Great Smoky Mountains Parkway
Encyclopedia
The Great Smoky Mountains Parkway runs 23.5 miles (37.8 km) from Interstate 40 at exit 407 in Sevierville
, Tennessee
, south to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
. It traverses much of Sevier County
, passing through the major tourism
centers of Sevierville
, Pigeon Forge
, and Gatlinburg
.
The road is simply called "Parkway" in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, where most of the commercial
land development
has occurred in those two cities. Both have numbered each traffic light
sequentially to make it easier for non-locals to find their hotel
s and other tourist attraction
s. Sevierville has its traffic lights numbered in miles and tenths, according to the official Tennessee DOT mile markers.
Within the towns, the road is decorated with Christmas lights all winter
. As a six-lane divided highway
through Pigeon Forge, very tall multi-fixture
street light
s in the median are decorated with white LED
snowflake
s that "fall" down the poles. In Gatlinburg, white LED deciduous
tree
s sprout from the lampposts, in addition to other displays, such as the large one that stretches across the road at the town's northern entrance. In Sevierville, the traditional and much brighter snowflake light sculptures are still in use.
From Pigeon Forge to Gatlinburg, it is a divided highway, running on either side of the northward-flowing Little Pigeon River
. Where the river briefly diverts to the west and back east again, the southbound roadway on the west bank also curves around, while the northbound lanes go through a tunnel
. The Gatlinburg visitor center
is located just before entering the town from the north.
The Gatlinburg Bypass is an alternate route around the north and west sides of that town. It is a part of the park, but only covers the road and right-of-way. A park entrance sign is located near the northeast end of the road, but maps show parkland extends all the way north along the main parkway
to the south end of Pigeon Forge. A scenic overlook, located at about the halfway point, allows motorists to view most of Gatlinburg. This was intended to be a middle part of the Foothills Parkway
, however that road does not currently [and may never] go near the bypass.
The Parkway is concurrent
with:
U.S. 321 is a wrong-way concurrency, indicating NORTH when going south and SOUTH when going north, however 441 is marked correctly along this section from Pigeon Forge to Gatlinburg.
Sevierville, Tennessee
Sevierville is a city in Sevier County, Tennessee, located in the Southeastern United States. Its population was 11,757 at the 2000 United States Census; in 2004 the estimated population was 14,101. Sevierville is the county seat of Sevier County, Tennessee....
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, south to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a United States National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site that straddles the ridgeline of the Great Smoky Mountains, part of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which are a division of the larger Appalachian Mountain chain. The border between Tennessee and North...
. It traverses much of Sevier County
Sevier County, Tennessee
Sevier County is a county of the state of Tennessee, United States. Its population was 71,170 at the 2000 United States Census. It is included in the Sevierville, Tennessee, Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Knoxville-Sevierville-La Follette, TN Combined Statistical Area. The...
, passing through the major tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
centers of Sevierville
Sevierville, Tennessee
Sevierville is a city in Sevier County, Tennessee, located in the Southeastern United States. Its population was 11,757 at the 2000 United States Census; in 2004 the estimated population was 14,101. Sevierville is the county seat of Sevier County, Tennessee....
, Pigeon Forge
Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
Pigeon Forge is a mountain resort city in Sevier County, Tennessee, located in the southeastern United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 5,875....
, and Gatlinburg
Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Gatlinburg is a mountain resort city in Sevier County, Tennessee, United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, Gatlinburg had a population of 3,828. The city is a popular vacation resort, as it rests on the border of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park along U.S...
.
The road is simply called "Parkway" in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, where most of the commercial
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
land development
Land development
Land development refers to altering the landscape in any number of ways such as:* changing landforms from a natural or semi-natural state for a purpose such as agriculture or housing...
has occurred in those two cities. Both have numbered each traffic light
Traffic light
Traffic lights, which may also be known as stoplights, traffic lamps, traffic signals, signal lights, robots or semaphore, are signalling devices positioned at road intersections, pedestrian crossings and other locations to control competing flows of traffic...
sequentially to make it easier for non-locals to find their hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
s and other tourist attraction
Tourist attraction
A tourist attraction is a place of interest where tourists visit, typically for its inherent or exhibited cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, or amusement opportunities....
s. Sevierville has its traffic lights numbered in miles and tenths, according to the official Tennessee DOT mile markers.
