ARTICLE OVERVIEW: Roaring Fork Motor Natural Trail
Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park combines some of the best features of the Smokies – a scenic drive, waterfalls, historic buildings, gristmills, and seclusion. Less than three miles from the Gatlinburg Space Needle, you’ll find yourself deep in the heart of Appalachia.
Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is narrow and winding. By design, guests feel immersed in nature, with the forest so close you could reach out and touch it.
Instead of being intimidating, it lends authenticity to this rudimentary road originally meant for wagons and horses.
The last time I saw Roaring For Motor Nature Trail was in May 2017, after the devastating wildfires of 2016. Upon my return visit six years later, the healing power of nature surrounded the road. The familiar sound of that roaring creek from near the summit of Mount LeConte soothes the soul.
Whether you have an hour to spare or a full day to explore, I want to help you plan an epic scenic adventure. Did I mention the road is (allegedly) haunted?
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail
Table of contents: Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail
- 5 Quick Things to Know About Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail
- Safety on Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail
- Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail Directions
- Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail Map
- Parking Along Motor Fork Nature Trail
- Things to Do on Motor Fork Nature Trail
- History of Roaring Fork in the Great Smoky Mountains
- The Ghost of Roaring Fork
- More Than Just Parks Film About Great Smoky Mountains National Park
- Helpful Related Links
5 Quick Things to Know About Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park waives its entrance fee but charges for parking tags. That’s only for those stopping for 15 minutes or more. No guarantees come with the parking pass that a space will be available.
- The Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail goes just one way for the entire loop. Cherokee Orchard Road runs 2.8 miles of two-way road before it splits to one-way. At 3.7 miles, Roaring Fork Motor Natural Trail begins with no way to backtrack, even if you wanted to.
- Only passenger vehicles and trucks handle this road well, meaning no vehicles longer than 25 feet are allowed. That rules out buses, vans, motorhomes, and towed trailers. Those concerned about steepness grade should know the highest elevation is 3,182 feet, and the lowest is 1,608 feet.
- Roaring Fork Motor Natural Trail closes for the winter, usually from early December through the end of March. Once you see the narrow road, mostly without shoulders, you’ll understand why.
- Bring a paper Great Smoky Mountains National Park map or guidebook with you to avoid relying on mobile service, which shows up spotty at best. Never trust GPS on these mountain backroads.
DID YOU KNOW? Thank the roadways of Great Smoky Mountains National Park and some clever legislation for the free park access. In 1951, Newfound Gap and Little River Road transferred from the state of Tennessee to the park with one caveat – no toll roads. Federal legislation punctuated the point by banning entrance fees on primary park roads already banned from having a toll. That means the park stays entrance fee-free in perpetuity.
Safety on Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail
To address the elephant in the forest, the safety on this scenic drive matches your safety level. The road twists and turns along a narrow road with steep inclines – yes. However, one-way traffic limits any chance of a head-on problem with other vehicles.
Second, the speed limit of 10 miles per hour indicates the challenging nature of the roadway. Those who drive the speed limit and keep their eyes on the road find it to be quite enjoyable. Keep an eye out for wildlife, too. Most importantly, the road contains NO steep drop-offs at one point, even among the steepest sections.
Finally, as someone who drove this road half a dozen times, the biggest challenge comes from how other people park. That’s yet another reason to stick to the speed limit. You never know when cars parked jutting out into the road sit right around the next hairpin turn. Keep that in mind when you park for a trail or scenic overview.
By comparison, Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail rides so much smoother than places like Rich Mountain Road, a gravel road off of Cades Cove.
FAQ: How Steep is Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail? In the first three miles, the road rises about 500 feet in elevation. The last three or so miles drop 1,600 feet on the way down.
Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail Directions
Getting to Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail means driving through Gatlinburg to stoplight #8, right by the Gatlinburg Space Needle. You’ll turn onto Historic Nature Trail Road.
The entrance can also be picked up at stoplight #6 at Cherokee Orchard Road. Eventually, the two roads connect at “Y,” which extends to the rest of Cherokee Orchard Road.
From the “Y,” travel 2.2 miles where Cherokee Orchard Road splits into one-way, forming a loop. Less than a mile from the one-way on Cherokee Orchard Road, the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail sits south. Gates block access when the road closes for the season or other safety reasons.
At the opposite end of the scenic drive, the road ends at stoplight 1A on the Parkway. If you turn on Roaring Fork Road in an attempt to start the drive, you’ll face a dead end less than a mile in at Ely’s Mill.
Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail Map
Parking Along Motor Fork Nature Trail
The parking options along the scenic trail span the entire length, but plot out your preferred stops (and backup stops) ahead of time.
Four types of parking options on the Roaring Fork Motor Natural Trail include:
- Trailhead Parking: From the larger parking areas at Rainbow Falls Trailhead to the smaller trailhead lots along the winding path, all trail access comes with designated parking areas. Keep in mind there are first come, first served.
