Look Rock Trail - Foothills Parkway - Great Smoky Mountains National Park

 

We hiked the one-mile roundtrip, paved trail to the Look Rock Tower in late October 2019. The trailhead is located on the Foothills Parkway (West) in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The parking area for Look Rock is located at mile marker 7.3 as measured from the Chilhowee or Southwest Entrance. Paved parking is provided for over 50 passenger vehicles and includes three accessible spots. From the parking area, follow the sidewalk northeast to the crosswalk on the parkway. The trail climbs about 180 feet from the crosswalk, giving an average grade of about 6%. 

Crosswalk

Typical trail conditions for the lower section

Still plenty of green at the end of October

A few reds and golds

Turn left onto the one-lane road and keep climbing

Pass the Look Rock Air Quality Station

Typical upper trail conditions

Approaching the ramp to the observation tower

Look Rock Tower

Murray Gap and Chilhowee Mountain

Maryville, Alcoa, and the Great Valley with the Cumberland Plateau on the horizon

Thunderhead Mountain

Devils Tater Patch

Another view of Thunderhead Mountain

Gregory Bald

There is no entrance fee at Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The park website is https://www.nps.gov/grsm/index.htm.

Look Rock Tower Trail - Foothills Parkway - Great Smoky Mountains National Park

A paved trail leads from a large parking area on the Foothills Parkway (West) to a concrete observation tower on Look Rock, the highest point (2641') on the western segment of Chilhowee Mountain. The trail climbs about 180 feet in ½ mile for a grade of over 6%. The round trip distance depends on where you park in the large parking area, but it is just over one mile. I made the trek in October 2015.

After leaving the upper end of the parking area, the trail crosses the parkway

While paved, the trail is too steep to be considered wheelchair accessible

Looking back down the trail

Leaves already cover the ground

Approaching the tower

View from the ramp

Another view from the ramp

The crest of Chilhowee Mountain

Clouds obscure the view of Maryville

Great Smoky Mountains

Some trees are still brilliant, while others have already dropped their leaves

More of the Great Smoky Mountains

The Look Rock air quality station is adjacent to the trail

Another brightly colored tree on the way down

There is no fee to enter Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The park website is http://www.nps.gov/grsm/index.htm.