Minnesota to Florida via the Smokies

[cctv]

We are making our last snowbird trip to Florida (moving down permanently) and decided to go thru the smokies. I don't want to screw with narrow roads if possible so I would try to stay on the freeways as much as possible. I know it still gets steep and twisted on I40 and others but I will enjoy the view better if I can take my eyes off the road every once in a while.

My question is, what would be the best RV route from Minnesota to Florida via the Smokies, staying on freeways as much as possible.

[blknomad]

Its only 14 miles from Knoxville to the Pidgen Forge turn off. Go to one of the campgrounds that has access to the trolly, most do. Ride the trolly all over gatlinburg and Pidgen Forge even goes out to Dollywood. Rent a car for a day and travel through the park over to Cherokee,I think its about 31 miles. You can drive your rv through but it would be more like work than a vacation. You will need several days to take it all in. Once you get the "lay of the land" you can drive back from Fl. to see it all you really need a toad.

[tropical36]

cctv wrote:
We are making our last snowbird trip to Florida (moving down permanently) and decided to go thru the smokies. I don't want to screw with narrow roads if possible so I would try to stay on the freeways as much as possible. I know it still gets steep and twisted on I40 and others but I will enjoy the view better if I can take my eyes off the road every once in a while.

My question is, what would be the best RV route from Minnesota to Florida via the Smokies, staying on freeways as much as possible.

Generally speaking, stay on I75 as much as possible and go into the NP around Knoxville and through Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. Then back out and pretty much the same as you went in to proceed on your journey south. We came out a little more to the south on some back roads and saw some more of the country side, before getting back on I75.

[raygering]

Don't forget the Blue Ridge Parkway...

[SRT]

I suppose we'll see you up here during our summers. Cooler weather ya know.......:B

[TropicalRV]

Funny, today, after 15 years of snowbirding, we sold our house in Wisconsin and are on our way back to FL full time. We've had enough of the lousy weather and high taxes up there and besides, all the grandchildren are now in college and we don't get to see them very often. Now it's time to visit grandpa and grandma on spring break! Good luck on your trip. The roads in TN are pretty good, so not to worry.

[JoeH]

Look at 75 to 40 to Waynesville to 441 to Macon and then hop back on 75 all the way down to Port Charlotte. That route gets you into the mountains, but on good roads and gets you away from the mess in Atlanta

[cctv]

CG Dawson wrote:
I would take I 75 and at Knoxville, TN detour to Pigeon Forge and park the MH in a campground there for a few days. Use the towed to explore from there. Then get back on I 75 to Port Charlotte.

Thanks but we will not have a toad on this trip.

[CG_Dawson]

I would take I 75 and at Knoxville, TN detour to Pigeon Forge and park the MH in a campground there for a few days. Use the towed to explore from there. Then get back on I 75 to Port Charlotte.

[cctv]

We are headed to our home in Port Charlotte FL (SW Gulf Coast) and would normally take 75 down but thought it would be nice to see some of the smokies. We don't need to see everything, we're just looking for some nice scenery without the hassles of too much twisting and turning. I would prefer an interstate if there is one that's not way out of the way.

[rgatijnet1]

Taking 441 right through the middle of the Smokey Mountains is a fantastic drive and easily done by any size RV. If you really want to see the Smokey's, this is the road to take. There are plenty of places to pull over if traffic starts to back up behind you.

[pulsar]

It might help to know where in Florida.

If you want to stay strictly on the Interstates highways, you will not see much of the smokies, but will have some spectacular scenery.

If you were headed to Orlando, and have reached I-40 in Tennessee, you would continue on I-40 to i-26 in Asheville, NC. Take I-26 to I-95 in South Carolina. Continue on I-95 to I-4 in Florida.

On I-40, you will not run into "steep and twisted" roads, as I think of them. The climb from Tennessee into NC is a long, but not steep route. There are many turns, of course, but the speed limit for trucks is 50 MPH. Your steepest grade will be on I-26, a 3-mile, 6% downhill grade.

Tom

[rv2go]

The Smokies cover a pretty large area. Are we talking about the Smoky Mountains National Park?
Which part are you wanting to visit? North Carolina or Tennessee side.