cataloochee valley

We visited Cherokee, NC for my Dad's 50th birthday and decided on a day trip to the Cataloochee Valley since it is the off season and most attractions are closed. I would highly recommend this trip if there is good weather and lots of daylight as a good portion of the trip is a little sketchy. You begin on a narrowing paved road, to a long stretch of gravel road that is only wide enough for one car (without guard rails)....we'll say this part is adventurous!! If you feel like you've gone too far and arent seeing the park...continue for a while until you're back on paved road, from there you're pretty good. There are several old buildings on the grounds and trails to explore - since it was very cold we only visited the buildings. You can purchase a self guided tour booklet for only $1 after entering the park - worth it for the history. I WOULD NOT recommend you use the restrooms...they were horrible! Can't imagine what they smell like in the summer! We found open fields with lots of elk - very cool to see in the wild. I've seen pics on TripAdvisor of waterfalls but didn't find any here myself. A cool trip although a somewhat stressful trip if you're driving!!

I went here to see the elk it was amazing they roam all over in the fields and the roads. We stayed about 4 hours just watching them play and eat. I love this kind of stuff. Can't wait to go back again in the spring.

The trip through the mountains to go view the elk was amazing. The elk were close up and was able to get many great pictures. There were historic sites to see and trails to walk. Would definitely do it again.

If you want to really get away then go here. A small version of Cades Cove. Getting there is an adventure. Twisty back roads with a section of gravel road crossing over the mountains. The elk herd is an attraction to see. A couple of homesteads, school and church. Small campground and plenty of hiking trails.

Get here early! This is North Carolina's Cade's Cove. Except without all the people. We got here around 8am and saw elk in the valley. This area is close enough to Asheville for a day trip. Bring food and drinks because there's not a place to buy anything nearby.

We decided to drive into Cataloochee Valley arriving at 2:00 in the afternoon knowing that the likely hood of seeing Elk at that time of day was slim, but we saw them... many of them and the males were bugling. It sounded awesome. The narrow gravel road going up over the mountain and down into the valley is fine if you go slowly. We were told we needed 4 wheel drive, but we were fine in a regular car rental. We also enjoyed seeing some old buildings and an interesting cemetery.

Went on a beautiful fall afternoon. Trees were beautiful but couldn't enjoy because it was too dangerous to take your eyes off the road! It was switchback gravel and dirt roads going up a mountain and in most places 2 cars couldn't pass. If you had to back up to let a car pass you just prayed you wouldn't go off the road and down the mountain! The valley is narrow and can't begin to compare to Cades Cove (which has very safe roads). We did see herds of elk, but didn't begin to make it worth the trip. I would never go back because of the roads! The entrance on the Maggie Valley side was the scariest, but the road towards Cosby was so long - I think 13 miles!

The road less traveled is definitely worth the trip. We were able to enjoy beautiful scenery, mountain and valley views, historic homesteads, and majestic elk and wild turkeys. With the fall leaves gently falling, it was pretty amazing. The road is mostly gravel and narrow but not dangerous in any way. Park Rangers were at the narrow part of the road guiding cars and rotating the traffic from side to side. There are overlooks and historic buildings to explore that were once part of this thriving valley community long gone. The Elk have full range of this area and you are not allowed on the fields. This is enforced! Many people bring coolers and lawn chairs and picnic as they await the elk to move across the fields. Bring a great camera or binoculars.

Well worth the drive. The roads are narrow but the view is awesome. We went during the day and were able to see the elk. Breathtaking animals. We have a small car and made it just fine.

I have read that the drive to Cataloochie was treacherous. We found it narrow and full of sharp turns, but not really that bad. We were staying in Cosby and took 40 until exit 20. The elk were out and just breathtaking. We got great pictures. Go at the right time: sunrise or sunset and you should see them. Hearing the big male bugle was worth the effort to get there. When you go, take a snack and water. There is no place to get out and picnic. You can't get out and picnic in the fields. But what a great place! I will go back! Don't let the negative bloggers discourage you! It's worth it.

When the website says to arrive at sunrise or sunset to see the elk in the fields, they mean it. Our first 2 hour trip there from Lake Lure had us arriving around 10am and we only saw one female. People that were leaving as we were driving up the winding road told us earlier there had been an entire heard in the field. Our second try had us leaving Lake Lure at 6am and even though we didn't catch the biggest herd we were not disappointed. The highlight was 2 young males rutting (I assume it's for dominance at that age). Here is a video I took:http://youtu.be/lPF8WntYKPEBe very careful on the winding dirt road getting to the valley. When we were there it had a lot of wet leaves on it and our light car was doing some sliding. And also please obey the signs about staying out of the fields and keeping your distance. There were many people there just walking out into the fields to get closer to the elk. This is a dangerous time of the year and it isn't worth your life (or the fine or jail time) to get a close-up picture. It would be better to buy a camera with a zoom lens.

I would recommend spending some time in Cataloochee if you are in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It's a bit of an adventure to get there. You have to drive down a very narrow very windy road that eventually turns into a mountain road (ie not paved) but it's really not so bad in decent weather. We had a rental Prius and did it just find. The road is bumpy and has holes in it but it is definitely doable. It's 10 miles but since we had to drive so slow it took us quite awhile to get there. once you get into the valley the road widens for a short period of time and there is a ranger station and some buildings from the early 1900s. If you are there during elk rut season like we were it is especially cool because you can hear the elk bugle. We heard several elk bugle and saw a few different groups of elk. The road gets more and more narrow as you progress through the valley and harder to navigate if there is a lot of people in large cars there. We went pretty far and then turned around because we had been in the car all day and were tired of navigating around people. We also didn't really check out many of the buildings because we were tired. If we ever go back we will definitely spend more time here. Get there early in the morning or around dusk to hear the elk bugle. There is also a bathroom there FYI!

Got many great pics. It was quiet a drive for us considering we were coming from north Ga. But well worth it. You will drive on some dirt gravel road for about 2 miles. Just so you know. Very windy curvy roads if you get car sick. FYI. Go early morning if you can. DO NOT GET CLOSE TO THEM OR TOUCH THEM. You can get in trouble. Take binos or a really good camera that zooms. It was great!!!!!**Go late September or early October (RUT)

We visited the Cataloochie Valley inside the Smokey Mountain National Park in October and it was amazing. September and October is when the elk rut takes place. It's about 1 hour from Asheville NC and part of the ride into the park is on a gravel road which we did not find to be a big deal in our sedan. We took amazing photos of elk including some small yearlings romping in the fields and some huge bulls. I've been to Yellowstone Park a few times, this adventure in NC rivaled the wildlife in Yellowstone. We observed two very large bulls fighting, along with about 100 other wildlife enthusiasts. It's pretty rare to see and film. There was a little outdoor wedding going on at the old chapel in the park, and a large bull elk decided to nonchallantly check it out. The wedding group all stopped to film the elk before they finished the ceremony. Give yourself 4-5 hours to make the trip and experience everything and be patient because the roads are narrow, so drive slow.

Going into Cataloochee in fall to hear the elk bugle is a must!!!. A four wheel drive in winter when it's snowing is the best it's like having the place to your self just be careful on the road going in.