Roaring Fork Motor Trail In
The Great Smoky Mountains
National Park

The Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is an intimate journey through the Smoky Mountain's lush forests. In places, the 8-mile long, one-way road 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 streams. The sound of rushing water is never far away.

Along the route are several hiking trails including the hike to Grotto Falls. This same trail continues to Brushy Mountain and Mt. LeConte. Click Here for maps that you can download and print.

Second growth forests line the road on its journey. A few better-drained ridges support a pine-oak forest, but cove hardwoods and hemlocks dominate the landscape. Rhododendrons with 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. An inexpensive guide booklet is available at the beginning of the trail and at visitor center bookstores. RVs, trailers, and buses are prohibited on the narrow, winding road.