Top 3 Smoky Mountain Waterfalls You Can Drive To
One of the most beautiful sights to see in the Smoky Mountains is a waterfall, and there are more than 100 waterfalls for visitors to see! While most of these beautiful waterfalls require visitors to hike along a trail to see them, there are a few that you can actually see from your car. If you’d rather take a scenic drive to see this popular feature instead of a hike, we can help. Take a look at the top 3 Smoky Mountain waterfalls you can drive to:
1. The Sinks
The Sinks is one of the most popular sights to see along Little River Road. The Sinks formed where the Little River makes an S-turn, creating natural pools outlined on both sides by river boulders. Now, The Sinks offers crystal clear water, natural ponds, and a waterfall that visitors can see from their car! To get to this roadside waterfall from downtown Gatlinburg, you’ll enter the national park and take a right on Little River Road, near the Sugarlands Visitor Center. Follow Little River Road for about 12 miles west, and The Sinks will be on your left!
2. Place of a Thousand Drips
Another Smoky Mountain waterfall you can drive to is a Place of a Thousand Drips. This waterfall can be seen along the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, which is one of the most popular scenic drives in the Smoky Mountains. Place of a Thousand Drips is actually numerous smaller waterfalls instead of one big one. It’s low flow, and best viewed after a heavy rainfall. It can slow to a trickle of water or a heavy flow, depending on the weather. This scenic waterfall is located toward the end of the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, so you can sit back and enjoy the wildlife, creeks, and other scenery along the drive.
3. Meigs Falls
One of the most popular Smoky Mountain waterfalls you can drive to is Meigs Falls. This beautiful waterfall is actually only about a mile west of The Sinks! It’s a short but powerful waterfall. The pulloff for Meigs falls is 13 miles west of the Sugarlands Visitor Center. It’s tucked away on the far side of the Little River, so you’ll want to use the pull off so you can stop and be sure you don’t miss it! The best time to see Meigs falls is during the winter or spring months. During the summer, leaves from the trees may partially obstruct the view. However, if you visit during the winter you have the chance to see an incredible ice formation at the falls.
More Smoky Mountain Waterfalls
These are the best Smoky Mountain waterfalls you can drive to, but if you don’t mind a bit of a hike, there are so many other incredible waterfalls for you to see as well! Some of the most popular are Laurel Falls, an 80-foot waterfall that requires a 2.6 mile roundtrip hike, and Abrams Falls, a powerful 20-foot waterfall that requires a 5 mile roundtrip hike. To learn more about popular Smoky Mountain waterfalls, read our blog, “Top 9 Smoky Mountain Hiking Trails with Waterfalls.”
