We parked overnight in the Walmart in Waynesville, North Carolina and got up early to head to Smokey Mountain National Park. It’s a beautiful park but it was EXTREMELY busy since it was Memorial Day Weekend. In many areas we encountered slow bumper to bumper traffic and the overlooks and parking lots were overflowing with cars parked far along either side of the road. The roads snake back and forth through the mountains but are nicely paved and well-maintained.
The Oconaluftee Visitor Center had interesting displays which included the disturbing story of how many of the Cherokee were displaced from this area and relocated to Oklahoma to make room for non-Indian settlers. It also had an open-air Mountain Farm Museum and we paid $1 for an informative self-guiding tour booklet. The barn was an unusual, large triangle-shaped structure. In addition to the house and barn, there was a meathouse, apple house/orchard, cane mill and molasses shed, beegums, corn crib, etc
Further on, we saw our third gristmill. This one, Mingus Mill, was powered by a turbine using water pressure in a shaft rather than a paddle wheel. The mill was operating and we were given a demonstration and explanation of how it worked.
There was heavy traffic during the 7 mile drive up Clingman Dome Road to the trailhead parking area. Waaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyy before the parking lot traffic was reduced to a start and stop crawl and many cars began parking along the roadside with a long walk up to the parking lot. It took 40 minutes for us to score a parking spot, but it was in the parking lot. Yay! A steep, paved, half-mile walk takes you to Clingman Dome observation tower at the highest point in the Smokies (6,643 ft). The view is an incredible 360 degree panorama of the Smokey Mountains in North Carolina and Tennessee. Though the walk up was steep, it was less humid today and a little cooler so the hike didn’t wipe me out. 😊
It didn’t take quite as long to get a parking spot at Newfound Gap where North Carolina meets Tennessee, and the Appalachian Trail passes through.
At about 2:30 we were discussing where we could spend the night since all three campgrounds on our route through the park were likely full for Memorial Day weekend. We had already passed the first full campground and were approaching Elkmont where we saw another “campground full” sign displayed. I felt led to suggest to Mark that it wouldn’t hurt to stop and ask anyway, and to my surprise he turned right in. I went into the park office and asked if anyone had checked out early, and she had one newly vacated spot! Thank you, Jesus! It was perfect. There were many people playing in the cool, refreshing river running through the campground. Our campsite was even right next to another truck camper who showed us the laser-guided system he rigged up to assist him with aligning his truck and camper for easy loading. Awesome!!
The next morning (Memorial Day, May 27), we got up early hoping to beat the crowd to Cades Cove. We made one stop on the way at an overlook to take pictures of the river and accidently found a hidden waterfall near the road.
We reached the Cades Cove Loop about 8:30am and came upon a traffic jam of cars and people trying to catch a glimpse of a bear rambling in the woods. . . . So much for beating the crowds . . .
Cades Cove has a narrow one-way road that makes an 11 mile loop through a valley that was home to numerous settlers in the 1800’s. Scattered along the route are several homesteads and historic buildings and structures representative of pioneer life in 19th century Appalachia (cabins, cantilever barns, churches, sorghum mill, corn crib, etc)
We saw a young bear run across the road a few cars ahead of us, but he disappeared quickly into the trees. Mark said I should make note that on this trip I’ve seen 4 bears . . . But I want more than just a glimpse! I’m STILL hoping to get a decent picture of a real live bear some day! 😁
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