If you only do one outdoor thing during your stay, we’d point you here. At 6,643 feet, it’s the highest point in the entire national park, and the walk up to the observation tower, a paved but genuinely steep half-mile, rewards you with a 360-degree view that on a clear day stretches over 100 miles.
Go as early as you can manage. Mornings tend to be clearer before afternoon haze rolls in, and the parking lot fills up fast once the day gets going. Bring a jacket even in summer, it’s noticeably cooler up top than down in the valley. The road up closes seasonally from December through March, so it’s worth checking conditions before you head over if you’re visiting in the shoulder seasons.
It’s about a 45-minute drive from most of our Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg properties, and easy to pair with a stop at Newfound Gap on the way. Bring water and good shoes, there’s no food or real shelter at the top, just the view, which is honestly all you need.
