What city in North Carolina is closest to the Smoky Mountains?

Maggie Valley and Waynesville are the closest towns to the Cataloochee Valley area of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, known for elk herds and a ski resort.

Where are the Smoky Mountains located in North Carolina?

Great Smoky Mountains National Park is located in western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee, and covers 520,000 acres (800 square miles). The Smoky Mountains are known for the blue mist that always seems to hover around the peaks and valleys.

Did the Cherokee live in the Smoky Mountains?

The Cherokee once inhabited a vast area that included the Great Smoky Mountains, even before Columbus discovered his new world. Thousands of non-Indians have moved into the area and developed the region during the past 100 years, though the Smokies are still home to the Cherokee.

Can you drive from Gatlinburg to Cherokee?

The direct drive from Gatlinburg to Cherokee is 34.2 mi (55 km), and should have a drive time of 1 hr 10 mins in normal traffic.

What is the best month to go to Smoky Mountains?

The best times to visit Great Smoky Mountains National Park are the summer (June, July and August) and the fall. July is the busiest month of the summer season while October weekends draw those in search of autumn foliage.

Which side of the Smoky Mountains is best?

But with the park split between two states, the question of which side is better is always present. Julie Graham, the executive director for the Middle-East Tennessee Tourism Council, says that some consider the east side of the Smokies to be the adventure side, while the west side is known to be the peaceful side.

Where do the Smoky Mountains start and end?

Where do the Smoky Mountains start and end? The Encyclopedia Britannica offers the following answer: The Great Smokies lie between Knoxville, Tennessee (just to the west), and Asheville, North Carolina (just to the east), blending into the Blue Ridge escarpment to the east in western North Carolina.

Where did the Cherokee live in North Carolina?

During the seventeenth century, Cherokees living in what became North Carolina were distributed among the “Middle Towns” along the Little Tennessee River, the “Valley Towns” along the Hiwassee and Valley Rivers, and the “Out Towns” on the Tuckasegee and Oconaluftee Rivers.

What did the Cherokee call the Smoky Mountains?

Before Euro-Americans arrived in the region, the Cherokee referred to the area as “Schconage” (Sha-Kon-O-Hey), which means “land of the blue smoke.” Early white settlers took inspiration from the Cherokee when they named the Great Smoky Mountains and the Blue Ridge Mountains, which are located nearby.