Motorcycle Ride Planner · Routes · United States

Foothills Parkway ('The Missing Link' Walland to Wears Valley)

United States · Foothills Pkwy

Completed in late 2018 after 52 years of engineering anticipation, the 17-mile 'Missing Link' features a series of elevated bridges curving directly around steep mountain cliffs with zero commercial traffic or driveways. Delivers unobstructed panoramic views of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park ridgeline with glass-smooth pavement.

Foothills Parkway ('The Missing Link' Walland to Wears Valley) runs 17 miles between Walland / US-321, TN and Wears Valley Overlook, TN. We count about 85 corners along it, which is consistently bendy. Committed riding: real corners, real consequences.

Tank-bag quick reference

• StartWalland / US-321, TN35.7312, -83.8155
• High1,120 ft - 2,860 ft (Smoky Mountain Foothills)elevation range
• EndWears Valley Overlook, TN35.7142, -83.6708

T-CLOCS before you go: tyres and wheels, controls and cables, lights and electrics, oil and fluids, chassis and stand.

Repair within reach

• 9 miSmoky Mountain Harley-DavidsonMaryville, United States
• 15 miDual Sport TouringFriendsville, United States
• 28 miWheeler's PerformanceRobbinsville, United States
• 47 miWaynesville Cycle CenterWaynesville, United States

Straight-line distance from the start of the route, not driving distance.

Somewhere to stop

• 16 miDeals Gap Motorcycle Resort & The Tree of ShameRobbinsville, NC
• 21 miHistoric Tapoco Lodge & River TavernRobbinsville, NC
• 28 miLynn's Place & Historic Robbinsville SquareRobbinsville, NC
• 41 miWheels Through Time Motorcycle MuseumMaggie Valley, NC
• 42 miJoey's Pancake HouseMaggie Valley, NC

More in United States

• California Route 36 - '140 Miles of Curves'140 mi · 1800 corners
• Blue Ridge Parkway (Virginia Ridge & Peaks of Otter)176 mi · 620 corners
• Blue Ridge Parkway (Southern High Peaks Section)129 mi · 580 corners
• The Snake 421 (Holston Mountain Pass)33 mi · 489 corners
• Coronado Trail (The Devil's Highway)92 mi · 460 corners
• Lolo Pass (Lewis and Clark Highway)132 mi · 450 corners

Questions riders ask

How long does Foothills Parkway ('The Missing Link' Walland to Wears Valley) take to ride?

About 17 miles. At an unhurried pace with stops that is roughly 1 hour of riding, longer if you are stopping for photographs.

Where does Foothills Parkway ('The Missing Link' Walland to Wears Valley) start and end?

It runs between Walland / US-321, TN and Wears Valley Overlook, TN. Either end works as a start; the route reads the same in both directions.

Is Foothills Parkway ('The Missing Link' Walland to Wears Valley) a twisty road?

We count about 85 corners across 17 miles, which is consistently bendy.

Is there a GPX file for Foothills Parkway ('The Missing Link' Walland to Wears Valley)?

Yes. The GPX is free, there is no account, and the planner will build a route that includes this road alongside others nearby.

Where these numbers come from

Distances and corner counts come from the route's own geometry, not from ratings or votes. Nothing here is crowdsourced and nobody paid to appear.