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SC_camper's avatar
SC_camper
Explorer
Oct 18, 2017

I40 West bound to Wears Valley TN route?

Towing 33' TT from NC, west bound on I40 to Wears Valley TN. Looking at Google maps and figured taking exit 432 and coming in Hwy 411 would be the route. Co-worker suggested taking exit 407 and come in on Hwy 66. Its 13 miles and only 7 minutes further, but he said Hwy 66 would keep us on better road(straighter, more lanes, better traffic flow). Any opinions from those that have tried them both? By the map, Hwy 441 doesn't look bad to me.
  • Traffic in Smoky Mt area is profane!! I agree with 411 and especially Veterans Blvd. Be prepared for massive delays anyway.
  • Thanks for the help. Talking to the co-worker today and he said that it had been a while since he had been up there. He didn't even know 411 had been changed, he was thinking about the Old 411.
  • +1 for 411. To avoid some of the stop and go traffic on Dolly Parton through Sevierville, turn LEFT onto Veterans Blvd (look for KFC on L). At the 5th traffic light turn RIGHT onto Collier. This will take you to a "T" (Walmart directly ahead). Turn LEFT onto the Parkway. You will be on this for a couple of miles before you see the turn for Wears Valley (look for a Shell station on your right).
  • I forgot to mention too, Rt. 411 is a new road now.....OLD 411 is still open and is before (coming from your direction off I-40) the new road, don't take the old road. Go past the old road to the stop light, there is no stop light at the old road. The old road is very hilly and twisty. The new road was built for the semi truck traffic for Bush Beans.
  • Where exactly are you going? Exit 432 (Rt. 411) puts you east of Sevierville yet and Wears Valley is west of rt.66 (Winfield Dunn pkwy). Yes, exit 432 is the most direct and it is good road that will handle a 33 footer just fine where Rt. 66 can be backed up with very heavy traffic depending on the day of the week and time of day too, so that 7 minutes could turn into a whole lot longer, or you could just sail through too, you just never know. Both are good roads.

    As a local here and upon thinking which one I would take I would suggest 411. It will take you right by Bush Beans factory and museum/cafe which is worth the stop for a bite to eat and a quick walk through the museum, its not that big and its free.

    Either way you go you will be fine really, just depends on what you want to do. Its busy around here right now with the leaf lookers so traffic is the big question.
  • Though I've never driven that route with a trailer, I have driven that stretch of 411 several times in a car, including just 3 weeks ago. The road is about half 4-lane from 40 to Sevierville, and there is plenty of semi traffic.