🚗 Top Wheelchair-Accessible Scenic Drives in the Smokies
Cades Cove Loop Road
- 11-mile paved loop with wildlife, historic cabins, and mountain views.
- Accessible restrooms and pull-offs throughout.
- Great for spotting deer, bears, and wild turkeys from your vehicle2.
Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail
- 5.5-mile one-way loop through lush forest and waterfalls.
- “Place of a Thousand Drips” is visible from the road—no hiking required2.
- Narrow road, but ideal for slow scenic drives in accessible vehicles.
Newfound Gap Road
- 33-mile highway with panoramic overlooks and paved pull-offs.
- Cliff Branch Falls and Maloney Point offer easy-access views.
- Oconaluftee Visitor Center and Mountain Farm Museum are wheelchair-friendly stops.
Foothills Parkway
- Smooth, wide road with dramatic overlooks and paved viewing areas.
- Especially stunning at sunset—perfect for golden-hour content.
Little River Road
- Connects Gatlinburg to Townsend with multiple roadside waterfalls.
- The Sinks and Meigs Falls are visible from the car with accessible parking.
- Metcalf Bottoms picnic area has accessible tables and restrooms.
🧭 Bonus Accessible Stops
- Sugarlands Valley Nature Trail: Fully paved half-mile trail near Newfound Gap Road.
- Clingmans Dome (with caution): Steep but paved path—possible with powered wheelchairs.
- Oconaluftee Visitor Center: Accessible exhibits and elk viewing from the porch
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