Superlative Smokies Places (Minus the Masses)
Of the nation’s 61 full-fledged national parks, Great Smoky Mountains National Park is easily the most visited, attracting a record 12.5 million visitors in 2019.
It could be argued that the Smokies park, vast though it is, has become too popular for its own good, especially considering its chronic underfunding. Yet even if parts of the park—Cades Cove and Clingmans Dome, among others—are often under intense visitor pressure, there are still some terrific places among the 520,000 acres you can visit without feeling you’ve landed in a somewhat pleasanter version of urban gridlock.
Below are brief descriptions of some of my personal favorites—from easiest to reach on foot to hardest—on the North Carolina side of the Smokies. But regardless of difficulty, if you’re in the park I recommend visiting as many of these enchanting spots as you can. Even if you don’t completely escape the crowds, you won’t regret going.
Cataloochee Valley Overlook
This alluring spot involves a somewhat arduous drive but a walk of fewer than 50 yards to enjoy a majestic wilderness lookout. Soon after the narrow, winding road leading into Cataloochee Valley goes from gravel to pavement at Sal Patch Gap, you’ll see a parking area on your right for the overlook. Walk up the short path to see awe-inspiring views of part of the valley and the high ridges that wall it off from the world: Cataloochee Divide, Balsam Mountain and Mount Sterling Ridge. It’s a truly inspiring point above an idyllic valley.
Heintooga Overlook
Easily accessible from early May to late October, when the seasonal Heintooga Ridge Road is open, this mile-high lookout begs a visit, especially on a hot day in the lower elevations. Situated along Flat Creek Trail fewer than 200 easy yards from the parking circle for Heintooga picnic ground, the overlook affords commanding views of about 70 percent of the Smokies crest. From the lookout, you can see the Smokies’ three loftiest summits: Mount Guyot to the right or east; Mount Le Conte straight ahead, rising just beyond the crest; and elevation king Clingmans Dome to the far left. Plan a picnic supper at the cool, quiet picnic area developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, then walk down a short distance from one of the giant stone-slab tables to the overlook. From there you can watch the sun slowly disappear below the Smokies crest, producing a sunset you won’t soon forget.
Oconaluftee River/Raven Fork Confluence
In a park with many beautiful streams, two of the loveliest are the Oconaluftee River and Raven Fork. They merge at an inviting spot just downstream from the Mountain Farm Museum adjacent to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. In contrast to the Oconaluftee that has flowed mostly parallel to Newfound Gap Road/U.S. 441 to reach this point, Raven Fork has churned through what is surely the wildest, most remote section of the Smokies before entering Big Cove on the Cherokee Indian Reservation. At the confluence Raven Fork gives way to the Oconaluftee, as the latter continues for several more miles until it meets the Tuckasegee River between the towns of Cherokee and Bryson City. You can reach the Oconaluftee/Raven Fork merging by veering left past the pig pen (seriously) at the far end of the Mountain Farm Museum and walking a short distance through the woods.
Thomas Divide/Kanati Fork trail junction
Although not a dramatic destination, this junction at a broad, high-elevation gap provides an exceedingly pleasant setting. After hiking just under two miles from the upper Thomas Divide trailhead along Newfound Gap Road, you’ll find large hardwoods as well as a few red spruce trees not far from the trail signs marking the junction. Nearby is a man-made curiosity: an old wild-boar trap that apparently is no longer in service. Have a seat on one of the downed logs and enjoy the cool breezes that typically waft through here even on a warm day. You likely won’t wish to leave the uncommon peace and quiet of this spot anytime soon.
Big Creek/Mouse Creek Falls
Big Creek is a ruggedly beautiful stream that drains the northeastern corner of the Smokies park, before flowing into the Pigeon River near the state line. And, yes, it really is big to be called a creek rather than a river. It’s also a fine place to visit most any time of year, including the winter months because of its relatively low elevation. Although you can hike several miles upstream on Big Creek Trail, Mouse Creek Falls is a wonderful destination reached after only a couple of miles of hiking. About ½ mile before the falls, there’s a popular summertime swimming spot known as Midnight Hole, an unusually large and deep pool just below a point where Big Creek squeezes between two large boulders. Upstream, on the far side of the creek, is the picturesque Mouse Creek Falls, which plummets about 50 feet in making a dramatic entry into Big Creek. The falls and Midnight Hole provide a big payoff for not a lot of effort.
