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Latest update: August 2024

Newfound Gap... Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Scenic Overlook with Appalachian Trail Access

Newfound Gap is the lowest drivable gap through Great Smoky Mountains National Park (5,046 feet). Newfound Gap Road (US 441) is a beautiful drive through the gap. Designated as a National Scenic Highway, it runs 31 miles along the border between Tennessee (Gatlinburg) and North Carolina (Cherokee). A Scenic Overlook is located along the road straddling the state line, with scenic mountain views and also serving as a trailhead for the Appalachian Trail. (Detailed map and photos below.)

Location Map...
Newfound Gap - Great Smoky Mountains

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Location: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina and Tennessee (See map)
Distance: Overlook located off 31 mile scenic drive; Appalachian Trail distances as desired
Surface: Paved at parking, unpaved trail
Trailheads/Parking: Trailhead parking (parking tag is required when parking longer than 15 minutes at the trailhead). Shuttles are available when parking is full.

Newfound Gap... Comments and Photos

With easy access from Newfound Gap Road and stunning views, this is a popular destination in the Smokies and can get crowded. Newfound Gap Road is open year-round except for winter storms. Due to the altitude, it's cooler than surrounding more low-lying areas. It can also be cloudy and wet, with clouds obscuring the view. We've been fortunate on several visits to have clear days.

Newfound Gap Overlook

At the Overlook (mile 14.7 along Newfound Gap Road) are parking and restrooms, with scenic views of the park. Parallel to the parking lot, a stone terrace runs on a lower level with unobstructed views and informational markers. The Rockefeller Monument recognizes the contributions of John D. Rockefeller to the park. It's the location where President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated the park, Sept. 2, 1940. A flight of stone steps here leads to an upper overlook.

Appalachian Trail

The Newfound Gap Overlook parking area also serves as a trailhead for the Appalachian Trail. Here the trail runs through the parking lot - partly in North Carolina (uphill) and partly in Tennessee (downhill).

At the Trailhead

 

Trail crosses the parking lot

North Carolina side

 

Tennessee side

North Carolina

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tennessee

 

 

 

 

 

Some History

In earlier history it was thought that Indian Gap was the lowest pass in the Smokies, with Indian Gap Road serving as north-south route. But later surveys (1872) discovered one that was lower, naming the newly-found pass the Newfound Gap. With growing use of automobiles in the 1920's and then the national park being planned, a new more accessible road between North Carolina and Tennessee was built through Newfound Gap - Newfound Gap Road (US 441). It was built as a New Deal program, providing employment during the Depression.

More Information and Resources

Nearby Biking and Hiking:
Great Smoky Mountains (Overview)

Related Resources:
National Park Service - Great Smoky Mountains National Park
- Newfound Gap Overlook

Support and Advocacy:
Friends of the Smokies