Foothills Parkway is Gateway to Beauty of Great Smoky Mountains Park

Monday March 01, 2004

TOWNSEND, Tenn. -- Foothills Parkway in the Townsend, Tenn. area is the gateway of unparalleled beauty of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. "The advantage of traveling up the parkway is that it offers a panoramic view of the park," said park ranger spokesperson for Great Smoky Mountains National Park. "The area isn’t quite as visited as other areas in the park, so it’s a nice peaceful ride up the mountain." The parkway extends 18 miles up Chilhowee Mountain. Pull-offs along the way to the mountain’s crest give a glimpse of the panoramic view yet to come. The high point of the mountain is Look Rock, a natural observation ledge. To the east of the rock, are the Smoky Mountains and, to the west, are smooth flatlands. "The parkway holds the key to the beauty of the mountains," said Herb Handly, executive vice president of tourism at the Smoky Mountain Convention & Visitors Bureau. "Words cannot describe the breath-taking views from Look Rock." The Observation Trail is a one-half mile trail that takes hikers on a tour of the mountains’ picturesque magnificence. The trail is rated as easy hiking so most travelers can experience the scenery while taking in the fresh mountain air. Chilhowee has over 30 miles of continuous ridge. On a clear day, you can see up to 22 miles away to Clingman’s dome, the highest dome in the park. Foothills Parkway is located off Highway 321, just west of Townsend. Signs on Foothills Parkway indicate the mountain’s picnic area and campground, Look Rock Campground. For more information on Foothills Parkway or Chilhowee Mountain, please call the Smoky Mountain Convention & Visitors Bureau at (865) 448-6134 or 1-800-525-6834, or visit the Smoky Mountain Convention & Visitors Bureau online at http://www.smokymountains.org.

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