After backtracking all the way from Cataloochie Campground to Maggie Valley, as always an exciting drive no matter which direction you go on it, we drove east on 19 to north on 276 onto I-40. We continued north across the state line into Tennessee, then went east on 32. We turned south onto the Cosby Entrance Road. It was a long scenic drive to Cosby Campground.
We set up on a site amid tall trees.
Later that day we hiked the Cosby Nature Trail, which was the most scenic nature trail I’d ever been on. It was like walking through an enchanted forest.
I took another hike on my own that was a bit more rugged.
It gained some altitude.
By the time I got back to the motor home I was worn out. So we relaxed at the site the rest of the day. The next day we took a side trip on one of the many narrow blacktop roads feeding off 321 into the park. I think it was Laurel Springs Road.
It had been raining a lot last night and that morning, so the creek the road followed was raging.
Since it was so muddy and sloppy, we didn’t hike on any trails there, we merely did some auto touring. After, we returned to our site in Cosby Campground.
NEXT LOCATION: Elkmont Campground, Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
The next day was sunnier. We broke camp early and headed for Cataloochie Campground. Getting to Cataloochie is half the fun. Leaving Smokemont Campground, we drove south on 441 to the south terminus of the Blue Ridge Parkway. We drove north to the Socco Road access, where we exited the Blue Ridge Parkway and continued east on 19 into Maggie Valley. There we headed north on one narrow twisting country road after another, steadily gaining elevation and following Rough Creek much of the way. Then came the really fun part. Leaving Rough Creek behind, we drove onto Ranger Station Road, which led to Cataloochie Entrance Road. Where on a very steep grade we ran out of pavement. For several miles it was a gravel road twisting up to a mountaintop and over, to descend on the other side in the same twisting way. It was great fun. Of course, even though the road was gravel and clung to sheer drops, it was designed wide enough to handle campers. We just took it slowly and enjoyed the sights. After descending for a couple miles on the other side, the pavement returned and we had easy passage the rest of the way to Cataloochie Campground.
Naturally, we went for a short hike to settle our nerves.
Back from our hike, we encountered the campground pet.
Not really a pet. Whenever the resident ranger saw the moose he chased it away. But it always came back. It knew where to find an easy meal. The next day we drove around the valley.
We parked the motor home and hiked a trail that led us to restored buildings. The valley used to be a secluded community.
More log bridges, although none as challenging as the one I had found at Smokemont Campground.
As you can tell in this photo, we were on a multi-use trail. A log bridge for hikers, a ford for horses.
This log bridge was impressively long.
Eventually, we came to the structures.
Which were open for inspection.
On to other buildings.
Other more distant old buildings we drove to see.
After 2 nights, we were ready to move on. There is a road in Chataloochie heading north through the park, the Old Chataloochie Turnpike, although to call it a turnpike is a major misnomer. I took this years ago the first time we visited Chataloochie. It was a narrow twisting washed-out gravel road, which most of the time had no gravel and seriously canted to downhill. It was a beautiful drive, which should be restricted to 4-wheel drives. I was in a sedan that time, and it was rough going. I certainly wasn’t about to try it in the motor home. Well, I was willing to try it, but my wife put her foot down. She well-remembered that road. So we went out the same way we went in. Which also was a lot of fun.
NEXT LOCATION: Cosby Campground, Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
Our second day camping at Smokemont was just as rainy and dreary as the day before. But I was determined not to sit in the motor home all day. So I went on another hike, this one much shorter than the one I attempted the day before. Even more than before, the river was raging.
I followed another horse trail.
It led to an old church.
That was open for inspection.
Then it was on down the horse trail.
Which led to a muddy hiking trail.
Which led back to the raging river.
I followed it for a while.
Then it was back to the campsite to scrape all the mud off my shoes and surrender to the elements for the rest of rainy day.
NEXT LOCATION:Smoky Mountains National Park, Cataloochie Campground, North Carolina
From the North Rim 