I'm not from out your way, but my folks live near there on the TN side of things. A couple summers back I talked my sister into taking her Outback someplace that could have gotten in trouble. The definition of a road out your way is quite different than out my way! But since a factory Outback did these, it's barely a light drive for a 4Runner. It's also rather pretty, easily something you can take the wife along to enjoy the scenic waterfalls and streams. It's also something I'd like to do again, albeit with my 4Runner. And since I've already seen Laurel Falls, I might skip the hiking bit and do more driving.
Google Maps drive
We started on paved road at the Dennis Cove Trailhead for the AT, and had done the hike down to
Laurel Falls. It was serene and well worth seeing, even it means a little more than hiking 2 miles each way from Dennis Cove Trailhead. Hiking in from the Laurel Falls Trailhead is shorter, but involves more altitude changes.
Once you depart the Dennis Cove Trailhead in vehicle, go east on down to the parking area at the southern point into Frog Hollow. When we were there, the fire road on the other side of the stream ford was barred closed, but it looks like that would sure be fun! We parked, and did the short (300ft) hike through the vegetation up to
Firescald Branch Falls. This really is incredibly a short hike to see a very hidden cascade that is ignored by just about everyone but locals.
Leaving Frog Hollow meant backtracking a little, up Rough Ridge Rd. Instead of heading back the way we came, I had her follow the "road" further into rough country. We eventually decided it was well worth it as there's nothing out there, and the drive along Little Stony Creek Rd was stunning and as peaceful as could be. And we did eventually reach pavement again at US-321, right where I wanted to come out!
If you wanted to head further south, it looks like you could take Walnut Mountain Rd back southeast, if the rest of Rough Ridge Rd is barred, or if you just wanted to go a different way. We were headed back north towards Mountain City, so that wasn't really for us that day.
Again this aren't challenging 4x4 trails, but scenic drives that often require 4WD (or in this case AWD). I have seen trails around here that are in better shape than those "roads."