Roaring Fork Motor Nature Tour

This scenic loop road can best be accessed at the end of the Newfound Gap Road scenic drive from Cherokee to Gatlinburg.  Turn off the main parkway in Gatlinburg, TN at traffic light #8 and follow Historic Nature Trail Road to the Cherokee Orchard entrance to the national park. Just beyond the Rainbow Falls trailhead you have the option of taking the one-way Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail (closed in winter). Please note that buses, trailers, and motor homes are not permitted on the motor nature trail.

The 5.5-mile-long, one-way, loop road is a favorite slow drive for many people. It offers rushing mountain streams, glimpses of old-growth forest, and several well-preserved log cabins, grist mills, and other historic buildings.

Mileage to Roaring Fork from Cherokee is 35 miles.