In celebration of our wedding anniversary my wife Kristi and I vacationed to Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM) and the surrounding areas on both the NC and TN state sides of the Park. You may also know I’ve committed to visiting all 62 National Parks and summiting the highpoints of every state.
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Now, onto the highlights:
Mount Mitchell and Cataloochee Valley
Mount Mitchell is not only the North Carolina highpoint at 6,684 feet; it is also the highest point in the U.S. east of the Mississippi. This trip allowed us to cover two state highpoints as part of one National Park visit – with Clingmans’ Dome of Tennessee within GRSM as the second high point. Hold your hat. I’ve now made it up 22 state high points!
Mount Mitchell State Park is an hour’s drive up a beautiful section of the Blue Ridge Parkway, so it can easily be part of a day trip from Asheville. We decided to pair this with an afternoon in the nearby Cataloochee Valley of GRSM, as this is one of the NP’s least visited entrances. We thought it would make a less congested introduction to America’s most visited National Park during Columbus Day weekend and a pandemic!
The drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway was stunning and not too busy at 9 AM. The summit of Mount Mitchell, shrouded in fog, was not worth an arduous hike, although we did enjoy one of several trails around the summit.
Tip: Mount Mitchell is shrouded in fog 4 out of 5 days so don’t bank on a view from the summit. Rather, take your photos on the way up along the Blue Ridge Parkway, as there are numerous overlooks at various elevations. You’re bound to find at least one spot that affords a dramatic vista like the pic above.
The drive into Cataloochee Valley was likewise uncrowded – in part because sections of the unpaved road are narrow and winding. Not a drive for the faint of heart but worth it. We enjoyed a 2-mile hike to Woody House, passing through an early 1800s pioneer settlement. The hike took us deep into the woods along a rushing stream. Even better, it took us past a small herd of elk. We kept our distance but found a few of the elk quite comfortable venturing near us.
More of the Blue Ridge Parkway
We departed Asheville for the Cherokee entrance to the more popular parts of GRSM. The drive to Cherokee takes an hour using I-40 but can be done more scenically along the most southern stretch of the Blue Ridge Parkway, considered by many as the park’s most picturesque segment . I highly recommend this route, enjoying the numerous scenic overlooks such as “Devil’s Courthouse” and the Parkway’s highpoint at 6,052 feet, although we missed Waterrock Knob where you can catch a view of 4 states. Next time!
Fun Fact: National Park System, includes not only the 62 National Parks but also the National Monuments, Historical Sites, Parkways, Seashores, Lakeshores, etc. The 469-mile Blue Ridge Parkway, extending from Shenandoah to Great Smoky, had earned the honor of the most visited of these 400+ NPS units. But, recently, it was edged-out by the Golden Gate Bridge! The nerve!
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Clingmans’ Dome and Mt. Le Conte
It was 8 AM, and I could not find lunch. Nowhere in town could I find a place to prepare a take-out sandwich, and this was a problem. You see, I’d asked my wife to indulge me in a hike of 5.4 miles and about 3,000 vertical feet to spend the night in a rustic cabin atop Tennessee’s third highest peak, Mt. Le Conte. We needed to pack a lunch for the hike up, and there was none to be had, so I bought a bunch of granola bars. Kristi was not pleased.
We drove up Newfound Gap Road, a gorgeous 34-mile transverse linking the N.C. and T.N. sides of the Park. Along the way, we hung a left onto the access road leading us near the summit of Clingmans’ Dome at 6,643 feet, Tennessee’s highpoint. The ½ mile hike from the parking lot to summit was a great warm-up for Mt. Le Conte and afforded terrific views on this bluebird day.
Fun Fact: Clingmans’ Dome is not only the highest peak in Tennessee but also the highest point along the entire Appalachian Trail of 2,174 miles running from Georgia to Maine.
We continued along Newfound Gap Road to the trailhead of the Alum Cave Trail, the shortest and most interesting way up Mt. Le Conte. Among the joys of this Trail, you get to ascend vertically through a huge cave, pass under an overhanging rock cliff the size of a football stadium, and shimmy along a few precipitous ledges that may be hazardous to the vertiginously challenged. Did I mention that the Trail is also the steepest way up? Details!
Kristi informed me that I could carry most of her belongings, her water, and all those granola bars in my pack. She would focus on the Trail. We hiked to the summit, and my wife was incredible. We arrived at the summit and LeConte Lodge, both famished. I checked us in and learned that there was still a Bag Lunch for sale (at 3 PM)! I pranced back outside with it, proclaiming that I had pre-arranged this and had only been fooling around earlier. No one was fooled.
At the Lodge, you get your own cabin in these COVID times with a private porch, and the staff brings your dinner to you. What a pleasure to dine outdoors and enjoy a mountaintop view as the day winds down. A half-hour before sunset, Kristi and I took a quick walk up to “Cliff Top” for a picturesque panorama of the day’s last rays. Then, the stars came out. Wow.
These highlights are just a fraction of what Great Smoky Mountains National Park and surrounding areas have to offer. I hope this encourages you to get out there and take advantage of these stunning natural playgrounds.
For more on the Great Smoky Mountains area check out my blog Asheville and Biltmore Estate and my 7-Day Itinerary for GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NP.
