ARTICLE OVERVIEW: Newfound Gap Overlook
Newfound Gap provides one of the must-see spots of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and it’s also one of the easiest to access. At the parking area off Newfound Gap Road, you can look out on the majestic Smoky Mountains and see what makes this area so beautiful.
This is the lowest driveable spot on the ridge of the Smokies at 5,046 feet. It’s also just seven miles or so from the highest spot in the mountains at Clinmans Dome, another 1,500 feet in elevation. Indian Gap was first believed to be the low point, but when the “new” “gap” was “found,” it was named Newfound Gap.
WHAT’S A GAP?: A gap is a narrow opening between two mountain peaks. Depending on where you’re from, you might refer to a gap as a saddle, notch or a pass.
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Newfound Gap Road Details
5 Quick Things to Know Before You Visit Great Smoky Mountains
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park does not have an entrance fee, but you will need a parking tag if you plan to stop for more than 15 minutes. Buy parking tags online, at local vendors, or at kiosks and always leave it prominently displayed through your windshield.
- Mobile services are hit or miss in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Cell Service is not bad in the park; I’ve had great luck sending texts at peaks. However, away from more developed areas around mountains and narrow gorges, you’ll lose it.
- Be sure to bring a Smoky Mountains waterproof map, as the trails can be humid, wet, and windy. Paper maps won’t last long hikes. Here’s a great guidebook with expanded details.
- You’ll fly into Knoxville, TN, or Asheville, NC, to visit the Smokies region. Knoxville’s route takes you through the Gatlinburg (Sugarlands) entrance to the park, and Asheville brings you through the Cherokee (Oconaluftee) entrance. Each offers about a 90-minute drive to the park entrance, with the Tennessee side putting you in the heart of Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg traffic. The North Carolina side also offers a chance to ride the Blue Ridge Parkway.
- Bring bear spray. Keep it at your hip or somewhere easily accessible. As I like to say, a bear isn’t going to wait for you to dig through your backpack to find it. By the time a situation is dire enough to need bear spray, it should be within grasp. That said, I’ve had the same bottle of bear spray for years and never had to use it. On the other hand, some people feel bear spray isn’t needed against black bears, and that’s fine if you use bear-proof containers and make enough noise to let a bear know you’re there.
Getting to Newfound Gap Overlook
Newground Gap names a place and a road. Logically, you’ll take Newfound Gap Road to reach Newfound Gap. The mile markers start in Gatlinburg and work their way 31 miles to Cherokee. Newfound Gap is at mile marker 14.7.
Mile markers can be hard to spot if you don’t know what to look for – in keeping with the natural surroundings, the mile markers are short wooden posts, not even knee high, on the side of the road.
Furthermore, they only line the northern route of the road. You can still see the number heading south, but look on the OTHER side of the road.
I’ve been to the Smokies two dozen times in my life and made one particular trip to JUST enjoy every stop on Newfound Gap Road. While it’s a little unorthodox, I used the Newfound Gap Road Scenic Byway Corridor Management Plan to get specific information about every mile during trip planning. I’ve attached it below for you to download if you’d like.
Newfound Gap Road Map
I put together this map for you to save, showing the two driving routes to Newfound Gap Overlook and two hiking destinations from the Appalachian Trail crossing at the overlook. I’ve also added the elevation profile of the road below. The left side is starting in Gatlinburg, and the right side is starting in Cherokee.
For more great hikes in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, check out our top 15 ranked hikes.
Newfound Gap Overlook Weather
Before even thinking of heading to Newfound Gap Overlook, check out the webcam to see what conditions are like.
Raise your hand if you’ve ever gone to Great Smoky Mountains National Park only to find a foggy curtain blocking all the amazing views. 🤚🏼🤚🏼🤚🏼🤚🏼
As irony would have it, here’s what the Newfound Gap camera looked like when I checked it while writing this story. 🤦🏽♀️
Spring
In spring, Gatlinburg and Cherokee experience average temperatures ranging from 50°F to 70°F. However, at Newfound Gap Overlook, temperatures tend to be cooler, ranging from 40°F to 60°F due to its higher elevation. Visitors experience milder weather compared to the cities at the overlook. Fog commonly happens during the morning but can happen any time of day, even if it’s sunny in the cities.
