Oconaluftee Indian Village now open

CHEROKEE - Once you are at the Village, you will see that it’s more than just a place.

It is also a time: 1759. The best way to get there is to un-tether yourself from the world that you know. Turn off your stress. Put your watch in your pocket. Sit under the trees, breathe the pure mountain air, and notice that the only sounds here come from nature. No cars. No blaring TVs. And instead of burnt fossil fuel, the faint tang of wood smoke wafts by on the breeze.

Follow it. Embrace it at your own pace. As you step into the Oconaluftee Indian Village, you’re transported back to witness the challenges of Cherokee life at a time of rapid cultural change.

Visitors are able to take self-guided tours to explore the authentic working Village with dwellings, residents, and artisans right out of the 1750's.

Visitors can experience traditional medicine and interact with villagers as they hull canoes, make pottery and masks, weave baskets and beadwork, and participate in their daily activities.

The Village also hosts live reenactments, interactive demonstrations, “Hands-On Cherokee” arts and crafts classes for children at 10:30 and 1:30 Monday through Saturday, Villager outfit rentals for children, and evening storytelling performances.

It's open daily from 9 to 5 with tours every 15 minutes except 11:30-12:30 and 2:30-3:30 and the last tour is taken at 5 p.m.

Oconaluftee Indian Village is open May through October.

Visit the Cherokee, NC website for more information.

Join in for old-time music jam sessions at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center

CHEROKEE, NC - Great Smoky Mountains National Park has started an acoustic old-time jam session every third Saturday of the month at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee, N.C., from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Oconaluftee Visitor Center (NPS)

“Musical expression was and still is often a part of daily life in the southern mountains, and mountain music is strongly tied to the Smokies history and culture,” said Lynda Doucette, Supervisory Park Ranger, Oconaluftee Visitor Center. She continued, “We would like to invite musicians to play traditional Appalachian tunes such as gospel songs and traditional ballads as they were played on the porches in the old days.”

The jam will be held on the porch of the new Oconaluftee Visitor Center which offers nice roof cover for shade and protection from rain in a beautiful setting. “We would like to grow this event so that it becomes part of the experience of the many visitors who come to the visitor center. The idea is to perhaps perpetuate the customs of handing down songs and music through the generations. Visitors have an opportunity to learn and observe first hand these traditions,” Doucette continued.

Anyone who plays and would like to share their talents can join in the music gathering regardless of playing level, even beginner musicians. The jams will follow an “around-the-circle” format, where folks may lead tunes/songs or pass the tune choice to the next person. “We hope people will get their instrument and come on out to enjoy a step back in time with us.”

Cataloochee Valley Tours permitted to offer guided tours in National Park

CATALOOCHEE VALLEY - The Great Smoky Mountains National Park has issued a Commercial Use Authorization Permit to Cataloochee Valley Tours of Waynesville, NC, officially authorizing the business to operate hiking guide services and guided tours within the National Park.

On April 3, 2011, Cataloochee Valley Tours began offering guided eco-tours into one of the most beautiful and remote parts of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park … Cataloochee Valley.

Tours provide an in-depth, personally guided excursion with University of Florida Certified Master Naturalist, Esther Blakely, who focuses on the natural and cultural history of the Valley and the Smokies, with an emphasis on the elk reintroduction.

Cataloochee Valley is steeped in history, laced with abundant wildflowers and rich with wildlife including elk, white-tailed deer, black bears, butterflies and many species of birds like cedar waxwings, indigo buntings and ruffed grouse.

Cataloochee Valley is one of those special places that is not easy to get to, but hard to forget. If you want to venture there, Cataloochee Valley Tours will take you there in comfort. Tours operate seasonally April through October. Cost is $35.00 per person, minimum 2 persons, and maximum 5 persons per tour. Round-trip transportation and refreshments are included in the tour.

For more information, visit their website or call 828.450.7985

New state-of-the-art Oconaluftee Visitor Center greets National Park visitors

GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK - A crowd of over 200 people joined the staff and partners of Great Smoky Mountains National Park on April 15 in dedicating the Park’s new 100% partner-funded Oconaluftee Visitor Center.

