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Iconic US road trips · Scenic road guides

The Snake — Mountain City to South Holston Lake: Tennessee / Virginia Driving Guide

Explore the mapped The Snake — Mountain City to South Holston Lake segment in Tennessee / Virginia, with an exact route outline, downloadable GPX, access warnings and official condition checks.

Distance (GPX)
23.7 mi 38.1 km
Shape
Scenic segment
Driving time (planning estimate)
35 min–50 min
Terrain elevation (approx.)
1,600–3,850 ft 490–1,180 m
Start
US 421 near Mountain City
End
US 421 near South Holston Lake

Time covers this GPX one-way segment only, excluding the approach, return and stops. Traffic, weather, construction, road conditions and driving pace can change it substantially; it is not a live ETA.

Map/source review — not a guarantee the road is open today.

Road conditions and access can change. RevRoute does not provide live closure information. Check the official source before departure. Follow posted restrictions and never bypass a closed gate.

5 km approx. N
Start · US 421 near Mountain City End · US 421 near South Holston Lake Route outline from GPX — not a street map.

The drive

This guide follows US 421 from the Mountain City area through Shady Valley toward South Holston Lake. It is a US 421 segment, not the third-party GPX variant that also follows Highway 34.

The distance shown is measured along this specific connected road trace. It excludes your approach to the starting point, sightseeing spurs and any return journey. Inspect the endpoints and map before deciding whether it fits your trip.

This is an untimed planned road itinerary reconstructed from licensed OpenStreetMap road nodes, not a recording of a completed drive. Road-node connectivity and mapped driving direction have been checked; live access, unmapped restrictions and road-surface conditions are not guaranteed.

RevScore: this route's curviness

63/100 Winding

Calculated from the bends and distance in this exact mapped route using RevRoute's existing scoring formula. Heading-change density: approximately 378° per km.

A geometry-based route score, not a user review, driving-performance ranking, difficulty rating or safety assessment. Elevation is not part of the current formula. Recorded-drive scores may differ because GPS sampling and speed weighting differ. Never change your speed to improve a score.

Recorded drives & leaderboard

No verified drive totals or leaderboard entries are published on this guide yet. We do not infer them from page views, GPX downloads or route previews.

Record this route in RevRoute

How these planning facts were checked

The OSRM car-routing model was checked against 100 points along this exact GPX, including its loop or segment shape—not simply the fastest route between the endpoints. The 35 min–50 min range uses rounded planning allowances of 15–75% above the model's no-live-traffic baseline. These allowances are not measured traffic statistics or a guarantee; allow extra time for lunch, photographs and other stops.

Terrain elevations were sampled at 100 points along the GPX using the USGS NED approximately 10-metre terrain dataset hosted by Open Topo Data (dataset snapshot: April 23, 2020). The displayed range is rounded to 50 feet / 10 metres. It is an approximate sampled range—not an exact road minimum/maximum, summit height or cumulative elevation gain. Terrain can differ from the road surface around tunnels, bridges and road cuts.

Facts checked October 21, 2026. Sources are linked under “Guide sources.” The original GPX remains an untimed map trace; these modeled facts are not recorded-drive measurements.

Driving notes

  1. Respect road users and local communities

    Observe posted limits, allow safe passing and use designated stopping places. RevScore describes route geometry; it is not an invitation to drive faster.

  2. Inspect the exact segment

    US 421 near Mountain City to US 421 near South Holston Lake. A matching road name alone does not mean a downloaded file covers every part of the road.

Places along the route

  • US 421 near Mountain City

    Mapped starting area; arrange legal parking and supplies separately.

  • US 421 near South Holston Lake

    End of this one-way trace. Plan onward travel or a return separately.

Seasons & weather

Blind curves, changing elevations and limited shoulders require conservative speeds. Check both Tennessee and Virginia conditions for your approach and onward journey. Do not use public roads for racing.

Cautions

  • Check official access before departure

    Blind curves, changing elevations and limited shoulders require conservative speeds. Check both Tennessee and Virginia conditions for your approach and onward journey. Do not use public roads for racing.

Questions drivers ask

Is this road open today?

This page is not a live closure service. Use the official condition links and follow all posted restrictions; a continuous GPX does not confirm access.

Is this a recorded drive?

No. This GPX is an untimed planned road trace from attributed OpenStreetMap data. It contains no recorded speed or personal-best time.

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Free to download for iPhone and Android. Download the GPX above and import it, or open Routes > Community and look for The Snake — Mountain City to South Holston Lake. Public guide links do not open the app directly.

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