Your online resource for the Smoky Mountains
Tucked away in a quiet, remote corner of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Cataloochee Valley offers a peaceful combination of mountain wilderness, 19th-century history, and wildlife viewing. Surrounded by 6,000-foot peaks, the valley was once home to a thriving mountain community of over 1,000 residents before the national park was established.
Cataloochee served as the reintroduction site for wild elk in the Smoky Mountains in 2001. Today, a thriving herd roams freely through the open fields and forests of the valley.
Walk through preserved 19th- and early 20th-century frame buildings, including Beech Grove School, Palmer Chapel, and historic family homesteads like the Caldwell Place.
Popular routes include the Rough Fork Trail (a 2-mile round-trip walk to the Steve Woody House), the Boogerman Trail (7-mile loop through old-growth forest), and the Little Cataloochee Trail.
Elk are most active during the early morning hours near sunrise and late afternoon into dusk.
Mid-September through October is the annual mating season, where bull elk make distinct "bugling" calls and spar for dominance.
Federal park regulations require visitors to keep a minimum distance of 150 feet (45 meters) from wildlife. Remain by the roadside and use binoculars or telephoto camera lenses. Do not enter open fields when elk are present.
Cove Creek Road, Waynesville / Maggie Valley area, NC 28785
Accessible off I-40 (Exit 20) or US-276 via Cove Creek Road. The drive includes a narrow, winding, 3-mile unpaved gravel section with sharp turns—drive carefully and allow extra travel time.
Free entrance to the valley (standard Great Smoky Mountains National Park parking tags are required if parking longer than 15 minutes).
The primitive Cataloochee Campground offers 27 sites for tents and small RVs (reservations required).