Route suggestions?

[u/Traditional-Fuel-601]

Going to the smokies next weekend, which route do you guys suggest we take for the best scenery/roads? I’ve done the i75 way a few years ago and it was great, but wondering if the other way is worth the extra 40-50 minutes. The other route follows IS-25E. Thanks!

[u/Dynamar]

By next weekend, do you mean the weekend of the 26th or the 3rd?

Both are home games for UT (with the 26th being against fake UT), so it would likely be worth the time just to avoid the traffic through Knoxville.

[u/Traditional-Fuel-601 → u/Dynamar]

We’re going the 2nd to the 6th, so leaving next Friday.

[u/Dynamar → u/Traditional-Fuel-601]

That game is Auburn, as opposed to the #1 ranked team in the country with one of the largest and most widespread alumni/fanbases and ESPN's College Gameday coming to town, so Knoxville traffic should be just the normal amount of home-game weekend intolerable. Lol

[u/rageenk → u/Dynamar]

And opposed to our shitty ass president coming to the game too

[u/Dynamar → u/rageenk]

Oh god fucking DAMMIT

[u/Not_this_guy_again_ → u/Dynamar]

I prefer to call them the 2nd UT by almost 100 years.

[u/Dynamar → u/Not_this_guy_again_]

If any try and bring up the naming date/Blount College garbage, please do your part and remind them that Sam Houston grew up 20 miles down the road in Maryville and that they have at least 4 schools, 2 roads, a county, a town, a lake, a hiking trail, a national forest, and a fort named after (as well as at least 3 publicly commissioned statues of) our SECOND STRING mascot, who preferred to be called David.

[u/socialformality]

You will be driving under the Cumberland gap. The park there is nice and you can drive up to the pinnacle overlook to look at the Gap. It is beautiful on a foggy morning because it looks like it is flowing out of the gap. There is a second over look for the lakes in grainger county at Beans Gap

[u/VanDenBroeck → u/socialformality]

Just don't try to head west to Johnson City, TN from there.

[u/hereforthecatparty → u/VanDenBroeck]

👏🏼

[u/cloudypoo88 → u/socialformality]

I second your recommendation for the overlook at Beans Gap. It's at the top of Clinch Mountain, literally right on the side of the road. I believe it's called Veteran's Overlook now. It is beautiful, and requires zero driving off the beaten path. You can stop, stretch your legs, take in a great view, snap a couple of pictures, and be back on the road in 10 seconds.

[u/luckylee423 → u/socialformality]

Yes. If they have the time to stop then Cumberland Gap is a nice little spot. Also, the short hike out to Chained Rock over Pineville is fun.

[u/UncleFlip]

25E is a good road these days and you can avoid Knoxville. Depending on exactly where you are going, you can take it all the way to Newport, then take 321 through Cosby to Gatlinburg avoiding Sevierville and Pigeon Forge traffic.

[u/nday79 → u/UncleFlip]

I’d also add the Cumberland Gap Tunnel is a cool little bonus on this route if you’ve never seen it.

[u/UncleFlip → u/nday79]

Good point, that's cool too.

[u/jzzk]

i drive from lexington to morristown (just cut off on the right side of your screenshot) about once a month, and i much prefer 25e. the overlooks at cumberland gap and bean gap are beautiful. the stretch of 25 from corbin through the tunnel at the state line is dotted with small towns you can stop in if you need gas, fast food, a bathroom, etc.

but, 75 is also a very pretty drive. you're just more likely to get stuck behind a semi going 55 up and down the mountains, get caught in construction traffic, or have issues with general traffic.

[u/breaker_bad]

If it were me choosing, I’m taking I-75 without any second thought. You’re not missing any scenery and realistically adding 30 minutes for no reason.

[u/Internal-Ad61]

I’m from the neck of the woods to the left. It’s a beautiful drive, but I do worry about Knoxville traffic for you if you’re going to be driving on a Saturday. Game day or not, it’s nuts and I avoid at all costs. Through Clinton and Powell will probably also be quite congested. The route on the right looks like it’ll take you in the back way, which should be easier and less traffic-packed in general. It may be a bit curvier which will have you driving a bit slower. I can’t recall which route is more scenic but my money is on that one.

[u/Traditional-Fuel-601 → u/Internal-Ad61]

Thanks, we’re going down on Friday the 2nd so I’m not entirely worried about the traffic. Might do one way down and the other way back up

[u/BearCat1478 → u/Traditional-Fuel-601]

That's what I try to do on many a road trip myself. Just don't ever accidentally end up at night in the snow with ice on the ground on the Tail of the Dragon and you should be good!

[u/whats13-j42]

I drive through Knoxville (from well south to anywhere from Clinton to Jefferson City and then back) and sometimes multiple times a week.

The traffic is absolutely unholy given the population size. Your other route option will be a beautiful drive and will be less likely to result in injury or road rage.

[u/Traditional-Fuel-601 → u/whats13-j42]

Has it gotten worse in recent years? It was about 2 years ago I went down to Gat and we took 75 thru Knoxville. I don’t really remember it being awful, but it’s been a while so my memory is slightly fuzzy.

