Check the visitor center and campground bulletin boards for schedules. These may include craft demonstrations and concerts of traditional mountain music. To visit an area like Cades Cove, but without the crowds go to Cataloochee Valley , on the North Carolina side of the park. The valley nestles among the most rugged peaks in the southeastern United States and offers moderate to strenuous hiking trails . Surrounded by 6,000-foot mountains, this isolated valley was the largest and most prosperous settlement in what is now the Park.
Visitors can visit restored houses, churches and other structures.
Once known for its farms and orchards, today's Cataloochee is one of the Smokies' most picturesque areas. Along with preserved houses, churches, and farm buildings, Cataloochee offers extraordinary views of the surrounding mountains. It is also known for its wildlife populations and good fishing . Cataloochee is open year round. A paved road runs though Cataloochee Valley.