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Newfound Gap Road, Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee and North Carolina
Photo: Andrew Heneen · CC BY 4.0 · cropped

Drives Tennessee The Smokies

Newfound Gap Road

US 441 · Sugarlands → Oconaluftee Visitor Center

Twisty29 mi50 min4,200 ft climbHigh point ≈ 5,100 ftOne way
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The drive

Newfound Gap Road is US 441 over the Great Smoky Mountains. This drive starts at Sugarlands, just past the Little River Road junction near Gatlinburg, and climbs south to 5,046-foot Newfound Gap before descending to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee, North Carolina.

It is 28.6 miles and climbs about 4,200 feet, with long climbs and sweeping bends through hardwood and spruce forest. The route is Twisty, with three tight stretches.

Along the way

  1. Sugarlands (Little River Road)
  2. Newfound Gap
  3. Oconaluftee Visitor Center
Elevation
4,200 ft of climbing · high point ≈ 5,100 ft
SugarlandsOconaluftee Visitor Center
Curves
Mostly moderate, with three twisty stretches
SugarlandsOconaluftee Visitor Center
GentleHairpins

Good to know

  • Newfound Gap Road is open year-round, weather permitting.
  • Parking longer than 15 minutes needs a parking tag, $5 per day. It is not an entrance fee.

Open all year, weather permitting. Roads close for snow, fire, storms and repairs: before you set off, check Great Smoky Mountains National Park: closures.

Questions about this drive

How long does Newfound Gap Road take to drive?

Newfound Gap Road from Sugarlands to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center is 28.6 miles and takes about 50 minutes.

Is Newfound Gap Road open in winter?

The park lists Newfound Gap Road (US 441) as open year-round, weather permitting.

Is there a fee to drive Newfound Gap Road?

There is no entrance fee, but parking longer than 15 minutes needs a parking tag, $5 per day.

What you get in the app

Turn by turn, on this roadSpoken directions along the exact route. Carve never reroutes you onto a faster one.
Preview it in 3DFly the whole drive over satellite and terrain before you go.
Drive it with no signalAPEXDownload the map and every turn before you go.
Live Group TrackingAPEXEveryone on the route, on the map, by name.
Road conditionsAPEXWet or dry, ice, fog and wind along the road before you go.
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More drives near here

Distance, time, elevation, curves and intensity are from Carve's route. Checked 2026-10-28.

Map of Newfound Gap Road, from Sugarlands to Oconaluftee Visitor Center