Why are they called the Great Smoky Mountains?

One look at this photo and you will know why it’s due to the heavy fog that hangs over the mountains in the morning and after a rain.

The “Great Smokies”, as they are commonly called, is a mountain range along the Tennessee-North Carolina border. Great Smoky Mountain National Park was established in 1934 and is the most visited National Park in the United States. The Park is free and is open 24/7.

CCC-Civilian Conservation Corps

The CCC was established in 1933 as a federal work project during the Great Depression, employing young men in conservation work on federal and state lands. The program provided gainful employment and education to the enrollees from all over the country while also providing much-needed work on public lands throughout the nation. In Great Smoky Mountains National Park, as many as 4,000 enrollees were assigned to 22 CCC camps at various times from 1933-1942, building roads, trails, fire towers, and structures. A lot of the work of these young men remains clearly evident today in many of our State and National Parks. CCC

Heading West

When we want to go to the mountains of western North Carolina, we drive West on Hwy 40 through Asheville to US-74W/Great Smoky Mountains Expy and then US-19N/US-441N. You can get on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Asheville parkway-Virginia/ or continue on US 441N which takes you through the heart of Great Smoky Mountain National Park. The mountain scenery is beautiful on this drive! You can also enter the park off of Hwy 40. I love the mountains, I find them to be so majestic! When I am there, I feel stress-free and relaxed, it’s one of my favorite places! There’s nothing better than escaping to a mountain cabin!

Top Places to Visit in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park

• Oconaluftee Visitor Center/Cherokee, this is the main western entrance to the Park
• Oconaluftee River Trail
• Cataloochee Valley, the best place to see Elk in the Park
• Deep Creek, a loop hike takes you by 3 waterfalls
• Big Creek, has a large picnic area and trails
• US Hwy 441, this scenic drive connects the Park entrance in Cherokee, North Carolina to the Park entrance in Gatlinburg TN
• Newfound Gap, along US Hwy 441 a scenic overlook with beautiful views
• Clingman’s Dome, this is the highest point in the Smokies

Cherokee NC

When we head toward the mountains of North Carolina, we usually head to the city of Cherokee. Cherokee is about a 1-hour drive west of Asheville, North Carolina. It’s an interesting little town, it has a main street with a lot of souvenir shops, some restaurants, and hotels. The Oconaluftee River runs through the town with a park along the river. One of our favorite restaurants is Kobe Express, which is a sushi, and hibachi restaurant. Cherokee is a very pretty little town with the river running through it and the mountains all around!

There are several great campgrounds near Cherokee,  Happy Holiday RV Park, Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park, Cherokee / Great Smokies, KOA, just to name a few. Here are a few of the many attractions in this area;

• Mingo Falls
• Oconaluftee River Trail
• Oconaluftee Indian Village
• Museum of the Cherokee Indian
• Santa’s Land Fun Park & Zoo
• Cherokee Bear Zoo
• “Unto these Hills”, a summertime outdoor performance about the Cherokee People

Great Smoky Mtn. Cabins

One of our favorite places to stay is located right outside Cherokee. NOTE: These cabins are no longer available to rent

We have stayed in both a 1 bedroom and 2 bedroom cabin. Cabin #9 is our favorite. It is a 1 bedroom cabin and has these amenities;

• king bed & dresser
• living room with couch and recliner
• full kitchen
• bathroom with jacuzzi tub
• satellite TV
• WiFi
• fireplace
• porch with 2 rocking chairs
• hot tub

In the one-bedroom cabin, it’s one big room with the living room area, kitchen, and bedroom. The bed and dresser are separated from the rest of the room by a curtain. In the two-bedroom, it has 2 separate bedrooms.

Some cabins have a hot tub outside, like this one, and others have it inside. There is also a porch, picnic table, and a grill.

What we like best about this cabin are all the amenities. It’s great to have a full kitchen with cookware, a toaster, a coffee maker, a microwave, a stove, and a refrigerator. It really saves on food costs, when we don’t have to go out to eat for every meal! The porch is fun for relaxing, enjoying the beautiful surrounding forest, and listening to the birds’ songs. Our favorite thing though is the hot tub. We just love relaxing in the hot tub, there’s nothing better! The price for this 1 bedroom cabin is just $89 per night. If you decide you want to see some beautiful mountains and stay in an awesome cabin, I highly recommend the Smoky mountains of western North Carolina and the Great Smoky cabins!

If you need a little more convincing, here is a photo of the mountains in the fall when the leaves are changing colors. It’s definitely a great time to go for a long drive through the mountains.

Do you have a favorite place in the mountains? I would love to hear from you! Please leave a comment or send me an email!

You may also enjoy; Gateway to the Smoky Mountains

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