The experimental release of elk into Great Smoky Mountains National Park began in February, 2001 with the importation of 25 elk, In 2002, the park imported another 27 animals. All elk are radio collared and are monitored.
Elk once roamed the southern Appalachian Mountains and elsewhere in the eastern United States. They were eliminated from the region by over-hunting and loss of habitat. The last elk in North Carolina was believed to have been killed in the late 1700s.
The best times to view elk are usually early morning and late evening. Elk may also be active on cloudy summer days and before or after storms. Enjoy elk at a distance, using binoculars or a spotting scope for close-up views. Approaching wildlife too closely causes them to expend crucial energy unnecessarily and can result in real harm. If you approach an animal so closely that it stops feeding, changes direction of travel, or otherwise alters its behavior, you are too close!
There are several hiking trails in Cataloochee Valley. Boogerman Trail is named for Robert "Boogerman" Palmer, whose homesite you will see as you complete this moderately challenging 7-mile loop trail, which can take between 2 and 3 hours to complete. You will gain nearly 850 feet on your way to 3,600 feet at the trail's highest point. The trail is well maintained, and this hike offers views of some of the largest trees in the area, old homesites (including Palmer's) and mountain streams. This area was spared from the logging operations which dominated much of the Smokies area before the land was purchased for the Park.
A primitive campground with 27 first-come, first-serve sites, open mid-March through October for tents or RVs up to 31 feet.
Before the arrival of the Park in 1934, Cataloochee consisted of farmland maintained by an agrarian community of approximately 1,000 people. While few of the original structures remain, Big Cataloochee, the largest of several coves in the area, is considered to be North Carolina’s "Cades Cove." The Caldwell and Woody homes, the Will Messer barn, Beech Grove School and Palmer Chapel are maintained by the Park Service.
See the Smokies Hiking Guide.
Directions: About 45 miles from downtown, allow 1.5 hours to travel. Take I-40 West from Asheville to Exit 20 onto 276. Follow 276 for 1/4 of a mile, and turn right onto Cove Creek Road (NC 284). Travel 5.8 miles on this narrow, steep, winding, mostly gravel road to the entrance of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Go slow and be careful! Continue another 1.7 miles to a paved road. Follow road another 3.5 miles until you see several old buildings and a meadow on each side of the road. |
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Remember, willfully approaching within 50 yards (150 feet), or any distance that disturbs or displaces elk, is illegal in the park. Violation of this federal regulation can result in fines and arrest. Do not enter fields to view elk—remain by the roadside and use binoculars, telephoto lens, or a spotting scope to view the animals. |
