Hi there!
There are stops for waterfalls that you can makes as you are driving the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail!
I went to Roaring Fork waterfalls 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!
After your waterfall hike, you can continue driving the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail right alongside a creek at times and stop to visit historic cabins and a historic mill.
You can also stop to spend some time right next to the creek!
Side note!
Clothes to buy on Amazon for your outdoor adventures!
- Lightweight quick-dry hiking shorts (comfortable shorts that are good for movement!)
- for women: hiking shorts | for men: hiking shorts
- Lightweight quick-dry hiking pants
- for women: hiking pants | for men: hiking pants
- capris for women
- Easy-to-pack rain gear (instead of a proper rain jacket)
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Even though this is a popular drive in the Smoky Mountains and you are very likely to encounter traffic (aka slow cars in front of you – it’s a one way road!), there are many pullover spots and it’s very possible to find a quiet spot along the way without feeling like it’s overcrowded!
Gatlinburg TN is a gateway town to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is located right near the main tourist area of Gatlinburg.
If you were to drive straight through in a loop with no traffic and no stops, from Gatlinburg to Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail to Gatlinburg, the drive might take around 1 hour.
But it will almost certainly take longer than that with the slow going traffic along with the stops you make! Even longer if you decide to do one of the waterfall hikes.
Bears in the Roaring Fork area
It was also on the drive back from a waterfall hike in this area of the Smoky Mountains that I saw a bear! Watch the video. I actually saw 2 bears here. It seems that there was a bear waiting at the top of the tree for the other bear. (I didn’t get a video of that part.)
Now…
4 waterfalls to see on the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail
aka waterfalls near Gatlinburg
As most of these waterfalls require a hike to get to, it may not be reasonable to see all of these waterfalls in one day so take your pick! Although if you are very ambitious and start your day early, it could be possible with a bit of planning!
1. Rainbow Falls
One of the most popular waterfall hikes near Gatlinburg. This is just before the start of the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. It’s around a 15 minute drive from Gatlinburg to the trailhead.
2. Baskins Creek Falls
This is a relatively less popular waterfall hike. It’s around a 15 minute drive from Gatlinburg to the trailhead. See more about these Roaring Fork waterfalls.
3. Grotto Falls
This is another popular waterfall hike near Gatlinburg. It’s around a 20 minute drive from Gatlinburg to the trailhead.
4. Place of a Thousand Drips
These are waterfalls you can see without getting out of your car! You can see these roadside waterfalls from your car as you are driving past them.
⛰🐻
Top Great Smoky Mountains National Park tours
Read the reviews on partner website Viator!*
- Thundering streams and falls tour (meeting point: Sugarlands visitor center in the national park, 10 minutes from downtown Gatlinburg)
- Full-day Appalachian Trail guided hiking tour (meeting point: Gatlinburg)
Things you might want to pack for your Smoky Mountains road trip
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- For women: Merrell hiking shoes (one of the best outdoor shoe brands, perfect for hiking in the Smoky Mountains!)
- For men: Merrell hiking shoes
- Rain poncho in case it rains and it won't stop you from doing things outside!
- You will thank yourself for having hiking poles if you're doing any of the best hikes in the Smoky Mountains!
- For women: Teva walking sandals (one of the best sandal brands for the outdoors)
- For men: Teva sandals
- For more ideas, do a search for hiking clothes!
📌 Pin this post for later! Save on Pinterest! 👈📌
Now…
What you’ll see as you drive to the Roaring Fork waterfalls
List of places to visit on the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail
- Noah “Bud” Ogle cabin
- Rainbow Falls trailhead (hike to waterfalls)
- Entering one-way road of Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail
- Baskins Creek Falls trailhead (hike to waterfalls)
- Grotto Falls trailhead (hike to waterfalls)
- Alex Cole cabin
- Ephraim Bales cabin
- Alfred Reagan Tub Mill
- Alf Reagan House
- The Place of a Thousand Drips (roadside waterfalls)
Start your drive to the Roaring Fork area of the Smoky Mountains!
You’ll pass through Gatlinburg to get there. And then you’ll enter Great Smoky Mountains National Park when driving on Cherokee Orchard Road.
Noah “Bud” Ogle farm and cabin
Rainbow Falls
Official info about the trail to Rainbow Falls:
- 5.4 miles round trip hike
- Allow 3-5 hours
These are one of the most popular waterfall hikes near Gatlinburg. This trail will have you hiking right alongside a creek at times, and you’ll get some views of mountains too.
Read the reviews for Rainbow Falls.
The Rainbow Falls trailhead is around a 15 minute drive from Gatlinburg.
It is located just before the start of the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail.
For google maps, your destination can be Rainbow Falls Trail.
Because of the popularity of these waterfalls, you might end up parking along the side of the road a bit further away from the trailhead, but hopefully no more than a quarter mile away!
There are toilets near the start of the Rainbow Falls Trail.
Entry to the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail
Shortly after you pass the Rainbow Falls trailhead, you’ll come across the turn-off for the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail.
This is where the road starts a longer loop back to Gatlinburg.
If you are interested in the historical aspect and in learning about the natural landscape that you’ll be driving by, be sure to pick up the Roaring Fork tour booklet so you can make it a self-guided tour as you drive nature trail!
