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Roaring Fork : Great Smoky Mountain sampler
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One of several cabins on the Roaring Fork Motor Trail. Photo by C. Hensley
More Great Smoky Mountain Trips
Old growth forests, mountain streams, log cabins and wonderful views await those willing to venture a couple of miles out of Gatlinburg. The Roaring Fork Motor Trail is a five mile one way loop road you might consider a Great Smoky Mountain Sampler.
To get to Roaring Fork Motor Trail take Airport Road in Gatlinburg to the junction with the drive up to the Park Vista Hotel. There are several signs pointing you to the trail and other sites along the way. At this point you will be traveling on Cherokee Orchard Road. One of the first places you'll want to stop is the Noah "Bud" Ogle Homeplace. The dovetail corners on the log cabin provide a great example of the construction in the Smokies in the late 1800's. From here you can take time to enjoy the homeplace itself or take a short hike in the woods. A brochure explaining what you'll see on the nature hike is available for 50 cents at the parking lot.
The next stop on Cherokee Orchard Road is is the trailhead to Rainbow Falls, a popular stop on the way to the Mt. LeConte lodge. The trip to the falls is nearly 3 miles one way. The hike to the Mt. LeConte lodge is about 7 miles one-way. There is limited parking at this trailhead.
The Roaring Fork Motor Trail begins just past the Rainbow Falls trailhead. From here you will be traveling on a 5-mile long one-way road that ends on US 321/East Parkway. This is not a road to travel quickly. The speed limit on much of the road is only 10 miles an hour and traffic backups are normal, especially when black bears or other wildlife appear in a driver's view. You'll also find yourself stopping for people to take pictures of the seemingly endless cascading waters on the last couple of miles of road.
The Roaring Fork Motor Trail contains a couple of homestead sites and several more trailheads including one to Grotto Falls which is less than a 2 mile hike one way. The water features along this road as well as the abundant plant life will have you feeling miles away from civilization when in reality you are only a few miles from Gatlinburg. If you haven't been on this road before, there is still time. The road will be closed for the winter. Have a great ride.
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