The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited National Park in the United States. It seems as if all the visitors were there for the fall foliage spectacle.
Cherokee, North Carolina
We stayed at the River Valley Campground in Cherokee, NC. They had full service, but we couldn’t get satellite because of the trees. Their cable connection was awful, and their internet was too slow to use, even though the campground was less than 50% full. It was nice being next to a river which drowned out all the campground and road noises. One of the reasons we stayed here was because the RV parks on the Tennessee side in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg were booked.
Cataloochee, Great Smoky Mountains National Park
The Cataloochee Valley is reported to be the best elk viewing in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. There were plenty of park rangers making sure no one got too close to the elk. The Cataloochee Valley is not far from Ashland and Marion where we were previously staying.
There were a few well preserved abandoned buildings that were fun to explore.
Other than elk, the Cataloochee Valley has a campground and numerous hiking trails.
Great Smoky Mountains
The Great Smoky Mountains are a part of the Appalachian Mountains and border between Tennessee and North Carolina.
The drive between North Carolina and Tennessee is stunning. There were numerous small waterfalls.
This turkey was not very shy, maybe because it lives in a National Park.
The summit of Chimney Tops is at 4,800 feet.
The road to Clingmans dome was very busy and scenic. It’s the highest peak in Tennessee at an elevation of 6,644 feet.
Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee are tourist destinations. Pretty much everything you could want. We enjoyed a lunch of absolutely delicious southern fried chicken.
During our stay, the best elk viewing was at the Cherokee entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. An elk mother and her calf.
Even though it was the rut, for the most part, the elk just grazed and were oblivious to all the people taking pictures. We timed it just right and were able to watch two bulls butting heads.
This dominant bull elk was bugling. He was soaked in sweat even though it was only 50 F outside from all the fighting. The rut can last a month. An average bull elk sustains numerous antler wounds and can lose up to 20 percent of it’s body weight from all the battles, chasing and breeding.
The Great Smoky Mountains were a worthwhile visit, especially in the fall.
