Once upon a time, deep within the forest in the mountainous land known to the Cherokee as Shaconage (place of the blue smoke), water flowed down one of the many rocky hillsides in a cascading network of drips, streams, trickles and cascades.

Visitors to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in East Tennessee can still view this unique natural feature of Tennessee, known as the Place of a Thousand Drips, today.

In fact, motorists on the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail—a scenery-packed, 5.5-mile, one-way driving tour that winds its way within the national park just outside of downtown Gatlinburg, Tennessee—may drive right up to this network of miniature waterfalls tracing out a lacework of water as it flows down the rocks in the mountains.

For those unable to complete any sort of a walk to view a waterfall, this makes a great landmark to visit. The Roaring Fork road passes so closely to the Thousand Drips, “If a window is down on the driver’s side, you just may be in the mist zone,” as one visitor reported.

Traveling along the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, don’t miss the Place of a Thousand Drips! The 30-foot-tall feature located near the end of the one-way roadway is not exactly well-marked (not marked at all . . .). Passing by, and then deciding to circle back to the waterfall would not be simple, since the road is one-way.

A small pull-off area has only enough parking for a few cars; according to the U.S. National Park Service, demand for parking at some of the most popular park destinations can often exceed capacity. And this location can become a little tight during periods of heavy traffic.

But once visitors arrive and get parked at the site, those who so desire may climb up the hillside next to the Place of a Thousand Drips and take in the scene from up top. Or, behold the attraction from the roadway below, as water tumbles down the rocky mountainside, sunlight hitting the droplets at various angles, sparkling amidst the streaks and patches of green moss.

The Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail—only open to vehicular traffic March 29 through Dec. 1 each year—begins near the Ogle farmstead and the trailhead for Rainbow Falls, just three miles from downtown Gatlinburg.

The road proceeds northward and contains various overlooks and pull-off areas to take in distant, mountainous vistas, as well as other hiking trailheads, before taking drivers past the Place of a Thousand Drips and on to the eastern side of Gatlinburg, depositing them on Highway 321 after their forest adventure.

After passing the parking areas for Rainbow Falls, Baskins Creek Falls and Grotto Falls trails, all popular Great Smoky Mountain National Park trails on the Roaring Fork, a few cabin sites sit near the roadway: the Ephraim Bales Cabin, the Alex Cole Cabin at Jim Bales’ Place and the Alfred Regan Place and Gristmill.

The Place of a Thousand Drips then provides a “splendid finale” to the Roaring Fork journey, according to nps.gov.

Cruise by and witness this magical Tennessee site.

As with any waterfall, it’s best to visit following periods of heavy rain to take in its full glory. It can slow to gentle trickles and drips during dryer months but increases to a strong cascade when emptying the mountain of rainfall.

Although The Roaring Motor Fork itself is not open during the winter, the Place of a Thousand Drips sits close enough to the exit of the one-way thoroughfare to walk to it, whether or not the road is open to vehicular traffic. The waterfall sits only about a half-mile from the blocked off Roaring Fork exit.

For more information on the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail and the many other beautiful features in the Great Smoky Mountains and other national parks, visit nps.gov.

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IF YOU GO:

Place of a Thousand Drips / Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, Gatlinburg
To access Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, turn off the main parkway in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, 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, motorists have the option of taking the one-way Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, open to vehicular traffic March 29 through Dec. 1; vehicles longer than 25 feet and vehicles towing trailers are prohibited.

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