Within the towns, the road is decorated with Christmas lights all winter
Winter
Winter is the coldest season of the year in temperate climates, between autumn and spring. At the winter solstice, the days are shortest and the nights are longest, with days lengthening as the season progresses after the solstice.-Meteorology:...
. As a six-lane divided highway
Divided Highway
Divided Highway is a compilation album by American rock band The Doobie Brothers, released in 2003. . All tracks are taken from the albums Cycles and Brotherhood .-Track listing:...
through Pigeon Forge, very tall multi-fixture
Light fixture
A light fixture, light fitting, or luminaire is an electrical device used to create artificial light and/or illumination, by use of an electric lamp...
street light
Street light
A street light, lamppost, street lamp, light standard, or lamp standard is a raised source of light on the edge of a road or walkway, which is turned on or lit at a certain time every night. Modern lamps may also have light-sensitive photocells to turn them on at dusk, off at dawn, or activate...
s in the median are decorated with white LED
LEd
LEd is a TeX/LaTeX editing software working under Microsoft Windows. It is a freeware product....
snowflake
Snowflake
Snowflakes are conglomerations of frozen ice crystals which fall through the Earth's atmosphere. They begin as snow crystals which develop when microscopic supercooled cloud droplets freeze. Snowflakes come in a variety of sizes and shapes. Complex shapes emerge as the flake moves through...
s that "fall" down the poles. In Gatlinburg, white LED deciduous
Deciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s sprout from the lampposts, in addition to other displays, such as the large one that stretches across the road at the town's northern entrance. In Sevierville, the traditional and much brighter snowflake light sculptures are still in use.
From Pigeon Forge to Gatlinburg, it is a divided highway, running on either side of the northward-flowing Little Pigeon River
Little Pigeon River (Tennessee)
The Little Pigeon River is a river located entirely within Sevier County, Tennessee.It rises from a series of streams which flow together on the dividing ridge between the states of Tennessee and North Carolina inside the boundary of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The river is subdivided...
. Where the river briefly diverts to the west and back east again, the southbound roadway on the west bank also curves around, while the northbound lanes go through a tunnel
Tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
. The Gatlinburg visitor center
Visitor center
A visitor center or centre , visitor information center, tourist information center, is a physical location that provides tourist information to the visitors who tour the place or area locally...
is located just before entering the town from the north.
The Gatlinburg Bypass is an alternate route around the north and west sides of that town. It is a part of the park, but only covers the road and right-of-way. A park entrance sign is located near the northeast end of the road, but maps show parkland extends all the way north along the main parkway
Parkway
The term parkway has several distinct principal meanings and numerous synonyms around the world, for either a type of landscaped area or a type of road.Type of landscaped area:...
to the south end of Pigeon Forge. A scenic overlook, located at about the halfway point, allows motorists to view most of Gatlinburg. This was intended to be a middle part of the Foothills Parkway
Foothills Parkway
The Foothills Parkway is a national parkway which, if completed, will traverse the foothills of the northern Great Smoky Mountains in East Tennessee, located in the Southeastern United States. The 71-mile parkway will ideally connect U.S...
, however that road does not currently [and may never] go near the bypass.
The Parkway is concurrent
Concurrency (road)
A concurrency, overlap, or coincidence in a road network is an instance of one physical road bearing two or more different highway, motorway, or other route numbers...
with:
- Tennessee 66Tennessee State Route 66State Route 66 is a state-maintained highway in eastern Tennessee, including a four-lane divided highway segment in Sevier County and a two-lane segment through mountainous terrain to the northeast.- Route description :...
(8.5 mi / 13.7 km) - Tennessee 71Tennessee State Route 71State Route 71 is a north–south state highway in Tennessee. For most of the length it is a "hidden" route, as it coincides with U.S. Route 441 in all but a short section in Knoxville. The road begins at the North Carolina state line in Sevier County within the Great Smoky Mountains National...
and U.S. 441 (15 mi / 24.1 km) - Tennessee 73 and U.S. 321 (8.5 mi / 13.7 km)
- Tennessee 338Tennessee State Route 338State Highway 338 is a secondary highway located entirely within Sevier County in East Tennessee. The road runs generally south–north although like most roads in East Tennessee it has numerous winding turns. The southern terminus of SR-338 is U.S. Route 441...
(1.7 mi / 2.7 km)
U.S. 321 is a wrong-way concurrency, indicating NORTH when going south and SOUTH when going north, however 441 is marked correctly along this section from Pigeon Forge to Gatlinburg.