Facility Overview
Foothills Parkway Southwest Parking #13 is a designated scenic overlook and vehicle pullout situated along the western section of the scenic Foothills Parkway near Tallassee, Tennessee. Administered by the National Park Service as part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park system, this open-air, paved asphalt surface lot provides visitors with breathtaking panoramic vistas of the Great Smoky Mountains and the Tennessee Valley. Because this is an open-air pullout with no overhead structures or physical clearance barriers, the facility easily accommodates standard passenger vehicles, pickup trucks, SUVs, motorcycles, and larger leisure vehicles such as camper vans and mid-size motorhomes.
Prime Location & Nearby Attractions
Set along one of East Tennessee\'s most scenic scenic driving corridors, Parking Pullout #13 serves as an exceptional vantage point and rest stop. Nearby key attractions and points of interest include:
- Look Rock Tower Trail & Overlook: Located just a short drive to the northeast along the parkway, offering a paved walking trail to an observation tower with 360-degree views of the Smokies and the valley.
- Tail of the Dragon (US-129): Situated near the southwestern terminus of the Parkway at Chilhowee Lake, renowned worldwide among motorcyclists and sports car enthusiasts for its 318 curves in 11 miles.
- Chilhowee Lake & Little Tennessee River: Minutes away at the western base of the ridge, offering scenic waterfront pull-offs, fishing, and non-motorized paddling access.
- Townsend & Cades Cove: Accessible via Walland and US-321 to the northeast, serving as peaceful gateway hubs into the interior of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Access, Navigation & Transit Connectivity
Access into and out of Parking Pullout #13 is directly off Foothills Parkway Southwest. The roadway features gentle turns and wide passing shoulders, though drivers should maintain posted speed limits (typically 35–45 mph) and exercise caution when re-entering traffic. Regional connectivity is anchored by US Highway 129 to the southwest (connecting toward Maryville and Robbinsville/Deals Gap) and US Highway 321 in Walland to the northeast (connecting Maryville to Townsend). As this is a scenic national parkway through rural mountainous terrain, there is no public rail or municipal bus transit; personal motor vehicles, motorbikes, or chartered tour vans are the standard means of arrival.
Facility Amenities & Key Features
- Format: Level, paved open-air surface pullout with head-in parking stalls parallel to the scenic ridgeline.
- Vehicle Clearance: Unrestricted vertical headroom suitable for high-clearance 4x4s, camper vans, and standard vehicles.
- Scenic Infrastructure: Stone viewing borders and roadside viewing clearings designed for sightseeing and landscape photography.
- NPS Parking Tag System: Subject to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park \'Park It Forward\' parking tag program for stops lasting longer than 15 minutes.
- Cellular Connectivity: Intermittent cellular reception along ridge crests; downloading offline maps in advance is highly recommended.
Ideal For
- Scenic Cruisers & Motorcyclists: Touring the world-famous ridgelines between US-129 and Walland.
- Landscape Photographers: Capturing golden hour sunrises, dramatic sunsets, and sea-of-clouds phenomena over the Chilhowee Mountain range.
- Nature Lovers & Birdwatchers: Enjoying fresh mountain air, quiet natural solitude, and seasonal raptor migrations.
- Road-Trippers & Day Visitors: Taking a scenic driving break along the Foothills Parkway bypass.
Visitor & Driver Tips
Under the Great Smoky Mountains National Park regulations, parking for more than 15 minutes requires an active NPS Parking Tag ($5 daily or $15 weekly), which must be purchased in advance online via recreation.gov or at official visitor centers, as there are no automated payment kiosks directly at the pullout. Parking stays under 15 minutes for quick photo opportunities do not require a tag. Arrive early in the morning during peak autumn foliage weeks (October and early November) to secure a spot, and check winter weather advisories beforehand as high-elevation portions of the Foothills Parkway may temporarily close during snow or ice events.
