[1][2] SR 71 begins concurrent with US 441 within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park at the North Carolina state line on Newfound Gap.

US 441/SR 71 is known as Newfound Gap Road within the park, and follows along a valley carved by the West Prong of the Little Pigeon River as a narrow and curvy two-lane highway.

Newfound Gap Road then runs concurrently with SR 73 Scenic (Little River Road) before having an interchange with the Gatlinburg Bypass and entering the city of Gatlinburg, where US 441/SR 71/SR 73 Scenic leaves the park and becomes Great Smoky Mountains Parkway (Parkway), a four-lane undivided highway as it passes through the city.

It passes through the city and has an intersection with SR 449 (Dollywood Lane/Veterans Boulevard) before US 321/SR 73 head north along Wears Valley Road.

US 441/SR 33 passes through downtown as a six-lane divided highway (known as Henley Street), where it has a partial interchange with I-40/I-275 and an intersection with SR 62 (Western Avenue).

[5] US 441/SR 71 then have an interchange with I-75 (Exit 128) and widen to an undivided four-lane shortly before coming to an end at an intersection with US 25W/SR 9/SR 116 (N Main Street) just north of downtown.