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Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail

Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail · Gatlinburg, TN

Why you should go…

This one-way, one-lane loop road climbs through old-growth forest past the Ephraim Bales and Alfred Reagan homesteads to Grotto Falls and Place of a Thousand Drips waterfall. It's narrower and slower than the park's main roads, which keeps traffic light even in peak season.

  • #scenic drive
  • #waterfalls
  • #historic cabins
  • #hiking

Good to know

General sport & outdoor guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Weather calls the shots

    Check the forecast the morning of and keep an indoor backup in your pocket for the day it turns.

  • Shoes, water, sun cover

    The three things that decide whether you last the whole outing or cut it short after an hour.

  • Parking and launches fill early

    On a nice weekend, lots and trailheads are often full by mid-morning.

  • Daylight shrinks in shoulder season

    Spring and fall visits need an earlier start than the same trip in July.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    Gatlinburg Space Needle

    Under $25

    A 407-foot observation tower with a glass elevator ride to a 360-degree viewing deck.

    2.2 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Museums
    Quirky Fun

    Ripley's Believe It or Not! Odditorium

    Under $25

    Ten rooms of oddities, shrunken heads, and optical illusions on the Gatlinburg strip.

    2.2 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Museums
    Quirky Fun

    Hollywood Wax Museum Gatlinburg

    Under $25

    Lifelike wax figures of movie stars and icons line a Parkway storefront museum.

    2.3 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Family Favorite

    Anakeesta

    $25–$50

    A mountaintop adventure park reached by gondola, with treetop rope courses and zip lines.

    2.4 mi awayMore like this

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Family Favorite

    Ober Mountain

    $25–$50

    An aerial tramway ride up to alpine coasters, a ropes course, and mountaintop views.

    3.0 mi awayMore like this

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Outdoor Adventure

    Clingmans Dome

    Free

    The highest point in the Smokies, with a 360-degree observation tower above the treeline.

    8.6 mi awayMore like this