A new day and another bright blue sky! So far the weather has been wonderful. I pulled out the Auto touring maps and decided to try the Newfound Gap Road. Just like a cove is another name for a valley in the vernacular of southern Appalachia, a “gap” is a low point along a ridge or mountain range.
The old road over the Smokey Mountains was at Indian Gap. When a lower , easier crossing was discovered it became the “Newfound” gap. Starting in Gatlinburg you will climb approximately 3,000 feet passing through hardwood, pine-oak and finally the evergreen- spruce- fir forest at the Newfound gap (5,046 ft.)
Here on the Newfound Gap road it wasn’t wildlife that held your attention.
It was the mountains. The vastness, the climb, the view to the valley below.
At one of the many pull offs I marveled over the twists and turns of the road below me, the one I’d just traveled without a thought.
A large parking area, a observation platform, restrooms and an entrance to the Appalachian trail all straddle the Tennessee / North Carolina State line.
Leaving the parking area and Tennessee behind you have a chance to detour up to Clingman’s Dome.
Clingman’s Dome Road climbs about 7 miles to within 1/2 mile of the highest peak in the Smokies (6,643 ft.) There’s a large parking area and restrooms where you can leave you car to hike the last half mile to the top of Clingman’s Dome and the observation tower. Everybody sing “On top of Old Smokey”. 🙂
Once you leave Clingman’s dome and head back down whether to Cherokee in North Carolina or back to Gatlinburg in Tennessee, it’s literally all down hill.
I continued toward Cherokee. I figured I’d arrive there about lunchtime and could decide where to go next while I enjoyed my lunch.
That proved to be a good choice. I continued to read my Auto touring guide over a sandwich at a very nice restaurant right on the main road. The number 5 tour was the Cataloochee and from the looks of the map it might not be too far. AS I checked out and paid my bill I asked the cashier.
He told me it was still quite a hike out there and if I wanted to wait around I might see elk behind the high school right here in Cherokee. But if I was dead set on going to the Cataloochee all I had to do was follow Rt 19 through Maggie Valley to RT 278 and then watch for the signs. He suggested I get there between 5:30 and 7:30.
Seemed like a good idea to make the trip now since I was more than 1/2 way there already.