NEWFOUND GAP, Great Smokey Mtn. Nat'l Park

Just did the run over the Gap last week in our truck camper. I have not taken our fiver over the gap and do not think I will, but I have taken a 25' travel trailer over the mountains through the gap. Not interested in towing over the mountain again as I used up about a years worth of worry and stress doing it. Its doable but not all that comfortable. There is a good bit of pucker factor involved and all the worry, stress and focus on the driving with a trailer attached tends to take away from the surrounding beauty.

All that said if you are in that area don't miss Newfound gap and especially do not miss Clingmans Dome which is accessed from Newfound Gap. The views, if you hit it just right, are spectacular.

You may want to think about camping in Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge, dropping the 327 at the campground and spend a morning running up to the gap and Clingmans Dome with the truck- then going back, picking it up and running around to the other side. Much less stressful and you won't miss one of the prettiest sites in the east.It takes about 1/2 hour- 45 minutes up to the gap from Gatlinburg and about an hours total driving time time from Gatlinburg to Cherokee if you decided to go down the other side and back to Gatlinburg the same day. That's very doable.

I would disagree you can tow across it just fine. Lots of folks do it everyday. The tunnels are marked with heights at the yellow line. If it makes you feel better just hug the center line a bit in the tunnels. If you still don't want to go have you considered I 24 to Chattanooga then I 75 north to exit 20 and take US 64 along the Ocoee to Cherokee. Tractor trailers run it everyday so it will not be any issues other than rafting traffic. Very Scenic drive. I tow my 30 footer thru there several times a year.

If you've not towed in the mountains before, going around is the better choice. There is an ...errr, 'interesting'... road sign on the Tennessee side of US 441:



Jim, "Error message: Keyboard not attached. Press F1 to continue."

yrusoslo wrote:
Go around

X2..Never been over the Gap with my fiver but have driven over it a couple times bobtail. There are tunnels that would be tight and its a long haul up with little room for mistakes in some areas. I'd go around if it were me.

Go around