Quote: ...we'll take US 441 from Franklin NC to 23/74, then pick up I40 west to exit 440 on 73/321 into Gatlinburg. How's that look to people in the know.....
Frankly speaking, the drive up the gorge on 40 is more dangerous (IMHO) than driving over the mountain. I late March there will little traffic on the park road, but you can bet there will be tons of trucks on the narrow, crooked portion of 40 from Waynesville west. After the you exit the gorge, 40 becomes an ordinary interstate - but inside the gorge the trucks are required to stay in the right lane. Passing them is a challenge and sort of scary if you are not used to this kind of traffic. There is one tunnel headed west and two headed east (or vice versa)
The drive over the mountain can be done at your leisure - there are lots of pull outs going up and down. The kids will enjoy this much more than having trucks running 55-60 miles per hour 3 feet off your side on a crooked, bouncy interstate.
Again, this is just my opinion, but we have done this trip many, many times and I had rather drive over the mountain both ways than make the trip up (or down) that stretch of interstate 40.
The direction you travel may be a moot point anyway, in that the rangers will shut the mountain down if there is snow or ice on top.
As another poster stated--don't confuse G'burg with Pigeon Forge and be careful if you take your motorhome THROUGH G'burg--the power poles are veeerrry close on the right lane. Consider the bypass and renting a car to drive downtown. On the other hand, there are several nice campgrounds in Pigeon Forge: Creekside, Riverside, etc and the trolley goes into the 'strip" and also will go over to Gatlinburg--lots of stops though. Anyway,to use 441 is probably ok but you will have long climb and down just before Dillsboro (NC) in either case. At Dillsboro you will have to decide on whether to go over to I 40 or go to Cherokee and over the mountains. It's approx 16 miles up and same down between Cherrokee and G'burg on 441 and in 29 foot with no toad you should do ok. Just use lower gears up AND down. Don't ride brakes-get on and then get off to allow to cool. Lots of pulloffs and viewpoints.
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