic drive in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park can best be accessed at the end of the Newfound Gap Road scenic drive from Cherokee to Gatlinburg.
Best time for Little River Road in Tennessee 2024 Best Season
Little River Road is an 18 mile drive following the Little River from the Sugarlands visitor center near Gatlinburg to the park entrance at Townsend. At Townsend, the road changes names to Laurel Creek Road (sometimes called Cades Cove Road) and continues another 7 miles, passing Tremont and ending at Cades Cove. Little River There, the roadway becomes Little River Road (or Little River Gorge Road) as it follows the water's contours. Here are stops to enjoy along the route: 1. LAUREL FALLS. At 80 feet high, graceful Laurel Falls is one of the national park's most popular sights. Expect to park and hike the 2.6-mile round trip to the falls. This is a really old question but Little River Road is a right turn off of Hwy 441S/Newfound Gap Road. It is about 2 miles from the Gatlinburg entrance. It runs in front of the Sugarland Visitor Center. Google Maps refers to it as Fighting Creek Gap Road. Little River Road becomes Laurel Creek Road at the Townsend Wye. Updates are available for Newfound Gap Road (US-441), Little River Road, Laurel Creek Road, and Cades Cove Loop Road. For current information about temporary closures, alerts, or warnings related to roads, facilities, trails, or the backcountry areas, please use the "ON THIS PAGE" navigation bar below. On This Page
Little River Road Photograph by Cricket Hackmann Fine Art America
The Little River Road is essentially required driving to get from Sugarlands Visitor Center to Cades Cove or other destinations along this route. Luckily it is a beautiful scenic drive with numerous pull offs to access the river or just enjoy the scenery. The Little River Road is the road from Gatlinburg to Cades Cove. It follows the Little River into Cades Cove. It starts at the Sugarland Visitor Center (stop there first- next restroom is far away) and passes by Elkmont Campground, the Tremont Center, Laurel Falls trailhead (a 2.6 mile roundtrip hike) Meigs Falls (visible from the road),past.
Situated within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, on the border of Blount and Sevier counties, the Little River Road spans 28km (18 miles) as it snakes along the Little River. The road is fully paved and runs east-west from the Sugarlands visitor center near Gatlinburg to the park entrance at Townsend. A relatively slow-go, the Little River Road meanders alongside (you guessed it) Little River, passing at one point the exit to Townsend TN. Along the road, you will spot a variety of different natural and manmade structures. You'll pass the trailhead to the Laurel Falls trail.
Little River Road stops (September!) driving in the Smoky Mountains ⛰
Little River Road runs from the Sugarland Visitors Center to Cades Cove. This 18 mile stretch of road runs along the Little River and is actually built on the former railroad bed that the Little River Lumber Company used in its heyday. This is a very popular route through the National Park. Passing by many of the popular haunts of visitors to. Little River Road runs through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, eastern Tennessee. The 29-km (18-mi) road goes along the Little River and connects Gatlinburg and Townsend. This winding mountain road features incredible views, panoramic outlooks, and picnic spots.
