Check out a newer (2020) updated version of this post on my new blog: What To Do With One Day In Cherokee, NC
Since it is cold and very New Englandy right now I am finding myself reminiscing about my September trip to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I had so many posts that I wanted to share but I didn’t get a chance before the holiday season started. I am officially declaring the next 3 weeks the “reminiscing about the nice warm and sunny days of Great Smoky Mountains National Park” weeks. Catchy, am I right?
When I looked into Great Smoky Mountains National Park and realized that it butted right up against Cherokee tribal lands I knew that I had to do at least a day trip to Cherokee. After digging a little deeper I realized that
I was sold.
According to the Cherokee, North Carolina website, Cherokee embodies “a culture, a people, and a place that’s actually a sovereign nation.” The website isn’t wrong, this land has belonged to the Cherokee tribe for millennia. Cherokee is a town on the reservation home of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation.
If you are at all interested in the history check out the Oconaluftee Indian Village. Here the 18th-century Cherokee lifestyle is unspoiled and retold via live demonstrations. During summer months at the outdoor Mountainside Theatre, the drama “Unto These Hills” tells the tribal story of the Cherokee. Read more about
We decided to take the boys with us to Cherokee because it seemed like there would be a good bit to do with the dogs. The day started with a drive on Newfound Gap Road and I have to say, it was gorgeous! The road is situated on the border of Tennessee and North Carolina and has some pretty freakin’ spectacular views. There are plenty of pull-offs to get out and take some photos. Also, remember you will most likely be driving back through so if you miss a pull off you can stop on the way back.
Of course, the MR was excited about fishing and I had already bought the permit online before our trip. You can buy a permit here. However, after arriving and checking out River Edge Outfitters, we found out that you also need a North Carolina fishing license to fish these waters. Make sure you get both before going OR head to the outfitters.
The Mr decided right away that he wanted to fish the catch and release area (fly fishing only) as soon as he found out that was an option. It was a very hot day at around 90 degrees and the fish weren’t biting.
The Mr’s 2 cents on fishing Cherokee: Cherokee had some beautiful scenery. It was really cool to be able to fish on tribal lands and I really enjoyed the historical aspect of it. The weather played a huge role in the fishing not being great on our day in Cherokee. It was so hot that I didn’t actually see any fish. I would love to go back in Spring to fish on the tribal lands again because the fishing in this area is supposed to be amazing.
The boys only enjoy sitting by the water and splashing around (far away from where the MR is fishing) for about 10 minutes max. I decided to take them hiking to Mingo Falls. Which just so happened to be about 5 minutes away from where the MR had decided to fish. The trail is clearly marked and has ample parking. Mingo Falls is a .4 mile hike that is basically 161ish stairs and a very short climb to the actual falls. It’s also a dog friendly trail.
The falls are called Big Bear Falls in Cherokee language and the Cherokee people who live close by on the Qualla Boundary enjoy these falls as one of the most beautiful places to visit within the tribal lands. Mingo Falls is approximately 120 feet tall and cascades down nearly 200 feet making it one of the tallest falls in the southern Appalachians. While the hike up is only .4 miles it is considered moderate in difficulty.
Loki was incredibly excited while hiking up all of the stairs and kept letting out excited little yips. There were no other dogs on the trail while I was there and so my boys got a ton of attention, which they loved! The falls themselves are gorgeous and completely worth the very short climb.
Even though it was a short climb the boys found it exhausting and passed out on the observation deck at the top for a solid 10 minutes to the delight of everyone else visiting. I have to say, I found Mingo Falls to be really enjoyable and I think the falls offer a lot of bang for your buck. You only have to climb .4 miles to see a beautiful waterfall and that doesn’t happen very often.
After Mingo Falls, I headed back to find that the MR was still fishing. We decided to make a quick stop at the Native American Craft Shop and then called it a day. I was really bummed that we didn’t get a chance to see the elk herd that calls Cherokee home. Ever since visiting Rocky Mountain National Park during elk rut I am kind of obsessed with elk.
As luck would have it, just as we were getting close to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center we noticed a line of cars pulled along the road. I was driving and had no idea what was going on. I kept thinking maybe the visitor center was just that full? Low and behold there was an entire herd of beautiful elk just hanging out by the visitor center. Oh, and it was during rut again so we got to hear those amazing elk bugles.
After a nearly 200 year absence, in early 2001 elk were reintroduced to this area of the Great Smoky Mountains. The purpose for the reintroduction was to see if the elk could sustain themselves in this region after such a long absence. Seventeen years later the park is now home to between 140-160 elk. It seems one of the most popular places to spot them is where we did, grazing outside of the Oconaluftee Visit Center. It makes for a really pretty background in photos too.
The Park Rangers really had things under wraps in terms of keeping the elk away from the people and vice versa. In general, elk viewing is best done from a safe distance. Remember these are wild animals that need to be treated as such. It is recommended that you stay 25 yards away from elk for your safety. It’s smart to stay even farther away during
These are not tame animals! It’s not ok! Don’t do it!
I really loved our day spent in Cherokee, North Carolina. If I could do the trip all over again I would unquestionably stay closer to Cherokee so that I could spend more time there. If you are visiting Great Smoky Mountains National Park I absolutely recommend that you spend at least a day in Cherokee.
