Drive B · near Gatlinburg
BRoaring Fork Motor Nature Trail
5.5-mile one-way road · by car · allow 1–1.5 hrs
A narrow 5.5-mile one-way road through old-growth forest beside a rushing creek. Along the way are log cabins and the Place of a Thousand Drips waterfall at the end. Bears are often seen here.
Plan: it starts right next to the Hike 1 trailhead (Rainbow Falls), so the two combine easily. Allow 1–1.5 hrs, and it exits back into Gatlinburg.
The road is seasonal, so check that it's open on nps.gov/grsm. The Grotto Falls trailhead is on this road too.
Bear rules: stay in the car or at least 50 yards (150 ft) away, and never feed them. Approaching a bear is illegal in the park. Pull fully off the road to watch.