- Historic Site Parking: The majority of stops that include cultural preservation of mountain life offer parking areas ranging from designated spots to larger pull-outs.
- Overlook Parking: Two scenic overlooks provide semi-circle parking areas off the side of the road. Trees were cleared to provide these vistas, almost like literally seeing the forest through the trees.
- Road Pull-Outs: The entire 5.5-mile span offers parking on spots that appear to be nothing more than bulges in the road. Often found away from specific trailheads or as overflow parking for popular trailheads, these pull-outs can be muddy, gravely, or narrow.
As you can see in the image below, people often park on the side of the narrow road, leaving little room for vehicles to get through. This dangerous parking situation risks damage to the parked cars and frustration, forcing drivers off the road to pass through.
Things to Do on Motor Fork Nature Trail
While just driving this unique trail (it is only one of two of this kind in the National Park Service system) provides a full experience, plenty of stops along the way beckon travelers to explore more.
Historic Buildings
The Great Smoky Mountains offered a unique way of life for settlers, often referred to as “mountain life” in historical documents. However, the creation of Great Smoky Mountains National Park aimed to return the land to nature, removing all buildings.
Better sense prevailed, and of the potentially thousands of buildings across the park’s footprint, just 97 remain to preserve the Appalachian Mountain Life heritage. Park staff persevered about half a dozen on the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail.
The Ogle Farm
Before you get to the split on Cherokee Orchard Road, the Noah “Bud” Ogle collection of buildings sits on the west side of the road. This smaller version of Cades Cove includes a log cabin, gristmill, and barn. Bud Ogle settled in this White Oak Flats area in the early 19th Century.
MORE: This area is formally known as the Junglebrook Historic District, though it was once known as Mill Creek for all the gristmill powered by the streams.
Alex Cole Cabin & the Bales Family Farms
Four miles down Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, right where you cross over the Roaring Fork, the Alex Cole Cabin and Jim Bales Place sit just off the road. Cole hailed from the Sugarlands area, being among the first backcountry tour guides when tourism spiked. His cabin is the last structure from the Sugarlands community left in the park.
The Bales family lived along the Roaring Fork, and the next historic stop is that of his brother, Ephraim Bales. At the latter Bales homestead, the corn crib and pig pen still stand.
Alfred Reagan House & Tub Mill
The last historic buildings on the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail showcase a home built around 1890 and a tub mill built around 1900. Tub mills were smaller versions of grist mills, only handling about a bushel at a time.
LOOK CLOSELY: As you venture along the Roaring Fork Motor Natural Trail, consider the challenge of growing wheat or corn on the steep slopes of this landscape. At times, even dirt was packed between rocks to allow a cornstalk to grow.
Trails
Several trails thread through the mountains from the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. Here’s just a sample of the options.
- Trillium Gap Trailhead: This trailhead marks the beginning of the Trillium Gap Trail, which leads to Grotto Falls. The path also continues to the summit of Mount LeConte.
- Rainbow Falls Trailhead: Rainbow Falls Trail begins on the one-way section of Cherokee Orchard Road. It also connects to the Bull Head Trail to the summit. My favorite way to summit LeConte is the Alum Cave Trail.
- Baskins Creek Trailhead: Baskins Creek Trailhead goes into the wilderness of the Roaring Creek area, passing the Baskins family cemetery and leading to a less crowded waterfall. The trail also cuts across from one side of the motor nature trail to the other.
- Grapeyard Ridge: From the Alex Cole Cabin, head east across the ridge. About 4.4 miles in, the remnants of a steam engine sit alongside Injun Creek. You’ll also find remnants of stone walls, fireplaces, and buildings along this beautiful trail.
Most trails in this region require crossing streams, some without a footbridge. Expect your feet to get wet, and bring waterproof boots and socks.
Waterfalls
This part of the Smokies from Cades Cove to Roaring Fork offers various waterfalls to see, from dynamic to meditative. Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail includes a collection of waterfalls. Some are found on the roadside, and some you have to work to find. One is about as secluded as you’ll get.
Many consider Rainbow Falls the “if you could see one waterfall in the park, it would be this one.” The 80-foot cascade earns its name with the spectrum of colors displayed when the sun hits just right. The roundtrip hike spans less than six miles, with the brunt of uphill in the first half.
People love Grotto Falls since the 25-foot arc of falling water allows enough space to stand behind it. I love it when wildflowers cover the landscape.
When you tire of the crowds, follow me to Baskins Creek Falls. The double-tiered waterfall drops 40 feet. The only downside of the three-mile roundtrip hike comes with the incline on the way back, but that makes a great excuse to have lunch at the waterfall for more energy.
The grand finale of Roaring Fork Motor Trail is the Place of a Thousand Drips. The idyllic nature of this waterfall convinces you a fairy or two will pop out at any second. I like to call this “Plinko Falls” as it strongly resembles the game from The Price is Right.
