Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail
Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is a nature trail for your car. It forms an 11-mile loop along with Cherokee Orchard Road. The one-way road runs for 8 miles. It is not suitable for bicycles, RVs, trailers, or buses. Cherokee Orchard Road is a two way road without these restrictions and leads to the Rainbow Falls parking area. Airport Road in Gatlinburg turns into the Park's Cherokee Orchard Road.

The Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is an intimate journey through the Smoky Mountain's lush mountain wilderness. In places it reveals some of nature's secrets, while in others it weaves the story of the people who once lived here. Water is a constant companion on this journey. Cascades, rapids, and falls adorn the roadside. The sound of rushing water is never far away. The air feels damp and tropical throughout the summer months, yet the icy water rarely reaches 60F degrees.

Along the route are many hiking trails including the hike to Grotto Falls. This same trail continues to Brushy Mountain and Mt. LeConte. At the end of Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, you will find Ely's Mill, a familiy owned and operated mill built in 1925. [Ely's Mill]

Healthy second growth forests escort the road on its journey. A few better drained ridges support a pine-oak forest, but cove hardwoods and hemlocks dominate the landscape. Rhododendron's thick, sprawling foliage green the understory year-round. In early July their pink blooms highlight the shadowy forest.

The Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is open to vehicle traffic from early spring until December 1 each year.

bug ogle place
Bud Ogle Place
bud ogle cabin
River at Bud Ogle Place
bud ogle cabin
Bud Ogle Place
cabin
Cabin
smoky mountains
Cabin
smoky mountains
Cabin
corn crib
Corn Crib
corn crib
Corn Crib
smoky mountains
River
smoky mountain river
River
smoky mountain river
River
smoky mountain river
River
smoky mountain river
River
smoky mountain river
River
smoky mountain river
River
smoky mountain river
River

National Park | Photo Tour

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