Posted in Tennessee
October 28, 2017
The Highest Road In Tennessee Will Lead You On An Unforgettable Journey
Can you name the highest road – elevation-wise, folks – in the state of Tennessee? It’s actually shared between the Volunteer State and North Carolina, and is colloquially known as Newfound Gap. You’ve probably seen photographs of its stunning autumnal passages floating around the internet, but we decided to dig a little deeper and explore what makes this road so brilliant – other than its elevation, of course.
You can find the complete list of highest roads in the United States, right here.
We’re aware that these uncertain times are limiting many aspects of life as we all practice social and physical distancing. While we’re continuing to feature destinations that make our state wonderful, we don’t expect or encourage you to go check them out immediately. We believe that supporting local attractions is important now more than ever and we hope our articles inspire your future adventures! And on that note, please nominate your favorite local business that could use some love right now: https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/nominate/
Newfound Gap is located in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most popular national park in the United States. The beautiful park attracts millions of people a year with its miles and miles of hiking trails and gorgeous campsites.
The mountain road is located at 5,048 feet above sea level, which comes out to 1,539 meters, if that paints the picture a little better.
You'll come across tunnels and bridges and natural vistas galore, cut through by the paved mountain pass. It was paved over in the 1930's, and the roadways are still in good condition for tourists and locals alike.
The road is actually the lowest pass in the entire park that is drivable, though - pretty interesting, right? If you're looking to go up any higher you're going to have to trek it out by food.
The pass was widely utilized beginning in 1872 by Arnold Henry Guyot, a Swiss geographer that had a hand in most of the measurements attributed to the Southern Appalachians. This is actually where it got its name, "Newfound," as well - it was a newly found gap in the mountains that would be used a a highly trafficked thoroughfare in the years to come.
Driving from Gatlinburg to Newfound Gap is considered one of the most beautiful drives in the state, a scenic route that doesn't allow for any commercial traffic. No worries about those trucks, folks - it's only minivans and private vehicles out here.
We're going to leave you with this one interesting fact: did you know that Newfound Gap is actually the reason why there's no entrance fee to the Smokies? When jurisdiction of the road was passed from the state of Tennessee to the national government, an agreement was signed that made sure that no future tolls would be implemented.
This burger joint is a fabulous way to end a road trip, you know – check it out!
