The Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is a 6 mile loop road that is well worth a visit.
Also well worth it is the descriptive tour booklet that's available for $1 on the honor system in a box located just below this sign at the trailhead.
The trail is narrow and winding, but I had no trouble driving my full-size pick-up.
For the first mile or so, you climb steadily through a lovely, very green forest of various tree species.
You are soon rewarded with an excellent view of the Smoky Mountains, just stunning on a clear day!
The tour booklet describes in detail how numerous families lived in the area. When it became a national park they all had to leave, but a number of their original dwellings are left behind. There are some great anecdotes about how hardscrabble life was here in such a rocky, hilly terrain.
Everywhere, there is the constant sound of running water from the Roaring Fork, with many parking pull-outs available for exploration and meditation. Happy reports that the water is very refreshing!
The real star of the show, however, is the road itself and the lush green forest it traverses.
Another unexpected gem found on the ongoing Voyages of Macgellan!
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