The blue line here is the 11 mile loop of Cades Cove. It is blocked off to car traffic on Wed and Sat 7AM-10 may-sept22nd. This is the road EVERYONE drives to see a deer, bear, wolf, squirrel whatever. Its a sweet bicycle ride with no cars. During the winter I think its only blocked on Saturday mornings. It changes some years. Moderate difficulty on bikes, although you can short cut it too 6.5 miles.
If you ever head that way, go wears valley way to it. Or you will road rage if you take the gatlinburg way. Campers, scooters and crap clog the roads.
Cades cove can take 4 hrs to drive around on the weekends. Morning is the best time, (least traffic). THATS 4 HRS, 11miles.....
Townsend has a asphalt path along the HWY. It sits 30 yards off the HWY and is a few miles long. Great riding surface, (bikes,walk,jog) almost completly flat. My wife will go to this one, not the Cove.