The new 6,300 square-foot state-of-the-art center was constructed under a $3 million contract with Great Smoky Mountains Association (GSMA) and was donated to the Park at the ceremony. The project also includes construction of a 1,700 square-foot fully-accessible restroom building and orientation kiosk which are open 24 hours a day. A second donation of $550,000 from the Friends of the Smokies funded the development and installation of the orientation and cultural themed exhibits and informational media.

The new center is the first building ever constructed by the Park in North Carolina explicitly to serve as a visitor center. Prior to its completion, visitors entering the Smokies via the Cherokee, N.C. entrance were greeted in the lobby of a 1,700 square-foot facility which was constructed in 1940 by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) as a ranger station and magistrate’s courtroom. Among the invited guests were five former CCC “boys”, now in their ‘80’s and ‘90’s, two of which participated in the construction of the former visitor center. The historic stone building lies just a few yards from the new center and will be used as a multi-purpose meeting space and offices for the visitor center staff.

GSMA Executive Director Terry Maddox said at the dedication, "Beginning with its roof, which looks just like slate, but is really made of recycled rubber, this new building is a model of green design and energy efficiency. It uses solar tubes to carry free daylight into the interior of the center saving electricity, it has geothermal wells that use the 55
degree ground water to help heat and cool it, the rain gutters are connected to a 6,500 gallon underground cistern so that rain water can be used to flush commodes.”

“Stewardship is what we do with what God has given us,” said Rev. Dan Matthews, the Chair of the Friends Board of Directors. “We are all stewards of this national park and all of its abundant life and historic resources. We thank all of you for giving this wonderful new center to the people of America. You gave us the beautiful exhibits in this center
through your donations and with your Friends license plates.”

“The most remarkable part about being here today is the level of partnership that the Park has developed with our Association,” remarked Barbara Muhlbeier, the Chair of the GSMA. “It takes a great deal of trust by the Park to allow a private, non-profit organization to undertake a multi-million project. This new center is a product of 58 years of building that trust since our founding in 1953,” she continued.

The new center, located 1.5 miles north of Cherokee, N.C. along Newfound Gap Road, is open from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily.

Cataloochee Campground added to National Park Reservation System

CATALOOCHEE, NC - Great Smoky Mountains National Park has announced that the Cataloochee Campground in North Carolina is now live on Recreation.gov as of February. Under this system, campers will be required to make advanced reservations to stay at the 27-site campground.

Historically, the popular but remote campground operated on a first-come-first-served basis, but this method will no longer be used in the future. Normally, the national reservation system allows campers to make reservations up to six months in advance, but during this start up period, the reservation database for Cataloochee was not active until Feb. 9. As of Feb. 9, people can make reservations for any date from March 11 (opening date) through Aug. 9, a six-month window.

Each day after Feb. 9, a new date, six months ahead, becomes available. Reservations can be made either online at: www.recreation.gov or toll-free at 1-877-444-6777.

The camping fee is $20 per night, which includes the contract costs for the reservation system and is the same as several other campgrounds in the Park with similar amenities. Park Superintendent Dale Ditmanson explained that the “Cataloochee Campground is one of the Park’s most sought-after camping experiences, particularly since elk arrived in the valley in 2001. During peak season and off season weekends, the campground often fills to capacity. Frequently campers would arrive after driving a long distance along a very narrow, gravel road to find no campsites available. We feel that the reservation system will provide a more efficient process to secure an overnight stay at Cataloochee and will eliminate unnecessary travel time and effort to try and obtain a site.”

The Park has been using the reservation system for its three main campgrounds at Smokemont, Elkmont and Cades Cove, and smaller outlying campground at Cosby, as well as at all Park drive-to horse camps, group camps, and picnic pavilions with great visitor satisfaction. “In addition to having peace of mind that a campsite will be waiting for you, the national reservation system offers many other advantages,” continued Ditmanson. “On line people will find site directions, maps and photos of the campgrounds, and information on the amenities in the campgrounds as well as tips on nearby attractions,” he said.