Wildflowers peak in the second half of April near the cities, with these higher elevations peaking in May.
Summer
During summer, Gatlinburg and Cherokee typically see average temperatures between 70°F and 85°F. Conversely, Newfound Gap Overlook offers cooler temperatures ranging from 60°F to 75°F, making it a refreshing escape from the summer heat of the cities. Afternoon thunderstorms are common across all locations.
Fall
Fall brings vibrant foliage to Gatlinburg, Cherokee, and Newfound Gap Overlook. Temperatures in the cities range from 50°F to 70°F, while at the overlook, they range from 40°F to 60°F.
The first half of October gets the best fall foliage at elevations above 4,000 feet. I’ve marked that section of Newfound Gap Road for you on the map to the right.
Below 4,000 feet, the peak happens from late October into early November.
Winter
Winter temperatures in Gatlinburg and Cherokee typically range from 30°F to 50°F, while at Newfound Gap Overlook, they drop further to 20°F to 40°F due to its higher elevation.
While Gatlinburg gets an average of six inches of snow, near the Newfound Gap Overlook, the average is seven feet. Since Newfound Gap Road is a section of U.S. Route 441 and an important thoroughfare between two states, it will get serviced as much as possible by snow plows and road treatments. However, it is still prone to closures.
NEWFOUND GAP ROAD CONDITIONS: Check the road status before you make this winter trek. Call (865) 436-1200 or follow Smokies Road Closures on X (Twitter).
Clingmans Dome Road closes between December and March annually. You can walk or cross-country ski the road from the Newground Gap Overlook to get to Clingmans Dome Observation Tower.
Best Time to Visit Newfound Gap Overlook
Park visitation data answers two burning topics here – when is the best time to visit, and how to avoid crowds? Unfortunately, those two rarely overlap. In 2023 and 2023, October ranked as the busiest month of the year, with 1.7 million visitors. That’s due to the EPIC leaf peeing at Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
October also happens to be the best time to visit for the fall colors while enjoying plentiful harvest festivals in the surrounding communities. I want to add that November’s visitation falls below one million for the first time since April, and the lack of leaves on the trees provides great views on trails that would otherwise be blocked. The foliage still lines the trails, which can be beautiful but slippery.
Winter fans should know that few people take advantage of the snow activity potential on Clingmans Dome road, making that a great time to visit Newfound Gap Overlook.
Early spring is another great time to visit with the new growth, wildflowers, and waterfalls.
What to Expect at Newfound Gap Overlook
A large parking lot greets you at the Newfound Gap Overlook. A stone memorial in honor of Laura Spellman Rockefeller stands in one corner. It marks the spot where Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated the park in 1940.
The views from Newfound Gap Overlook face the eastern side of the park, which was largely spared from the logging activity that gutted the west side. You’ll stare at old-growth forests and at least five of the 10 highest peaks in the Smokies.
A state line marker makes a great Instagram moment, where you can stand in two places at once – North Carolina and Tennessee.
The Appalachian Trail crosses perpendicular, with the option to head to Clingmans Dome to the west or the Jumpoff to the east.
Scenic Spots Near Newfound Gap Overlook
Less than a mile in either direction from the Newfound Gap Overlook are two more viewpoints that are quite epic. The Ben Morton Overlook faces the west side of the park, and I’d argue any day of the week and twice on Tuesday, this is the best sunset view in the park. May visitors will find the sun cut right down the center of the valley.
The Luftee Overlook looks down into the Oconaluftee River Valley and is a great sunrise spot. It’s also ideal for overflow views if Newfound Gap Overlook is at peak capacity.
For those curious about the “Secret Tunnel Under Clingmans Dome,” you can walk 0.5 miles from Newfound Gap Overlook and go under the road to the former mule trail tunnel.
The Great Smoky Mountains Film
This film is the culmination of two weeks of exploring Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We chose Great Smoky Mountains as our second-ever park film because of its extraordinary display of fall colors, incredibly diverse wildlife population, and prominence as the most visited national park in the country.
This film was shot entirely in 4K UHD.
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