The Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is located just a few minutes drive southeast from downtown Gatlinburg, TN. The “trail” is unique in that the entire journey can be experienced from the privacy of your car. We would encourage you to combine the amazing drive with some of the multiple sights, sounds and hikes also available within the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. In all the drive covers 5.5 miles (8.9 km) of narrow, winding road constantly framed by thick hardwood forests, rushing waters and occasional turnout overlooks.
Along the way there are numerous stops to choose from including historical homes and farms, hiking trails, waterfalls, whitewater creeks and even a grist mill. Some stops have parking areas but those can fill up quickly. If you don’t arrive early be prepared to park along the side of the road and deal with a lot of traffic. Most of the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is one-way but the road is quite narrow and many of the curves can be rather tight. Be prepared to stop often as there are so many visual delights to take in along your journey and, especially in the afternoons, the cars can jam up behind each other. Lastly, the motor trail is closed during much of the winter so make sure you check the National Park Service website before visiting.
Motor Nature Trail
You enter the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail at the conjunction of Historic Nature Trail and Cherokee Orchard Drive. The entire loop can be driven in a bit under an hour if no stops are made. We visited a few times, mostly to hike but once just to drive straight through only stopping for one overlook (3,000’/914 meter elevation) and slowing down for a few waterfalls. The drive is consistently beautiful if you love nature. Through the dense forests you are either driving along side rushing water or crossing over it. The road is seldom flat or straight featuring plenty of hills and valleys sprinkled in with numerous sharp curves.
Remember that once you get started, you have to finish. There’s no place to turn around even if you wanted to. If it’s exploring you’re looking for you can still experience the motor trail in its entirety with multiple stops along the way. The following stops we made are in the order you’ll encounter as you drive along the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail.
Noah “Bud” Ogle Place
About 2 miles into the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail you’ll see a parking area for the first attraction, the Noah “Bud” Ogle Farm. This well preserved self-guided tour encompasses the remains of a once great farmstead from lodgings, working areas, fields and local water source. The first section has the main house with its front and back deck, living and bedrooms. Atop a nearby hill is the barn with separate stalls and storage areas.. Behind the main house is a path to the Noah ‘Bud’ Ogle Place Nature Trail which leads to the other parts of the farmland including the streamside tubmill.
Rainbow Falls Trail
Just a few minutes down the road from the Ogle place is the parking area for the super popular Rainbow Falls Trail. This 5.4 mile (8.7 km) out-and-back trail features dramatic overlooks and an epic waterfall. To learn more about this Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail highlight, including the memorable Rainbow Falls, follow this Hiking to Rainbow Falls in the Smoky Mountains link.
Just beyond the Rainbow Falls Trailhead the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail officially turns into a one-way road for the rest of the journey.
Trillium Gap Trail
Following a number of twists and turns you’ll see a sign on your right for Grotto Falls Parking Area. The Trillium Gap Trail, leading to the wonderful Grotto Falls, begins here. The hike is 3-mile (4.8 km) out-and-back journey filled with cascades, amazing rock formations, hemlock forests, massive fallen trees and the very cool falls. It’s such a great hike that we wrote about it in our 7 Great Smoky Mountains Hiking Trails to Explore post.
Grotto Falls
The big payoff of the Trillium Gap Trail hike is the unique Grotto Falls which we cover in more detail in our post 7 Great Smoky Mountains Waterfalls to Explore. While the falls are only 25’ (7.6 m) in height and 9’ (2.7 m) in width, you can walk behind them and stay relatively dry. Couldn’t ask for a better picture opportunity!
The Ephraim Bales Place
As you continue north on the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail you’ll drive next to, and eventually pass over, the Rocky Spur Branch which produces some great whitewater. Soon you’ll see a parking area to your left framed by traditional wood fencing. Though much of the original Ephraim Bales Place 70-acre farm has been lost over the past century, the structures that remain are in pretty good condition. The main house consists of two homes connected by a common roof, each with its own fireplace. One “home” served as living quarters, housing as many as 10 family members at a time, the other was the kitchen and dining area.
Just beyond the main house is a hog pen with a moss covered roof. Down a short trail, to the left, is a small barn and even smaller corn crib. While the Bales had a total of 70 acres (280,000 m2) of land, only around 30 acres (120,000 m2) was available for farming due primarily to the overabundance of rocks in the soil. The rocks were put to good use constructing a sturdy wall that separates the main house from barn, corn crib and spring to the south.
There is a bonus portion of the Bales place, located just west, in the form of the Roaring Fork. There are a number of access points but the best whitewater is found southwest of the barn. In addition to the large boulders constantly diverting the water, it’s the moss that overs many of the rocks that contribute to the uniqueness of the waterflow. Definitely worth a look.
The Place of a Thousand Drips
One of the more unique areas of the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is The Place of a Thousand Drips. It is viewable from your car as it runs down the mountainside to your left, under the road, then down into the Indian Camp Branch to your right. To learn more about these falls see our post 7 Great Smoky Mountains Waterfalls to Explore.
Ely’s Mill
The very last stop along the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is Ely’s Mill. It’s an interesting stop with an array of things to do and see. There are a bevy of century-old structures including a non-functioning mill, a few dilapidated pick-up trucks, a very cool swinging gate, two over-night rental cabins, a store with crafts, antiques and the usual assortment of tourist souvenirs. The store also sells fresh honey on the comb gathered on-site from the honey farm visible from the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail road.
The Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is a unique experience for all visitors. Even if you never leave your car you are rewarded to beautiful forests, streams, waterfalls and, on occasion, wildlife. If you’re more adventurous there is seemingly no end to the hiking trails, overlooks, waterfalls and whitewater that await you . . . all just minutes from downtown Gatlinburg.
Do you have a favorite part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park? We’d love to hear about your experiences!
We visited 4/9/22 enjoyed the snow that came down in upper elevations. We also saw bears in a cave. It an awesome 6 miles!
Thanks for sharing that great memory. Most places we visit have something worth seeing no matter the time of year, or the weather. And snow always makes everything more beautiful!