East Tennessee Crossing

Tennessee

National Scenic Byway

Map

Byway Details

Designation
National Scenic Byway
Length
83 mi in Tennessee

About East Tennessee Crossing

East Tennessee Crossing is a scenic drive of about 83 miles that runs through the Appalachian Ranger District of the National Forests in North Carolina, crossing into Tennessee. The route links a string of small towns, including Newport, Baneberry, White Pine, Bean Station, Tazewell, Harrogate and Cumberland Gap, which makes it easy to break the drive into shorter stretches. Fall is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from the nearby Hot Springs, NC weather station show October highs around 72°F with lows near 47°F, and September and October bring the fewest wet days of the year. The drive passes right by a cluster of trails. Cumberland Gap Greenway, Whitt's Ridge Trail and Penny Lane Trail all sit about 0.1 mile from the route, and the Cumberland Trail is about 0.2 mile away.

Scenic byway data: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration

Facts about this place

When to go

Best time to go: Mar–Jun. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 60–84°F and lows of 37–62°F.

Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Hot Springs, NC weather station, 4.8 mi away. High / low in °F.

  1. Jan48° high28° low
  2. Feb52° high31° low
  3. Mar60° high37° low
  4. Apr71° high44° low
  5. May78° high54° low
  6. Jun84° high62° low
  7. Jul87° high65° low
  8. Aug86° high65° low
  9. Sep82° high59° low
  10. Oct72° high47° low
  11. Nov60° high36° low
  12. Dec51° high32° low

Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020

Where it is

Towns along the route
Newport · Baneberry · White Pine · Bean Station · Tazewell · Harrogate · Cumberland Gap

Source: USFS EDW boundaries; USGS GNIS populated places

Conditions

Active alerts for Appalachian Ranger District as of Oct 9, 2026:

Source: USFS forest alerts

Nearby

Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 2 miles of the route, PostGIS distance)