V6E17 - Hoofing it Beyond the Smokies

Written By: Chris Shontz / @venture4WD

The Great Smoky Mountains have been on my bucket list for quite some time. I’ve passed through once or twice, and I’ve also visited the surrounding forests, but I’ve never stopped to experience the National Park itself - which was my primary goal for the week. However, at the start of the week, I had some rainy weather to contend with, so I decided to spend one more night exploring Nantahala National Forest to the south, to give the weather some time to clear up. I explored a well-maintained, gravel road in Nantahala, just outside of the Joyce Kilmer Slickrock Wilderness, and found a creekside campsite with a rustic wooden shelter that would serve its purpose for the night.  

Into the Great Smoky Mountains

Bright and early the next morning, I set off for the National Park. My first stop was the Oconaluftee Visitor Center at the southern entrance, where I spent what felt like 30 minutes speaking with a ranger. I told her that I was new to the park, that I was interested in spending a couple of nights, and that I was looking for adventure! She offered her recommendations - some obscure and some more popular options, and I opted for the latter due to my tightened travel schedule. With plenty of time left in the day to settle into camp, I continued to Clingman’s Dome, the tallest peak within the park, and also along the entire Appalachian Trail. The Clingman’s Dome experience is entirely paved, and includes a unique spiral ramp to a crow’s nest overlook, and also a gift shop. It’s a steep, half-mile walk to the summit, which will definitely leave you winded by the time you reach the top! As an alternative to the high-traffic overlook, there is also an enjoyable 3.5 mile round-trip hike to the neighboring peak, Andrews Bald. This offers a much more primitive and lightly-traveled route along a lovely forested trail that follows a ridge. While the views at the bald aren’t quite as spectacular, I far preferred this experience over Clingman’s Dome.  

Smokemont Campground

Following my excursion at Clingman’s Dome, I drove south to Smokemont Campground where I settled in for the night. Smokemont is your typical National Park campground that offers restrooms with running water, picnic tables, fire rings, tent pads, and paved spurs. It is flanked by a mountain stream, with numerous hiking trails all around. It was a nice campground, and cost $25 per night during my visit in 2019. It’s not an extraordinary setting, but it is a wonderful social experience, as you’ll likely meet other like-minded people visiting the park, share stories, and make friends in the process. That in itself is worth the cost of admission. I reserved my site for two nights, and on both nights, I enjoyed some amazing bacon-cheddar cheeseburgers on the skottle!  

Alum Cave to Cliff Top

It’s important to note that the Great Smoky Mountains National Park does not have anything to offer in terms of vehicle-based backcountry adventure. Though you can enjoy vehicle camping at any of their official campgrounds. That being said, the National Park is a great opportunity to park your rig and set off on foot, as there is no shortage of trails suited for short walks, day hikes, or extended backpacking adventures! For my last day in the park, I opted to take on what the ranger said was their most popular hike - the Alum Cave trail up to Cliff Top. It’s an extremely well-traveled, primitive hiking trail that starts in a wooded valley along a mountain stream, winds underneath a natural arch, and then meanders up the mountain, traversing multiple dramatic cliffs. You might find yourself in the clouds by the time you reach the top. Near the summit, you’ll find Mount LeConte Lodge, a very remote, rustic, and operational lodge accessible only by hiking trail. There is an office, a store, a dining, hall, a cluster of cabins, and the facilities are regularly supplied by a pack of llamas! The overlook at Cliff Top was the icing on the cake for this extraordinary hike. All-in-all, the hike was an eleven mile round trip. Don’t let the distance discourage you! I encountered people of all skill levels along this trail. If you’re going to take on an epic day-hike, it should be this one!  

Exploring Northward

The next day, I continued north out of the National Park, where I explored miles upon miles of forest roads that criss-crossed the Tennessee - North Carolina border, alternating back and forth between Cherokee National Forest and Pisgah National Forest. While these roads were all very scenic, as they wound their way through deciduous mountain-scapes, I was on the lookout for primitive, nearly-forgotten routes to explore. Utilizing GAIA GPS, I pointed the Jeep toward every cluster of forest roads that I could find - even those that were obviously dead-ends according to the map. It was those dead-end roads that incited my curiosity more than anything. Surely there must be some treasure at the end of this road, waiting to be discovered! After encountering more than my fair share of closed gates and fallen trees, I followed one dirt road for countless miles until it eventually came to a secluded and beautiful end at Wolf Creek Falls - a spectacular, towering waterfall tucked in the recesses of Cherokee National Forest in Tennessee.  

Erwin Wrap-Up

Toward the end of every week, I pick a city where I can work on my weekly video, and then publish it to YouTube. There is a bit of a strategy for this... Big cities aren’t ideal, because they can be challenging to navigate in terms of traffic and finding a place to park. Rural communities might not have public internet or a comfortable workspace. So I go to Google Maps and seek out small towns along a main thoroughfare, near public land, with at least a McDonalds and/or a Starbucks, a public library, and a with any luck, a hip, revitalized downtown. Erwin, Tennessee falls firmly into this “Goldilocks zone”, and I immediately fell in love with the community. On Union Street, there is an outfitter called Erwin Outdoor Supply, which occupies a gorgeous renovated space. They were new during my visit in May of 2019, and they cater to the outdoor adventure community - particularly the folks passing through on the Appalachian Trail. Not only do they have a decent selection of hiking gear and camping equipment, but they also have a sitting area with sofas, stools, and tables where folks can hang out. It was there that I was able to sit, and get work done on my computer, in a fun atmosphere with really amazing people! [gallery columns="5" size="large" ids="https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/v6e17-17.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/v6e17-1.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/v6e17-2.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/v6e17-3.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/v6e17-4.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/v6e17-5.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/v6e17-6.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/v6e17-7.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/v6e17-8.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/v6e17-9.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/v6e17-10.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/v6e17-11.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/v6e17-12.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/v6e17-13.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/v6e17-14.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/v6e17-15.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/v6e17-16.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/v6e17-18.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/v6e17-19.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/v6e17-20.jpg|"]