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.
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.
7 best stops on 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!
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!
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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.
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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.
7. Townsend Wye
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
- Best scenic drives in the Smoky Mountains
Plus for more scenic views, be sure to see the best hikes with views in Smoky Mountains!
- Cades Cove Loop Road
- Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail
- Clingmans Dome
- Things to do in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (the big list!)
HAPPY DRIVING ALONG LITTLE RIVER ROAD!
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