travel tips, Seneca to Pigeon Forge...

[hubcapsc]

I'm headed (in a car  ) to Pigeon Forge. I guess I just go over to Clayton and head
up 441. Are there some touristy places up near Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge where
traffic is going to be a nightmare? Any hints for getting around the snarls?

-Mike

[six2go #152]

Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg ARE tourist spots. Traffic is heavy but I never minded it whether in a cage or on a bike. I guess it's just a matter of what you're used to. There is a bypass around Gatlinburg if you really are intimidated. Lots of stuff to see and do in the area if you want to. This time of the year shouldn't be too bad, schools are still in session.

[hubcapsc]

I guess it's just a matter of what you're used to.

-Mike 

[stormrider]

Was up there from Sat night and got home at 1 am last night. Wasn't too bad. Snow on the pass on 441 going over the Smokeys. It was open yesterday afternoon. No ice but was 34 degrees. May want to check if you haven't already committed. I-40 is still closed as well. You may have to go west, Bryson City, up to 129 and the Dragon, then hit Foothills Pkwy. Then across that way. Also, the Gatlinburg by-pass is closed for resurfacing. You will have to go through Gatlinburg. Not much traffic. Spring breakers have taken over though.

Oh yeah, if on the bike, there's loose gravel on the road, mainly on the center line and shoulder where they use it and sand for the snow/ice. They don't use salt in the Park. The lanes are pretty clear except for that. Saw only one bike as we were headed over.

[stormrider]

441 may be the only way there from the south. seems there was a rock slide on 129, also one on US 64 near Murphy. Don't know if they're cleared or not.

[Pete]

Last I heard the rock slide near Murphy is still being worked on. But it does not matter as one can go from Ducktown to Tellico Plains avoiding the rockslide. Closer and more scenic also.

Do not know the status of the slide on 129.

[hubcapsc]

Snow still on the sides of the road on 441.

Someone said the Dragon was closed, 40's closed, a park ranger told us some new rock slide on
Thursday closed some other road, and the loop through Cade's Cove is closed  ... so...
the weather's beautiful and there's nobody up there. I drove about 25 mph up the road to Cade's Cove,
and nobody got stuck behind me. About two other cars at the ranger station at the start of the
Cade's cove loop. We hiked a popular trail that had nobody on it up to a waterfall, and then back over
to a log cabin built before 1820... the traffic through Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge wasn't bad at all,
nor Cherokee...

-Mike