What are the best driving roads near Knoxville, TN?
Knoxville is the closest city to the best driving in the Smokies: the Tail of the Dragon (US 129) is about an hour south through Maryville, the Foothills Parkway runs along the edge of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and the Cherohala Skyway starts at Tellico Plains, a little further south-west.
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South: the Dragon and the Skyway
Head south through Maryville on US 129 and it becomes the Tail of the Dragon at Chilhowee Lake. From the Deals Gap end you can return over the Cherohala Skyway via Robbinsville and Tellico Plains for a full-day loop.
The Foothills Parkway
A National Park Service road along the foothills of the Smokies with long views over the Tennessee valley. Like the Blue Ridge Parkway, it is for scenery as much as driving.
Inside the Smokies
The national park roads are beautiful but slow and very busy in summer and leaf season. For driving, go early in the morning or stay on the roads outside the park.
Mapped routes within an hour of Knoxville
Curated drives first, then by how much they bend.
- Devils Triangle TNNear Oliver Springs38 mi554 corners14.5 / miCurated
- Tail of the DragonNear Tallassee11 mi182 corners17 / miCurated
- Vinegar PieNear Johnson City152 mi457 corners3 / miCurated
- Cherohala SkywayNear Tellico Plains30 mi411 corners13.5 / miCurated
- Shiner's RunNear Waynesville32 mi318 corners9.9 / miCurated
- The RattlerNear Cove24 mi262 corners10.8 / miCurated
- Fontana Dam to Wears ValleyNear Robbinsville56 mi567 corners10.2 / mi
- Great Smoky RunNear Robbinsville190 mi1,692 corners8.9 / mi
- Sharp Hollow3.1 mi49 corners15.8 / mi
- Devil’s Triangle91 mi678 corners7.4 / mi
- Smokey Mountain LoopNear Pigeon Forge38 mi277 corners7.3 / mi
- Gatlinburg moonshine mountain coasterNear Fontana Dam78 mi683 corners8.7 / mi
Questions
- How far is the Tail of the Dragon from Knoxville?
- About an hour by car, south through Maryville on US 129.
- What is the best day drive from Knoxville?
- The Tail of the Dragon and the Cherohala Skyway as a loop through Robbinsville and Tellico Plains — two of the best-known driving roads in the country in one day.
Keep reading
- Tail of the Dragon: what to know before you drive itUS 129's Tail of the Dragon packs 318 curves into 11 miles at Deals Gap on the North Carolina–Tennessee line. Where it starts, the speed limit, when to go, and what to drive next.
- Cherohala Skyway: what to know before you drive itThe Cherohala Skyway runs 43 miles from Tellico Plains, Tennessee, to Robbinsville, North Carolina, climbing above 5,000 feet. Length, when to go, fuel, and how to pair it with the Tail of the Dragon.