You can get an idea of the coolant temperature based on the cooling fans operation, at least if you don't have the A/C on (air conditioning compressor load will also control the cooling fans, independent of coolant temperature).
From service data, the cooling fans will turn on at about 50% at 208 *F and then will turn back off if it cools down to 205 *F. If the fans are on at 208 *F and the temperature continues to rise, they'll go to 100% at 214 *F. And they'll stay on 100% until it cools down to 212 *F, when the fans will drop back to 70%. Then they'll stay at 70% until they turn back off at 205 *F. Again, the fans are pulse width modulated, and they'll respond to either coolant temperature OR the air conditioning load. So, if your A/C is off and your cooling fans are off, you know your coolant temperature is under 208 *F. If your A/C is off and your cooling fans are on, you know your coolant temperature is at or above 205 *F.
We recently took a drive on Skyline Drive (from the Front Royal entrance) and it was kind of a slow crawl to the top of the mountain up to the visitor center. The cooling fans were screaming by the time we got to the top, but the needle hadn't moved. I noted it because it's the first time I had heard them on what seemed to be high speed. So I guess the coolant temps had climbed up over 214 *F on the climb up. It was about 30 *F outside that day, so I know the load was not from the A/C system.
I imagine the needle would start to move higher if the coolant temp goes up beyond about 220 *F. Because at that point, it's sort of in a runaway condition unless you modify the operating environment. The fans are already on their highest setting and the thermostat is already wide open. If it keeps climbing much beyond 214 *F, then it should just continue to climb unless you remove the engine load, etc.