Andrews Bald
This lovely spot comes with a major caveat: arrive at the Clingmans Dome parking area and Forney Ridge trailhead by 9 a.m., ideally in early to mid June. (Clingmans Dome Road and parking area are open April through November, weather permitting.) By doing so, you shouldn’t have to search for a parking space in the very busy lot. And June is indeed an ideal time to hike 1.8 miles on Forney Ridge Trail so that you can see a stunning display of rhododendron and flame azalea on the sublime Andrews Bald, at 5,920 feet elevation the higher of two historic grassy balds the Park Service maintains as treeless areas. There’s a net elevation loss of about 400 feet going out on the somewhat wet and rocky trail, but an extensive trail rehabilitation several years ago makes the path relatively easy to hike, as long as you wear boots or sturdy shoes. On the way back, you may wish to veer toward the highest point in the Smokies park, via the Clingmans Dome bypass and Appalachian trails: 6,643-foot-high Clingmans Dome and its heavily visited observation tower. But a visit solely to Andrews Bald is well worth the effort.
Purchase Knob
Although this destination requires considerably more foot travel than the previous spots, the nine-mile, round-trip along Cataloochee Divide hardly qualifies as a forced march as it doesn’t involve an extreme amount of elevation change. The end point via a short side path from Cataloochee Divide Trail is the Appalachian Highlands Science Learning Center, which houses research and education facilities near 5,086-foot-high Purchase Knob. It and the surrounding 535 acres are part of the Smokies park because of the generosity of Kathryn McNeil and Voit Gilmore, a San Francisco couple who donated the property to the federal government in 2000. Today it’s a wonderful place to relax and enjoy long-range views after a hike that mostly hugs the park boundary from Cove Creek Gap on old N.C. 284.
Shuckstack Fire Tower
Built in the mid 1930s by the Public Works Administration, Shuckstack Fire Tower is a landmark in the southwestern corner of the Smokies park. It and the cone-shaped mountain the tower crowns, 4,020-foot-high Shuckstack, provide one of the park’s finest vantage points despite being nearly half a mile lower in elevation than some loftier peaks. To get there you’ll need to hike nearly four miles one way on the fabled Appalachian Trail just north of Fontana Dam, gaining more than 2,000 feet in elevation, then take a steep 150-yard side path in order to reach the aging 60-foot-high tower. With its lookout about 2,300 feet above Fontana Lake yielding views of much of the Smokies crest, Shuckstack Fire Tower is worth every step on a reasonably clear day.
Gregory Bald
Of the two grassy balds in the Smokies with stunning displays of flowering shrubs in June, Andrews Bald is by far the easier to reach. But if you’re ambitious—really ambitious—I recommend a long, strenuous hike to Gregory Bald at the western end of the park. It’s a rewarding place even at other times of the year because of the sweeping views it offers. The shortest hike to the bald starts from the Cades Cove area in Tennessee. Yet I prefer to hike from the Twentymile section on the Carolina side of the park, in order to avoid the heavily traveled roads to Cades Cove. I should note that this longer hiking route begins at one of the park’s lowest elevations—about 1,300 feet on Twentymile Trail—and climbs to 4,949-foot-high Gregory Bald. Yes, it’s a long, challenging ascent, but you can break up a long loop of nearly 16 miles by camping at nearby Sheep Pen Gap, a fine backcountry camp with several level tent sites. (As with all the park’s backcountry campsites, reservations and a nominal fee are required.) That’s an especially good option if you don’t hike to Gregory Bald in June, when you have plenty of daylight for a long day hike to enjoy the remarkable display of flame azaleas adorning the bald.
Mount Sterling
Although not as long as the trip to Gregory Bald, the hike on Baxter Creek Trail from the 1,700-foot elevation of Big Creek to 5,842-foot-high Mount Sterling is probably at least as strenuous. The 6.2-mile hike one way also is roughly akin to traveling from north Georgia to central Maine in terms of ecosystems and forest types, as if hiking the entire 2,200-mile Appalachian Trail. The summit is the site of what is reputedly the highest-elevation fire tower in the eastern United States, rising about 900 feet higher than the next highest still standing in the Smokies. Built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, the 60-foot-high steel structure offers exceptional views when not bathed in clouds at its lofty elevation. If you’re not keen on hiking out and back in one day, the park’s highest-altitude tent campsite is located near the tower, and can be the first stop on a 17-mile loop that takes you back down to Big Creek via the Mount Sterling Ridge and Swallow Fork trails.
About the author: Ben Anderson, a trail patroller and Adopt-a-Campsite volunteer for Great Smokies Mountain National Park, lives in Asheville. He is author of Smokies Chronicle: A Year of Hiking in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.