Back
Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee
Photo: Roller Coaster Philosophy · CC BY 2.0 · cropped

Drives Tennessee The Smokies

Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail

Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee · Loop from Gatlinburg

Intense8.6 mi45 min2,000 ft climbHigh point ≈ 3,200 ftLoop
Scan to drive it in CarvePoint a phone's camera here. It opens ready to drive.
Drive it in Carve, free

Opens this route in the app, or where to get it.

Drive this road
in the appOpen

The drive

This drive leaves Gatlinburg on Cherokee Orchard Road (the Historic Nature Trail) and joins the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, a one-way, narrow, winding road of about 5.5 miles. The whole route is 8.6 miles and returns to town on Roaring Fork Road.

The park describes rushing mountain streams, old-growth forest, log cabins, gristmills and historic buildings, with the Place of a Thousand Drips, a waterfall over a rock wall, near the end. The trailhead for Grotto Falls is about two miles in. The route is Intense, with a climb of about 2,000 feet to a high point of 3,200 feet.

Along the way

  1. Gatlinburg (Historic Nature Trail)
  2. Roaring Fork
  3. Gatlinburg (Roaring Fork Road)
Elevation
2,000 ft of climbing · high point ≈ 3,200 ft
GatlinburgGatlinburg
Curves
Twisty most of the way
GatlinburgGatlinburg
GentleHairpins

Good to know

  • Buses, trailers and motor homes are not permitted; the park lists a 25-foot limit for motorhomes, buses and vans.
  • The road is closed part of the year; check the park's seasonal roads page for the dates.
  • On Cherokee Orchard Road, pedestrians are barred, and stopping for wildlife is allowed only inside your vehicle, more than 50 yards from any bear.
  • Parking demand often exceeds capacity, and parking tags cannot be bought in the area.

Closed from about the end of November to mid-April (2026 season April 17 to November 29). Roads close for snow, fire, storms and repairs: before you set off, check Great Smoky Mountains National Park: seasonal roads.

Questions about this drive

When is the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail open?

The road is open seasonally, roughly April to November. Check the park's seasonal roads page for this year's dates.

How long does the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail take?

The route from Gatlinburg through Cherokee Orchard Road and the Motor Nature Trail is 8.6 miles and about 45 minutes without stops.

Can RVs drive the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail?

No. The park does not allow buses, trailers or motor homes on the Motor Nature Trail.

What you get in the app

Turn by turn, on this roadSpoken directions along the exact route. Carve never reroutes you onto a faster one.
Preview it in 3DFly the whole drive over satellite and terrain before you go.
Drive it with no signalAPEXDownload the map and every turn before you go.
Live Group TrackingAPEXEveryone on the route, on the map, by name.
Road conditionsAPEXWet or dry, ice, fog and wind along the road before you go.
Record your drivesAPEXRecord a drive and turn it into a route to drive again or share.

Free on iPhone and Android. CarPlay and Android Auto come with Apex.

Download on theApp StoreEarly access onGoogle Play

More drives near here

All 20 drives in Tennessee ›

Distance, time, elevation, curves and intensity are from Carve's route. Checked 2026-10-28.

+ Plan a new route
Map of Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, from Gatlinburg to Gatlinburg