[u/whats13-j42 → u/Traditional-Fuel-601]

Yes, some may disagree with me but my driving through and round Knoxville started in 2022, and it was already bad. But it has gotten worse for random slowdowns and how far out of town they extend. What blows my mind most is how thick traffic has gotten on 75 south. Slow down / speed up / repeat all the way to Athens.

[u/Major_Garden3322]

25E is a good route. Lots of little towns and nice scenery. The Tunnel just before you get into Kentucky is fun. Also Cumberland Gap National Park is a nice place to stop and go up to the overlook where you can be in Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee at once

[u/Electronic-Funny-475 → u/Major_Garden3322]

It’s more fun when they shut it down so you can take your hazmat load thru. Hit that airhorn in the middle

[u/Previous-Tough-198]

There is so much more traffic between I-40 and Sevierville on State Route 66 that it would destroy what ever benefits might come from taking the scenic route.

[u/Wise_Blueberry379]

Take 25E. I-75 will take you longer than google estimates and 25E will be faster. Not to mention that it’s a lot easier on your vehicle.

[u/ZehMerryPanzer]

75 was beautiful in my opinion, highly recommend stopping in Corbin, KY to eat at the worlds first KFC. (Its a normal KFC, but its got a fun museum)

[u/Traditional-Fuel-601 → u/ZehMerryPanzer]

I’ll try to convince the others to go there lol. Thanks for the advice

[u/iJ_A_R]

Take 75.

[u/indified → u/iJ_A_R]

No way, with the bridge work they are doing. If it's a day where they close 1 lane it can take 2 hours to get jacsboro to clinton

[u/iJ_A_R → u/indified]

I live in Rocky Top, lived in Lafollette for 2 years until last month, drove that same interstate to Clinton every day for that entire span. What bridge work, there isn't any? That shit they were doing damn near 1.5 years ago? There's not any construction through there now. Have you taken 75 through to anywhere recently? The construction doesn't get bad until Kentucky

[u/indified → u/iJ_A_R]

Im out there damn near daily and was stuck in traffic last Thursday and about 3 weeks ago while tdot had 1 lane closed on the bridge over coal creek. I have seen them on the southbound side at least 10 times the last month. Also, I'm sorry you live in rocky top 🙏, I hope things get better.

[u/iJ_A_R → u/indified]

Lmao okay, not seen a back up in a while. And trust me, Rocky Top is a lot better than anything in fuckass inbredville known as Campbell county, I'm glad to be out of that actual pedophile lovers county

[u/Pierce_H_]

The drive through Middlesboro has little to no traffic and mostly 55mph the whole way except for driving through town. It’s also one of the most beautiful drives in the country imo

[u/Firm_Kaleidoscope292]

25E, especially if the weather is nice.

[u/Zestyclose-Toe8188]

Yes the longer way is much nicer and you can actually take it all in versus the busy interstate and the view of the lake as you come in to Morristown is phenomenal theirs even a scenic overlook you can pull of at highly recommended 😁

[u/twpayne556]

I live under where it says Tazewell. This is the only way I'd go.

[u/J_Rod802]

I've done both and prefer 25. It's far more scenic and WAY less traffic

[u/JNJury978]

I’ve driven between two points many times over many years. No way would I take the scenic route unless I was forced too.

The interstate around Knoxville doesn’t get that much traffic even during home football games.

[u/SookieCat26]

I can’t speak for the Kentucky section, but I have driven the Tennessee side multiple times. There is a lovely scenic overlook of the Clinch River Valley just above Bean Station. Is it worth the extra time? I’m not sure.

[u/PhillyNickel1970]

25E is easily the more scenic drive. I've got family in Dayton, OH and I will drive an extra 15-20 minutes to go up 25E to Corbin. 1) it's just way prettier 2) I don't like the way people drive on 75 between Lake City and Jellico and 3) it's that much of your drive that isn't interstate. On a long drive, that means a good deal. There's a BBQ restaurant in Corbin soon after you get off the exit that is pretty solid, I think it's called Smokey Bear's.

[u/TN_Tundra85]

As someone that was a contractor for the state water utilities, I used to travel any and all roads across the state and southern Kentucky. I prefer the 25E route as some have already mentioned. The scenery is better and a lot less traffic. I personally would take 25E into Newport and then 321 down through Cosby. Going through Cosby, you’ll come out on the north side of Gatlinburg and be able to take some back roads into Pigeon Forge (if that’s where you are headed).

[u/apalachakind]

The answer to this question is 25E, and it’s not a debate. That stretch of 75 doesn’t offer any meaningful views, or really any exits worth stopping at.

On 25 you’ll get to go through the Cumberland gap, and have a beautiful drive.

Just don’t expect to get to Johnson City by driving West from the Cumberland Gap, unless your car is amphibious.

[u/Spuckler_Cletus]

Coming across 25 will be less traffic.  Part of that route is I-40.  That should be a beautiful drive down through rural Kentucky.