Hi there!
There are a number of scenic drives in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Little River Road is one of them!
If you want to keep it simple, driving Little River Road can simply be about the journey!
You don’t need to make any stops, and you can simply sit back and enjoy the scenery around you as you drive!
Or, if you want an excuse to get out of the car and stretch your legs, there are a number of small stops you can make here and there.
I did the drive along Little River Road in September. What the weather will be like from year to year can vary (which means the colors can vary!), but this is what it was like for me!
You can also make a stop if you want to sit and enjoy the sounds of the river.
There are people who bring along chairs to sit by the river.
Maybe you want to bring a picnic lunch to eat by the river.
As you are driving, you can look along the side of the road for small parking spots and see if there’s some river access along the way.
This might not always be obvious and you might need to look a little harder for it.
And do take care if you decide to wade in the water!
There could be some unexpected currents in the river.
Below is a list of stops you can make along the way as you drive Little River Road.
On google maps, you may see this as Little River Gorge Road, and this is the same thing.
This includes some small roadside waterfalls on Little River Road.
These aren’t the most dramatic waterfalls you can find in the Smoky Mountains, but rather they can be cute little waterfalls to see along the river.
These are easy-access waterfalls in the Smoky Mountains, as pretty much all you need to do is get of the car and you will be able to spot them!
The waterfalls on the list below are on google maps so you can follow along there with GPS.
If you are interested in the small waterfalls, there’s no marking or sign (or wasn’t when I went in fall 2020) on Little River Road for them so it’s a good idea to download offline google maps before you go since you probably won’t have data driving through here. GPS will still generally work.
More for beyond your Little River Road drive
If you’re interested in Little River Road, then you may also be interested in these things in the Smoky Mountains:
- Cades Cove Loop Road
- Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail
- Clingmans Dome
- Scenic drives in the Smoky Mountains
- Things to do in Great Smoky Mountains National Park
More below of what you can see along Little River in the Smoky Mountains!
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New for 2023:
You need a parking pass for Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
You can buy this when you arrive, or you can buy it online ahead of time.
According to recreation.gov, the official national park reservation website:
If you purchase your parking tag through recreation.gov, you will need to know your license plate number.
You will receive your parking tag via email and you will need to print the tag prior to your visit to display in your vehicle once you arrive.
Park staff cannot print your tag for you.
Annual parking tags purchased online via Great Smoky Mountains Association will be shipped right to your door.
Please allow 2 weeks shipping time.
According to the National Park Service:
Annual parking tags must be displayed in the front, lower passenger side windshield.
Daily and weekly parking tags must be placed face-up on the front, lower passenger side dashboard.
See current Great Smoky Mountains parking fees.
Now…
What can you see while driving along Little River Road?
This will generally go in the order you can make the stops if you are driving from Gatlinburg to Cades Cove by taking the scenic route aka Little River Road!
If you’re coming from Gatlinburg, before getting to Little River Road you can find the Sugarlands Visitor Center.
From the Sugarlands Visitor Center, you’ll get on the road that goes west, also called Fighting Creek Gap Road.
Along Fighting Creek Gap Road you’ll find most notably Maloney Point, the Laurel Falls trailhead, and the road to Elkmont Campground.
And then…
You’ll start driving on Little River Road!
1. Mannis Branch Falls
These are small waterfalls you can see that are flowing into the river. You can pull over and see them from the road once you get out of the car.
2. Metcalf Bottoms picnic area
The Metcalf Bottoms picnic area is a spot where you can eat right along the river.
3. The Sinks
These are popular waterfalls along Little River Road.
There is a small parking area at the Sinks that might be full.
4. Meigs Falls
These are more waterfalls that you can see from the side of the road across the river. There’s a pullover area right in front of Meigs Falls.
5. Cane Creek Twin Falls
More small waterfalls that you can see flowing into the river from the side of the road are the Cane Creek Twin Falls.
6. White Oak Flats Falls
These are some more small waterfalls on the side of Little River Road.
And then you’ll make it to the Townsend Wye!
This can be a nice little river access spot, and it can also make for a nice spot for a picnic by the river. If you want to wade in the water, it’s best to either have travel sandals or water shoes!
This is also the area where you can access Little River Road from Townsend TN. Or if you’re going in the opposite direction, you can leave the national park and drive into Townsend.
If you are starting in Gatlinburg to drive Little River Road, then driving further will take you to Cades Cove!
- Walking along Cades Cove Loop Road
- Biking along Cades Cove Loop Road
- Walking inside a Cades Cove historic cabin
- Hiking to Cades Cove waterfalls
- Why stay at the Cades Cove campground
And that’s a bit of how you can spend your time along Little River Road!
Scenic drives around the Smoky Mountains:
- What’s on the drive from Gatlinburg to Clingmans Dome
- Foothills Parkway on the outskirts of the national park
Plus for more scenic views, be sure to see the best hikes with views in Smoky Mountains!
Plus the big list of things to do in the Smoky Mountains.
HAPPY DRIVING ALONG LITTLE RIVER ROAD!
Among the most popular things to do in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are Clingmans Dome, Cades Cove, and Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. These are some of the best scenic drives in the Smoky Mountains!
There is the Clingmans Dome Trail that will take you to the highest peak in the Smoky Mountains. But you can also see amazing views even from the Clingmans Dome parking lot without stepping foot on the trail!
You can make Cades Cove just about the drive along Cades Cove Loop Road. But there are also stops to make including historic cabins, a historic mill, and even the waterfall hike of Abrams Falls Trail. And, you might end up stopping because you see BEARS! You can bike Cades Cove and you can walk Cades Cove too.
The Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is also a scenic drive you can enjoy from your car, but there are stops you might want to make too!
Another classic Smoky Mountains activity would be to do an epic hike in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The Alum Cave Trail can take you to the Mount LeConte summit for one of the highest peaks in the Smoky Mountains. You can even hike to the summit and then stay near the summit at the LeConte Lodge, which says they are the highest guest lodge in the eastern United States! (It does sell out fast!)
You may also want to see some of the best waterfalls in the Smoky Mountains. (These waterfalls require hiking.)
You also have a chance to see elk in the Smoky Mountains! The best place to see elk is in Cataloochee Valley, but you might see them at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center too.
You can go camping in Great Smoky Mountains National Park for a budget-friendly stay. Otherwise for traditional lodging, Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge are popular Tennessee towns to stay outside of the national park.
PLUS visit the Kentucky national park: Mammoth Cave National Park
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