The stretch of US 321 from Newport south to Cosby and southwest through Pittman Center to Gatlinburg parallels the northern boundary of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and is quite scenic. From a point between Newport and Cosby to the intersection with the Little River Road, it is concurrent with SR 73. In Pigeon Forge, concurrent with US 441/Great Smoky Mountains Parkway, US 321 is a divided, multi-lane traffic-laden thoroughfare where it serves as the city's main route, lined with hotels, outlet malls and amusement facilities. Veering southwest of Pigeon Forge, the highway takes on a more rural character as it traverses Wears Valley, and narrows down to two lanes until its junction with SR 73 Scenic (the Little River Road) at the Townsend entrance to the park. It is concurrent with SR 73 from this junction to its terminus. With the exception of a section between Townsend and Maryville, the remaining portions of the highway through Blount County are a minimum of four lanes and usually a divided highway. Once the highway reaches Fort Loudon Dam in Loudon County, it crosses the Tennessee River via a bridge, completed in 2017, southeast of the dam then intersects with US 11 in Lenoir City. US 321 has a wrong-way concurrency with SR 95 from a point several miles south of Lenoir City (near Greenback) to its terminus at I-40. In the northern part of Lenoir City, US 321 intersects I-75 and US 70 before reaching I-40. Beyond I-40, the road continues northward to Oak Ridge as the two-lane SR 95.