This page is for anyone that may live near this area or who may be visiting this area and want to find some new things to do.
I now live in Cocke County TN which is adjacent to Sevier County, TN. I happen to think that overall Cocke County is the most beautiful county in this part of the US.
Sevier County is one of the most visited areas in the Southeastern United States. It is within a days drive of 70% of the population of the United States. It is also the entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the home of Dollywood. Approximately 13 million people visit here every year.
If you live here and haven't found all of the great places to see within a two hour drive, I hope you'll enjoy some of the great day trips on this page. It will get you out of the hustle and bustle and away from the tourists.
If you are visiting the area and would like to see something besides Dollywood and miniature golf and water parks and t-shirt shops, and really see what East Tennessee and Western North Carolina has to offer, I hope you enjoy these drives.
Given time, I will get every place I can think of listed here, and if you have any to add, please email me or join the discussion board and post them there. I, for one, am always looking for a new place to discover!
Cataloochee, NC
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
This is a really nice trip to see the 200 or so Elk that the National Park Service have reintroduced into the National Park. Cataloochee Valley at one time had a population of about 1500 people until the Park came along, and there are several old homes, barns, and a church to see there. There is also a campground if you want to stay a while, and there is also a horse camp if you want to bring your horses.There are two ways to get there, both require traveling on dirt roads. My favorite is to take Hwy 321E out of Gatlinburg towards Cosby. At the stop sign turn right which is hwy 32. The pavement ends 11 miles ahead at the North Carolina state line and where the Appalachian trail crosses. Less than a mile beyond that you'll come to pavement again and a four-way stop. This is Mt Serling NC. Go straight through another 16 miles of dirt roads and where the road ends turn right and you'll be in the valley. You'll see a few mountain homes, but mostly you'll be driving through the park, so take your time and enjoy the scenery.
Back at the four way stop, you can turn right and check out Big Creek which is a beautiful campground and picnic area. If you go left at the four way, about a half mile down the road you'll see the Hydro power plant at Waterville and the spot where the rafters from Hartford begin their trips on the Pigeon River. You can also jump on I-40 there if you like.
An easier way to get there is to take I-40 east towards Asheville. Take exit 20 (Hwy 276) in North Carolina and then take the very first right which is Cove Creek Rd. You'll see a small sign for Cataloochee.
Follow that road about three miles and it becomes a dirt road as you climb the mountain. You'll go another 7 miles on dirt roads and it will bring you into the valley. Once you're in the valley the roads are paved again.
The best times to see Elk are at dawn and dusk when they come down from the hills and graze in the valley, so you'll have to time your trip accordingly. This is a trip where you'll want to bring your own food and water as there are no stores or eateries in Cataloochee.
I make this trip quite often because it's only a 40 minute drive from me. I live off of hwy 32, so I usually take it to Mt Sterling and then jump on the interstate to get there quicker.
Del Rio, TN
I'm going to stay in the same general area today. Take 25/70 east out of Newport about 12 miles and you'll find Del Rio, TN, famous for moonshiners, cock-fighting and as the setting for the novel 'Christy' by Catherine Marshall and subsequent movie, televison series and Broadway musical. The fictional "El Pano' in the book is Del Rio and the fictional 'Cutter Gap' is Chapel Hollow.
Take Hwy 107 west into Del Rio and you'll see the old train station (There's only a sign there now), post office and boarding house, then go about a half mile to Old Fifteenth and turn right. You're going to follow an old dirt road about 4 miles, so this trip is best taken in good weather. The road is wide enough for only one car a good part of the way, so drive slowly and enjoy the scenery. About 3 miles in you'll see Ebenezer Church, take a left at that branch to see the Church/ Schoolhouse. Go to the right and follow the signs to see the mission property. There are plenty of signs to mark the way. You can spend as much time there as you want and this is a nice place to have a picnic. You can tour the original O'Teale cabin and there are a lot of signs marking places in the book.
If you haven't read this book, I highly recommend it. It's about a young city girl from Asheville NC that goes to live and teach children at a christian mission in the 'wilds' of the appalachian mountains and her adventures with the mountain people that live there. You'll learn a lot about the ways of mountain people.
Every year there is a 'Christyfest' held in Townsend TN where the series was filmed. This year it's being held June 17-21st. There is a great video about this area here on YouTube you might enjoy.
