About Place of a Thousand Drips
The Place of a Thousand Drips is a wide, mossy rock face beside the one-way Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail where, after heavy rain, numerous little cascades trickle down the stone. It is not a traditional waterfall. In dry weather there is little to see, so it is a stop to time around the weather.
Where it is
You can see it from your vehicle or from a nearby pull-out. From Gatlinburg, turn onto Airport Road at traffic light #8, continue through the four-way intersection, and enter the Cherokee Orchard Road entrance to the park. After you pass the Rainbow Falls area, you reach the start of the one-way Roaring Fork loop. The Park Service asks you to view the falls from the designated viewing area, because slick rocks have caused injuries.
Season and rules
The Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail closes seasonally. The Park Service lists the 2026 season as April 17 to November 29, and the road is narrow, steep and one-way, with no vehicles over 25 feet and no towing. Check the closures page before you go.
When to go
- After heavy rain: The only time it looks its best.
- Spring: More water and wildflowers along the loop.
- Summer: Often thin or dry.
- Fall: Roaring Fork is busy in October; go on a weekday morning.
- Winter: The road is closed.
Make it part of the loop
The loop passes historic homesites, Grotto Falls (the trailhead for the walk-behind waterfall), and several streamside pull-offs. Parking tags apply if you stop more than 15 minutes; federal passes do not replace them. See the fees page.
Good to know
- Can you swim or climb at the falls?
- Please don’t climb on or around waterfalls. Wet rock and algae are extremely slick, and falls from waterfalls are a leading cause of death in the Smokies. Enjoy the view from the trail.
- Do I need a parking tag?
- A Park It Forward parking tag ($5 a day, $15 a week or $40 a year) is required for any vehicle parked more than 15 minutes inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Entry is free, and federal passes such as America the Beautiful do not replace the tag.
