This 5.5-mile loop road offers glimpses of an old-growth forest, historic structures and more. To reach Roaring Fork, follow these directions: Turn off the main Parkway in Gatlinburg, TN at traffic light #8 and follow Historic Nature Trail Road to the Cherokee Orchard entrance to the National Park. From this area, you can also access the Bullhead Trail. There was also some thunder around, and my brain does not particularly like thunder. Listen to the roar of the stream echoed in the area’s mountainous valleys. From Gatlinburg, take the Historic Nature Trail Road to the Cherokee Orchard entrance to the national park. The next stop is the Ephraim Bales Cabin. The Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is like a forest fantasyland with all kinds of natural and man-made history at every turn. The Place of a Thousand Drips is a seasonal waterfall that you can see from your car! The convenient location of Roaring Fork, which can be accessed just a few miles from downtown Gatlinburg, makes the area a favorite place to explore for Smoky Mountain visitors. As you drive the scenic 5.5-mile Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, you’ll see why the trail got its name. It’s on the left beyond a small parking area. It runs behind a 25-foot waterfall and is the only place in the park where you can get a backside view of the falls. and your reward is the 80-foot high waterfall, the tallest single-drop waterfall in the national park. Directions: The Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is part of a one-way driving loop in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Its cool environment is perfect during the summer! You’ll find plenty of opportunities to pull off of the road to admire the scenery, log cabins, gristmills, and other historic buildings. To visit the historic buildings, add on another hour. You’ll see a streamside tub mill and the Ogle’s handcrafted wooden flume plumbing system! The drive along Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail begins at the Noah “Bud” Ogle farmstead, where you can take a walking tour of the historic buildings and pick up a tour map of the roadway sights. Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The Roaring Fork Trail is located just beyond the Rainbow Falls trailhead. Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is ranked #3 out of 10 things to do in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Directions: The Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is part of a one-way driving loop in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. From there, follow Historic Nature Trail Road all the way down to the Cherokee Orchard national park entry point. The one-way road runs for 8 miles. This will add a few minutes of walking to your hike, but it will save drive time after your hike. The homestead is actually two cabins placed side by side, with a common roof connecting them together. From Gatlinburg, turn off the main Parkway at Traffic Light #8 and follow the Historic Nature Trail to the Cherokee Orchard entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, Hand-Built Rock Pile. To get to Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail scenic drive, turn off the Parkway in Gatlinburg at light #8. After your journey along the nature trail, you’ll love stopping here for a cold drink and to stretch your legs! Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail: Best kept secret in the smokies - See 1,695 traveler reviews, 1,497 candid photos, and great deals for Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN, at Tripadvisor. It’s a 5.4-mile roundtrip hike to Rainbow Falls (it’s less than 3 miles one way!) Why is Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail Closing? We enjoyed our visit, love the views, the homesteads, would definitely go again. Tons of History. Jim Bales and his older brother, Ephraim, spent most of their lives on the Roaring Fork. You will follow Historic Nature Trail Road to the Cherokee Orchard entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We recommend parking and getting out to explore before you enter the loop. At the end of the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is a beautiful waterfall called “Place of a Thousand Drips.” How do I get there? Just past the Ogle farmstead, you’ll find the trailhead for Rainbow Falls. The larger cabin served as the living area, while the other was the kitchen. 3. If you don’t want to do the drive afterwards, it may be better to park near the Rainbow Fall Bullhead Parking B just before the turn-off onto the one-way Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail for the quicker return drive. If you only time to do one or the other, would you take the Cades Cove driving tour, or the Roaring Fork Motor Trail? Ely’s Mill is a locally owned attraction that includes a small shop with arts and crafts from local artisans. Here you’ll see the Rainbow Falls trailhead, and the nature trail lies just beyond. Be careful and enjoy your trip through time. The Roaring Forks Motor Trail is about 15 minute drive from downtown Gatlinburg and is a trail you drive through by car. Overall, I think the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is one you will enjoy and I would highly recommend this trail when you travel to Gatlinburg. Along the hike to the waterfall, the trail gains about 1,500 feet in elevation. He did offer us a … As this is a popular location, I suggest leaving early to avoid long lines of cars. https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/tennessee/roaring-fork-motor-nature-trail Follow this road to the Orchard entrance to the Smoky Mountains National Park. The narrow roadway only allows cars—trucks, trailers and RVs cannot fit on this road. The Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is one of the most popular scenic drives in the Smoky Mountains! We took an amazing tour of the "Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail" near Gatlinburg, TN! Like many mountain streams, Roaring Fork is volatile. It's typically much less crowded, and the waterfall is much prettier to look at in my personal opinion. Wet periods are the best time to see a Place of a Thousand Drips. Book your tickets online for Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, Great Smoky Mountains National Park: See 1,694 reviews, articles, and 1,497 photos of Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, ranked No.9 on Tripadvisor among 102 attractions in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The first things you’ll see along the road are a couple scenic overlooks. The roundtrip hike to Grotto Falls is about 2.6 miles and worth every step. The most authoritative source for restaurants, attractions, & cabin rentals in the Smoky Mountains. You can get more information on Roaring Fork from the Sugarlands Visitors Center. There are no Visitor Centers along the motor trail and no-turning back once you start, so packing a cooler with water and snacks is advisable. Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail connects with Cherokee Orchard Road to form an 11-mile loop. Insider Tip: This is just a short distance past the parking area for the Rainbow Falls Trail. Don't get me wrong — I love the hustle and bustle of a tourist location, but I really wanted to get the feel of what Gatlinburg was all about. Don't get me wrong — I love the hustle and bustle of a tourist location, but I really wanted to get the feel of what Gatlinburg was all about. To access Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, follow these directions: turn off the main parkway in Gatlinburg, TN at traffic light #8 and follow Historic Nature Trail Road to the Cherokee Orchard entrance to the national park. Follow the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail for stunning views of the creek and its picturesque surroundings. You’ll have to take a short hike to the cabin, but it’s definitely worth it. Then just beyond the Rainbow Falls trailhead you have the option of taking the one-way Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. The 6-mile Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail starts just beyond the Noah "Bud" Ogle farmstead and the Rainbow Falls trailhead. All Rights Reserved. We toured the Roaring Fork Motor Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains which is a 5.5 miles long and narrow road winding through lush forests and showcasing the Roaring Fork stream and the historic buildings. Next along the motor nature trail you’ll reach the parking area for the hike to Grotto Falls. To access Roaring Fork, turn off the main parkway in Gatlinburg, TN at traffic light #8 and follow Historic Nature Trail Road to the Cherokee Orchard entrance to the national park. To reach the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, turn off the main parkway in Gatlinburg at traffic light #8. Here are some of the things you can see along the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail: Before you reach the one-way, motor nature trail, you’ll pass the Ogle Place. Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail: A Waterfall Wonderland. Read more. Roaring Fork Motor Trail is a one-way scenic loop that traverses the beautiful heart of the Great Smoky Mountains. Shortly after you pass The Place of a Thousand Drips, two-way traffic will resume, and you’ve officially reached the end of the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. Little did he know that this was already on our itinerary for the day from the CVB. © 2020 - SmokyMountains.com. Stay a safe distance away and do not feed any wild animals. The quick trip will provide plenty of views of mountains, streams, mills, and other historic buildings. You’ll probably see birds, squirrels, and bugs along the drive. To visit the historic buildings, add on another hour. This popular scenic drive is available from early April through November. Adobe Stock. We had our windows rolled down the whole time so we could hear the rushing of the water over the rocks. So once I got to the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, I didn’t have a huge amount of time left to hike to some of the falls, which clock in at 5+ miles round trip. At the only traffic light on the road, continue straight. The motor nature trail also provides access to some of the most popular spots in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, like Grotto Falls! The Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is located at the far end of the loop on Cherokee Orchard Road. This 5.5-mile one-way scenic road is just inside the border of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. To access Roaring Fork, turn off the main parkway in Gatlinburg, TN at traffic light #8 and follow Historic Nature Trail Road to the Cherokee Orchard entrance to the national park. The Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail provides easy access to the Trillium Gap Trail, a moderate 3 mile hike that takes you right to Grotto Falls. Just beyond the Rainbow Falls trailhead you will follow the one-way sign for Roaring Fork. “Autumn Drives and Hikes.” National Parks Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, Apr. If you don't want to walk a lot, but you do want to enjoy nature, this is the perfect route. The Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail provides a very nearby opportunity to visitors of Gatlinburg to get out of downtown and see the Smoky Mountains as they were 100 years ago. TheDayHikerGSM 43,293 views. To access Roaring Fork, turn off the main parkway in Gatlinburg, TN at traffic light #8 and follow Historic Nature Trail Road to the Cherokee Orchard entrance to the national park. Date of experience: November 2020. The Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail isn’t hard to find! 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