Foothills Parkway
The Foothills Parkway is a national parkway traversing the foothills of the northern Great Smoky Mountains in East Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. Its location is 6 mi southwest of Walland. A drive of 21 mi reaches Dollywood.
A park & preserve, 6 mi southwest of Walland
Walland is the nearest base
Walland is 6 miles northeast, with 6 places to stay. Where to stay ↓
Best months: Apr, May, Sep and Oct
April, May, September and October are the mild months, with highs of 71–82°. When to go ↓
An airport 11 miles away
McGhee Tyson (TYS) has airline service, about 11 miles from Foothills Parkway.
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures and Wikipedia.
A month-by-month look
Here is how the weather at Foothills Parkway changes month by month.
Foothills Parkway
The Foothills Parkway is a national parkway traversing the foothills of the northern Great Smoky Mountains in East Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. The 72.1-mile (114 km) parkway will connect U.S. Route 129 (U.S. 129) along the Little Tennessee River in the west with Interstate 40 (I-40) along the Pigeon River in the east. However, only 33 miles have been completed and made publicly accessible so far.
Portions pass through parts of Blount, Sevier, and Cocke counties. Large sections cross a series of high ridges running roughly parallel to the Tennessee boundary of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and offer unobstructed views of the Great Smokies to the south and the Tennessee Valley to the north.
- Type
- Park & preserve
- Wikipedia readers
- 9.1K a year
Bases for Foothills Parkway
The nearest towns with places to stay are Pigeon Forge (358) and Townsend (58).
Pigeon Forge
The closest town with somewhere to stay.
6,598 people
20 mi northeast of Foothills Parkway
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Foothills Parkway | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pigeon Forge | 20 mi northeast | 30 min | 358 140 hotels · 8 motels · 10 inns & B&Bs · 171 lodges & cabins · 20 campgrounds · 9 RV parks | 6,598 | $292K | D− |
| Townsend 29% vacation homes | 8 mi east | 10 min | 58 13 hotels · 2 motels · 6 inns & B&Bs · 22 lodges & cabins · 14 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 640 | $371K | — |
| Gatlinburg 34% vacation homes | 22 mi east | 35 min | 352 105 hotels · 11 motels · 14 inns & B&Bs · 216 lodges & cabins · 1 hostel · 4 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 3,715 | $332K | D |
| Knoxville | 20 mi north | 30 min | 134 114 hotels · 8 motels · 4 inns & B&Bs · 6 lodges & cabins · 2 campgrounds | 202,021 | $240K | D |
| Alcoa | 10 mi northwest | 15 min | 21 18 hotels · 1 motel · 2 lodges & cabins | 13,689 | $277K | C |
| Sevierville | 22 mi northeast | 35 min | 95 49 hotels · 4 motels · 4 inns & B&Bs · 28 lodges & cabins · 4 campgrounds · 6 RV parks | 19,010 | $290K | D |
| Maryville | 7 mi northwest | 10 min | 9 5 hotels · 2 motels · 2 lodges & cabins | 32,442 | $358K | B |
| Walland | 6 mi northeast | 10 min | 6 3 hotels · 1 inn or B&B · 2 campgrounds | 377 | $271K | — |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Pair Foothills Parkway with these
You can reach each of these within 57 miles.
Big draw121 mi Theme parkDollywood3.1M visitors a year
Big draw219 mi Stadium & arenaNeyland Stadium
Big draw326 mi National ParkGreat Smoky Mountains National Park11.5M visitors a year
Big draw423 mi MountainKuwohi
519 mi LookoutSunsphere
625 mi MountainMount Le Conte
719 mi MuseumAlcatraz East
56 mi MountainBrasstown BaldPhoto credits
Dollywood: Brian Stansberry (photographer), CC BY 2.5 · Neyland Stadium: Neomrbungle, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Scott Basford, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Kuwohi: C. Kenneth Dodd, Jr., Public domain · Sunsphere: Ɱ, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Mount Le Conte: No machine-readable author provided. Blinutne assumed (based on copyright claims, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Alcatraz East: EricaLewHouse, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Brasstown Bald: Unknown, Public domain
Questions people have about Foothills Parkway
What town is Foothills Parkway near?
Walland, TN, about 6 miles northeast.
When is the best time to visit Foothills Parkway?
April, May, September and October, with highs of 71–82°.
What is the closest airport to Foothills Parkway?
McGhee Tyson (TYS), about 11 miles away.
Where should I stay near Foothills Parkway?
Pigeon Forge (20 mi, 358 places to stay), Townsend (8 mi, 58 places to stay) and Gatlinburg (22 mi, 352 places to stay).
Advice from Walland
Tips will appear here once someone posts in Walland’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.