Foothills Parkway West | Smoky Mountain Tours

Foothills Parkway West:
Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The Foothills Parkway, accessible from Townsend, TN, offers spectacular views of the surrounding areas of Blount, Loudon, and Monroe counties. You will find four overlooks along the Parkway. Chilhowee Mountain features the highest point at a knob known as Look Rock which is 2,650 ft. An observation tower allows a 360-degree view of Blount County and the Western Smokies. Parking is available in the Look Rock area. There is a half-mile trail leading to the tower.

View of the Western Smokies from Look Rock overlook.
Image by Jeaneane Payne

From Look Rock, you will be able to view Clingmans Dome and Thunderhead Mountain at the southeast side. To the east is Rich Mountain / Cades Cove Mountain. To the south-southeast is Gregory Bald. To the southwest, the Yellow Creek section of the Unicoi Mountains is visible, along with a dramatic view of Chilhowee's western ridgeline. Mount Le Conte is visible to the east. On a clear day, the high peaks of the Eastern Smokies— Mount Guyot, Mount Chapman, and Old Black— are visible farther to the east.

Most of Blount County and parts of Loudon County and Monroe County are visible as you look north from Look Rock. A long greenish strip to the north-northwest is McGhee-Tyson Airport. At sunset, you will be able to see the north lights of Knoxville. The Cumberland Plateau dominates much of the northern horizon.

From the southwest section of the Parkway, Mount Cammerer and the Eastern Smokies dominate the view. The northeast section is English Mountain. The lights of Newport, TN are visible early in the morning and later in the evening.

Foothills Parkway provides an entrance to The Tail of the Dragon at Deals Gap, a favorite byway of motorcyclists and sports car drivers because of its 318 curves in 11 miles.