Thousand Drips
Sevier County, Tennessee
Your visit at a glance
- Waterfall height
- Not recorded
- Location
- Sevier County, Tennessee
- Access status
- Roadside national park waterfall documented; seasonal road
- The walk
- No walk; beside the road
- Ground & access
- Roadside. No trail.
Thousand Drips (the Place of a Thousand Drips) is a wet-weather waterfall on a rock face beside the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Smokies LIVE says it is about 80 feet and is at the very end of the motor nature trail, on the left side of the road at marker 15. After hard rain, water runs over the rock in many small streams; in dry spells it can almost disappear.
Plan your visit
Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail (one way) to the Place of a Thousand Drips beside the road near its end
The National Park Service says the Place of a Thousand Drips is beside the road on the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. No walking distance applies.
Roadside. No trail.
Where to start
From traffic light 8 in Gatlinburg, follow Historic Nature Trail Road to the Cherokee Orchard entrance; the one-way Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail begins on the right just past the Rainbow Falls trailhead. Buses, trailers and motor homes are not permitted on the motor nature trail. Parking demand often exceeds capacity in this area.
Timing & water
The Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is closed during part of the year, including winter. The waterfall flows best after heavy rain.
Before you go
A park parking tag is required to park longer than 15 minutes: daily $5, weekly $15, annual $40.
Visitor informationVisit sources
More waterfalls nearby
Within 40 straight-line miles. Road and trail distances will differ.
Baskins Creek FallsPartial guide: final approach is an unmaintained side pathSevier County, TN1.1 miS
Grotto FallsResearched visit notesSevier County, TN3.2 miSE
Cataract FallsGuide: short walk from Sugarlands Visitor CenterSevier County, TN3.5 miSW
Rainbow FallsResearched visit notesSevier County, TN3.5 miS- Trickling FallsPartial guide: unofficial side path to the base; no distance givenSevier County, TN6.2 miS
- Huskey Branch FallsNational park trail route and trailhead documentedSevier County, TN6.3 miSW
Laurel FallsTrail closedSevier County, TN6.6 miW- Talking FallsSevier County, TN6.7 miS
- Ramsey CascadesNational park trail route and trailhead documented; strenuousSevier County, TN7.1 miE