The narrow, winding, Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail invites you to slow down and enjoy the forest and historic buildings of the area. the 5.5-mile-long, one-way, loop road is a favorite side trip for many people who frequently visit the Smokies. It offers rushing mountain streams, glimpses of old-growth forest, and a number of well-preserved log cabins, grist mills, and other historic buildings. Please note the road is closed in the winter.
An exuberant mountain stream gave this area its unusual name. Roaring Fork is one of the larger and faster flowing mountain streams in the park. Drive this road after a hard rain and the inspiration behind the name will be apparent.
Before entering the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, a stop at the Noah "Bud" Ogle self-guiding nature trail offers a walking tour of an authentic mountain farmstead and surrounding hardwood forest. Highlights include a stream side tubmill and the Ogle's handcrafted wooden flume plumbing system.
Just beyond the Ogle farmstead is the trail head for Rainbow Falls, one of the park's most popular waterfalls. The hike to the falls is 5.4 miles round trip and is considered moderately strenuous. Your reward is the 80-foot high waterfall, the tallest single-drop waterfall in the National Park. If you plan to attempt this hike, be sure to wear sturdy hiking shoes or boots and carry plenty of water and snacks.
The entrance to the motor nature trail is located a short distance past the parking areas for Rainbow Falls. Several homes and other building have been preserved in this area. The trail head for Grotto Falls, another of the park's most popular waterfalls, is located along the route. Grotto Falls is the only place in the Smoky Mountains where you can stand behind the falls as the water cascades to the pool. And a "wet weather" waterfall called Place of a Thousand Drips can be reached by car, find it at stop 15, it provides a splendid finale to your journey. An inexpensive booklet available at the beginning of the motor nature trail details landmarks along the route.
Directions
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. Just beyond the Rainbow Falls trail head you have the option of taking the one-way Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail.
**Insider Tip**
Pack a picnic lunch to enjoy at one of the scenic turnouts or to eat it at the waterfall after hiking. 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.
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