Little River Road runs from the Sugarland Visitors Center to Cades Cove. This 18 mile stretch of road runs along the Little River and is actually built on the former railroad bed that the Little River Lumber Company used in its heyday. This is a very popular route through the National Park. Passing by many of the popular haunts of visitors to the Smokies it is also one of the ways to get to Cades Cove.
Highlights
Elkmont – Elkmont, formerly a vacation spot for the elite from Knoxville, is one of the neatest places to visit in the Smokies. The homes that the people lived in and vacationed in are still there. Along with the the history there is also a campground located in Elkmont.- Tremont – Home to the Great Smoky Mountain Institute at Tremont, this has become a place of research and education in the Smoky Mountains.
- The Townsend Wye – Where Lamar Alexander Parkway and Little River Road meet inside the GSMNP, is the Townsend Wye. This is a starting point for a lot of people that love to tube in the Smokies it is also a great local swimming hole.
- Laurel Falls – This may be the most popular trail in the Smokies and is certainly the site of the most viewed waterfall in the Smoky Mountains.
- The Sinks – Another popular swimming hole in the Smokies, the sinks are also one of the places where you will catch people diving off the rocks into the crisp mountain water during the summer. This is not a suggestion, as this is a very dangerous activity, merely a comment on what happens at this area of the park.