ROARING FORK MOTOR NATURE TRAIL

After my "little" hike yesterday, I decided that doing the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail was a good idea for today.  This is a one-way drive that takes visitors along a 5.5 mile experience through the Great Smokey Mountains National Park.  The path begins at Historic Nature Trail just off the main Parkway in Gatlinburg, TN.

First of all, I am staying at the River Plantation RV Resort in Sevierville, TN.  This RV Park is a nice place.  The road that goes around the outside loop of the RV sites is paved.  The roads that go down the lanes where your site is are all gravel.  A river runs by the sites that are on the outside loop.  There are very nice bath houses, laundry rooms, an arcade, and they are totally redoing the swimming area to make it even better.  There are a few cabins you can rent. It has cable and Wi-Fi included in the price. The RV sites are average priced for this area.  I think their prices are somewhere between $35/$45 per night.  We attended the RV rally here and got a discount because of the rally, so I'm not sure of the exact pricing. If I come back to this area, I will probably stay in an area called Wears Valley or Townsend.  The RV parks are just as nice plus they have awesome views!  Also, they are a little less crowded as far as tourists walking around.

Moving on, Sevierville runs right into Pigeon Forge and if you continue on, you run right into Gatlinburg.  Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg are very commercialized.  However, there are a TON of things to do and see. If you have kids, these are great places.  If you like Branson, MO. and like what happens there, you will like it here.  Plus, you can take time to do some outdoor things at the National Park.  BTW, the Great Smokey Mountains National Park is the only National Park that is free to enter. No wonder it is the most visited National Park! Right?

Anyway, the drive from Pigeon Forge to Gatlinburg is beautiful.  It is considered the foothills of the park.

There are three homesteads that can be visited on the trail, displaying the life that settlers lived many years ago.  The first one I came to was the Ogle Farm.

Instead of going on the trail that led to the other structures of the farm, we decided to follow the nature trail for a little ways.  Then we started on the drive.  Fortunately, there were a lot of pull offs so you could take pics. I actually was going to do one of the hikes.  I know! Two hikes, two days in a row! I must be ill! Right?  There is a hike to Grotto Falls and it is the only falls that you can actually stand behind the falls.  I thought that would be cool! However, when I got to the trailhead, there was not a parking space or pull off empty within a mile.  I guess I'll have to wait until the next trip to go to Grotto Falls.

So, here are pics from pull offs on this very scenic trail.

 

The big black horse that pulls our trailer.

 

Tomorrow is moving day.  I have enjoyed our time here.  However, we are only moving 66 miles. I will be moving to Waynesville, NC close to Maggie Valley and just on the other side of the Smokey Mountains. Stay tuned.