This costs $1. You can pick up a Roaring Fork auto tour booklet by stopping by the information spot that’s located right before the start of the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail.
You can also find them at a Great Smoky Mountains National Park visitor center. Cash only, so bring dollar bills! If you still have time before your Smoky Mountains vacation, you can order the Smokies starter kit of tour booklets online too.
Baskins Creek Falls
Info about the trail to Baskins Creek Falls:
- 3.2 mile round trip hike
- Allow around 2 hours
When it comes to Roaring Fork waterfalls, Rainbow Falls and Grotto Falls seem to get all the attention.
Well, located on the road between those 2 waterfalls you will find the trail to Baskins Creek Falls! These waterfalls are less visited compared to the other 2.
Read the reviews for Baskins Creek Falls. See more pictures from this Roaring Fork hiking trail.
If you want to go directly to the Baskin Creek Falls Trail from Gatlinburg, it’s around a 15 minute drive.
For google maps, your destination can be the Baskins Creek Trail trailhead if you want to drive the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail after your hike.
If you don’t want to do the drive afterwards, it may be better to park near the Rainbow Fall Bullhead Parking B just before the turn-off onto the one-way Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail for the quicker return drive. This will add a few minutes of walking to your hike, but it will save drive time after your hike. By parking at the intersection just before it turns into a one-way road, you can take the quicker loop back to Gatlinburg.
For more about this, see the parking tips for Baskins Creek Trail.
Grotto Falls
Official info about the trail to Grotto Falls:
- 2.6 miles round trip hike
- Allow 2-3 hours
These are another one of the most popular waterfall hikes near Gatlinburg. These are waterfalls that you can walk behind. And just before you get to Grotto Falls, you can see another set of smaller waterfalls too.
Read the reviews for Grotto Falls. See more pictures from this Roaring Fork hiking trail.
The trailhead to Grotto Falls is located around a 20 minute drive from Gatlinburg.
For google maps, your destination can be Grotto Falls parking.
Similar to Rainbow Falls, because of the popularity of these waterfalls, you might end up parking along the side of the road a bit further away from the trailhead. Once again, hopefully no more than a quarter of a mile away!
Because you’ll be on the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, you’ll continue on the road to get back to Gatlinburg, and this will be at least 30 minutes, likely longer due to the slow traffic even if you don’t make any stops.
Then driving along…
Alex Cole cabin
Ephraim Bales cabin
Alfred Reagan Tub Mill
Alfred Reagan House
The Place of a Thousand Drips
The final waterfalls of the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail!
This is located towards the end of the drive, and it’s possible to see them right from you’re car as you’re driving by. There’s also a small parking area if you want to get out for a closer look too.
Read the reviews for the Place of a Thousand Drips.
And then the end of the road is near!
Ely’s Mill
This will mark the end of your time on Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail!
And that’s a bit of what it can be like to drive through the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail!
For more great scenic drives in the Smoky Mountains:
- Drive from Gatlinburg to Clingman’s Dome (drive further to see a historic mill)
- Drive from Gatlinburg to Cades Cove (see Cades Cove waterfalls and a historic Cades Cove cabin)
Be sure to see the list of some more great waterfall hikes in the Smoky Mountains!
HAPPY HIKING TO SEE WATERFALLS IN ROARING FORK!
Here are more ideas for a few days in the Smoky Mountains!
More of the best things that the Smoky Mountains is known for is hiking!If you're looking for just one solid day hike in the Smoky Mountains, there's the Mount LeConte hike. Most often this is done as a day hike, but you can also stay overnight near the Mount LeConte summit! There is the LeConte Lodge, which claims to be the highest guest lodge in the eastern part of the United States! (It does book up!)
There are also lots more hikes that come with mountain views. See more about some of the best hikes in the Smoky Mountains.
There are also a lot of hikes to waterfalls. See more about the best waterfall hikes in the Smoky Mountains.
You can also go camping in the mountains. See more about the best campgrounds in Great Smoky Mountain National Park. (No showers in the national park, though!)
Cost to go to Great Smoky Mountains National Park
There is no national park entry fee for Great Smoky Mountains National Park, but as of 2023, there is a parking fee.You'll need a parking pass when you go to the Smoky Mountains.
You can wait until you arrive to buy the parking pass, or you can buy it online before you go at recreation.gov.
Depending on how many days you will be in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the cost of parking will be $5 or $15 per vehicle.
Plan out your time in the Smoky Mountains!
Some of the best known things in Great Smoky Mountains National Park include Clingmans Dome, Cades Cove, and Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail!For Clingmans Dome, you can get great views from the parking lot, or you can hike up to the highest point in the Smoky Mountains! (No matter what, you do need weather on your side, though! For me, 3rd time was the charm at Clingmans Dome!) See more about Clingmans Dome.
For Cades Cove, it's all about the slow-going Cades Cove Loop Road! You can drive it, bike it, or walk it! You can make stops to walk inside historic cabins, see a historic mill, and even do a waterfall hike! See more about Cades Cove.
The Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is also a slow-going road that you drive and make stops along the way, including quiet stops along a creek or waterfalls hikes. See more about the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail.
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