The Roaring Fork Auto Trail, Great Smoky Mountain National Park

5 November 202022 September 2024

Driving along the Roaring Fork Auto Trail, I felt transported from everyday life into a quiet wilderness of serenity. Surrounded by white oak, chestnut oak, magnolia and maple trees, I could easily get lost in the moment, don a backpack and set off for an adventure into the wild. I had not seen a car for miles and I slowly drove the six-mile route to enjoy the highlights of the auto tour.

The Great Smoky Mountains is a tree lover’s paradise thriving under optimal conditions. With the perfect amount of rain and moderate temperatures, the canopy of cove hardwoods maintain a perfect ecological balance. Wildlife also flourishes in the Smoky Mountains where there is an abundance of fox, opossum, raccoon, chipmunks and especially bears.

I approached the trailhead to Trillium Gap Trail, but there were so many cars parked alongside the roadway that I decided to stop by on another day. The trail led me to the top of Mt. LeConte, but I only hiked up to Grotto Falls and back which was about 2.6 miles roundtrip.

I passed through groves of hemlock and tulip trees which brought me to the Old Road. I had seen a section of this road when I visited Noah “Bud” Ogle’s home. It was a primitive trail with large rocks that made it difficult to travel by wagon.

Through the trees I caught a glimpse of the home of Ephraim Bales, another early settler to the area. The road passed by the house and there was a noticeable drive-thru split in the home. The Bales family owned 70 acres where they had built their house, pig pen and barn.

On the left side of the road is the Alfred Reagan Place. Although Alfred was a farmer, he was a carpenter and blacksmith as well, which provided more money to afford a more modern home. He later opened a store along the roadside and a mill for making bread. The home was not the typical log cabin and it was painted in the three colors offered by Sears and Roebuck. The house and the mill are all that remain on the property.

Approaching the mill, I heard the sound of water rushing through the flume, traveling down towards the wheel. The “tub mills” were given this name because the wheel was surrounded in a wooden tub-like enclosure. Eventually, these casings would be removed, exposing the wheel. Millers would usually charge a “toll” of one gallon per bushel of corn meal.

As I came to the end of the drive, I passed through boulder fields and waterfalls before entering back into “civilization”. It was a beautiful escape from the everyday life of technology and manufacturing. The demanding yet uncomplicated days of manual labor are experienced by so few. I wonder how many of us could really go back?

Did you drive the Roaring Fork Auto Tour during your visit to the Great Smoky Mountains? What were your favorite stops? I would love to hear about your experience if you would kindly leave a message in the comments section below. Many thanks for reading about my time on the auto tour! Wishing you many Happy Travels!

What to See and What to Do:

Roaring Fork Motor Tour
Just beyond the Rainbow Falls Trailhead
Telephone: 865 436 1200

Admission Fee: There is no charge to drive the Roaring Fork Motor Tour as it is a part of the Great Smoky National Park.
Hours: The park is open year around, though this road is closed during the winter season.
Amenities: Pamphlet for auto tour ($.50)
Scenic View: Spectacular views of Great Smoky Mountains throughout the drive
Length of Visit: 1 – 2 hours, depending on whether you stop to visit the attractions
Tips for Your Visit: Wear comfortable shoes for walking should you decide to stop at the attractions. Wildlife, such as bears, may be wandering around the property, so be on the lookout and do not approach them. We like to visit here in the afternoon as the trees provide shade from the warmer weather.

Where to Stay:

We stayed in a rental through VRBO called the Firefly Chalet.

Where to Eat:

Bennett’s Bar-B-Que
2910 Parkway
Pigeon Forge, TN
Telephone: 865 429 2200

I ordered the Carolina Pork Sandwich and the Salad Bar.

The Great Smoky Mountains Laurel Falls Hike

4 September 202022 September 2024

Laurel Falls is considered one of the most popular trails at Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The 2.6 mile round trip paved trail is considered easy and reaches the spectacular 80 foot high falls. For 50 cents I picked up a self-guided pamphlet which pointed out several places of interest and we set out for the trail surrounded by pine trees and oaks for an enjoyable trek through the mountain wilderness.

There are eleven markers that correlate with the trail brochure and the first stop describes the laurel plant which grows along the path. During the early summer its blooms range from pink to white. Rhododendron are also popular along the path displaying larger leaves and growing taller than the mountain laurel.

Having passed through the forest of pine, oak and hardwoods, the topography switched from ridge to ravine. Here the trail curved sharply with deep drop-offs to the left. We began to see more rocks and there were several places to take a break along the path.

We regrouped and continued upwards as the trail continued its gradual climb towards the falls. We crossed over a small creek that trickled down the hill, through large and small rocks providing water to the rhododendron, hemlock and beech plants along the trail.

Soon, there was a break in the trees creating a “picture window” at marker number seven. The rounded peak in the distance was covered with trees and there was a sharp drop from the edge of the pavement.

The further we continued up the trail, the more contorted the trees became due to high winds, lightning strikes and other severe weather conditions. Interestingly, the aggressive change in climate does not affect the lichen that attaches itself to rocks and trees.

The pathway changed drastically before reaching the falls. Steep cliffs dangerously hugged the narrow trail which alerted us that we were nearing our destination. We began to hear sounds of water rushing from Cove Mountain as we continued our approach and gave a sigh of relief that we had arrived safely.

The double-drop cascade was spectacular as its light spray lit upon our faces cooling us down from the hike. The rocks were slippery and we moved with caution to allow other hikers to pass by standing in awe of its beauty. We gave ourselves about fifteen minutes to revel in our accomplishment and curiously tested the temperature of the runoff before backtracking towards the trailhead. It would all be downhill from here.

Have you hiked the Laurel Falls Trail or other trails in the Great Smoky Mountains? I would love to hear about your experience if you would kindly leave a message in the comments section below. Many thanks for checking out my hike and wishing you many Happy Travels!