A few parking spots are near the falls. About 1,000 feet down the road, you come across another larger parking area. While the Drips can be seen easily from a vehicle, even at 10 miles per hour it just goes by too fast.
ANOTHER RAINBOW FALLS: If you like to find secret spots in the Smokies as much as I do, let me tell you about another Rainbow Falls, more often referred to as Rainbow Cave Falls. It’s along the School House Gap Trail in White Oak Flats (Townsend). This Rainbow Cave Falls drops 40 feet into an abyss below, part of an extensive cave network under the Smokies. Nearby, check out Blowhole Cave, too. No cave exploration is allowed!
Cemeteries
I’ve tagged a few of the cemeteries on the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail on the map above. At first, I thought it felt a bit awkward to visit the gravesites of those I never knew. I felt palpable sadness at the Cemetery for Enslaved People (Enloe Slave Cemetery) near Mingus Mill.
Then I read more about the history of these treasured lands, and it felt more like visiting an old friend. One of the secrets of the Smokies awaits in the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, but you won’t find it on any map (except the one above).
Jasper Mellinger Cemetery
Around mile marker two on Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, a non-descript trail weaves into the basin across the Rocky Spur Branch. It leads to the Mellinger Cemetery, where Jasper and his family are laid to rest. If you look on any map between Backcountry Campsite #28 and Indian Flat Falls, then search for “Mellinger Death Ridge,” you’ll see the spot where Jasper perished.
Mellinger, a blacksmith, likely was on his way to North Carolina for work when he was caught in a bear trap. The story gets hazy with facts after that, but the story goes illegal hunters put Mellinger out of his misery to avoid getting in trouble.
His body wasn’t found until almost three years later. Nobody ever faced charges or punishment for the untimely death.
IF YOU LIKE THAT STORY: I highly recommend the Smoky Mountain Cemeteries book written by local icon Mike Maples. Known as the Smoky Mountain Jedi, he was a strong force in the Smokies. If you want all the secrets of Great Smoky Mountains cemeteries, he’s the expert.
History of Roaring Fork in the Great Smoky Mountains
After the Civil War, settlers moved into the Roaring Fork area. While the county built Cherokee Orchard Road, the settlers did what they could with the wagon road we now know as the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. Lumber companies assisted with road work in 1900, followed by the county in 1934.
After the establishment of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the road was improved with new bridges over the water crossings. Public access to the road stopped so park officials could use it. Hikers and horses explored the road and trails.
Even in 1950, when the topic of a motor trail came up, park officials claimed it was “much more suited to this use than vehicular use… to retain the present atmosphere.”
Thirteen years later, the tone turned, and the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail opened in February 1963.
The Ghost of Roaring Fork
Those who love a good ghost story should keep an eye out for Lucy the Hitchhiking Ghost on Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. As the (often exaggerated) legend goes, Lucy died in a fire around 1900.
At an inconsistently reported time later, a man traveling through saw the barefoot young woman walking in the cold. On a short drive home, he fell in love. He returned the next day to ask for her hand in marriage. The grief-stricken parents broke the bad news.
While nearly every iteration of this story online states Lucy walks the road at night, barefoot and cold, waiting for a ride. Conveniently, she is usually only seen at night or twilight – which is also one of the most dangerous times to drive the dark, narrow road. Seems more like a PSA to me.
Honestly? I’d be more worried about Spearfinger, looking to gouge the hearts of children (according to Cherokee legend). If an untimely death leads to a ghost story, I’d bet my Appalachian dollars ole Jasper Mellinger is the one with an ax to grind.
More Than Just Parks Film About Great Smoky Mountains National Park
While Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail stands as one of the most iconic parts of the park, there’s so much more to see. As the most visited national park, finding gems like this helps escape the bulk of crowds and allows traffic to move slowly as you travel back in time.
The best time to visit the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is either during peak fall foliage in October or late spring when wildflowers flourish. We spent several days in the park during the autumn colors and want to share our film with you. If you like what you see, please follow us on YouTube.
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Helpful Related Links
Great Smoky Mountains NP Guide: Expert Guide to Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Best Hikes Great Smoky Mountains: 15 Best Hikes in Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Clingmans Dome: Tips, Tricks, & the Secret Tunnel of Clingmans Dome
Newfound Gap: Visiting Newfound Gap Outlook
Visiting Cades Cove: Cades Cove Visiting Guide (Helpful Tips + Map)
Tennessee National Parks: 15 AMAZING Tennessee National Parks Worth Visiting (Guide + Photos)
Best East Coast National Parks: Top 10 Best East Coast National Parks Ranked
National Monuments Ranked: ALL 128 US National Monuments Ranked (Best to Worst)
National Parks Ranked: ALL 63 US NATIONAL PARKS RANKED By Experts
Free Downloadable National Parks Map: LIST & MAP of National Parks By State (+ Printable Checklist)
Most Visited National Parks: Top 10 Most Visited US National Parks
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