The Almost Intrepid Adventures of LibraryAnn: Back to the Woods

This will be a longer post. We have had an intense two days in the Great Smoky Mountains.

The trip to Townsend TN, just outside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and near the road to Cade's Cove, was not long or difficult until we hit Sevierville TN, the larger community near Pigeon Forge and Dollywood. Weekend traffic was outrageous and the tourist development extended for miles. Most of the campgrounds we passed looked like treeless parking lots with trailers nearly touching each other. We were delighted when we arrived at the Little River Campground in Townsend, off the road, wooded, on the river, and a taste roomier than those we'd passed. We also seem to be in the home of the Smoky's version of Big Foot. The campground is small but seems to be a favorite of fishermen who enjoy testing the Little River just outside their tents.

Little River

Smoky Mountain Big Foot

Parson's Branch

As soon as we got set up, we headed out to Cade's Cove, hoping to introduce Ruthie to the Parson's Branch Motor Nature Trail which leaves Cade's Cove near the Visitor's Center and drops down the mountain through incredible old growth woods and across rocky streams. I brought the kids here in 2007 during a butterfly migration. They took turns shooing the butterflies away from the streams to protect them from the car and each time ended up in a cloud of butterflies. Sadly, we learned that in 2016 the park had to close the road as invasive beetles were killing trees and tearing up the unpaved roadbed.

Despite this disappointment, visiting Cade's Cove itself is always special, and draws an incredible crowd of tourists. It's the most popular part of the park, loved for its preserved homesteads, abundant wildlife and beautiful vistas. The road in, along rocky creeks, is itself a beautiful trek that seemed to be hinting at Fall the evening we arrived.

From the valley in Cade's Cove

Preserved Church in Cade's Cove

Roadside view of the many creeks

I titled this blog post Back to the Woods because it felt like such a relief to leave the intense tourism of Asheville. I hadn't been through Sevierville in many years and was amazed at how much Asheville's tourism marketing paled in comparison. Below are some of the buildings Ruthie captured through the car windows as I fought traffic. If you look closely (you can enlarge the pictures by clicking on them) you'll see a building on its side, one completely upside down, King Kong on the side of one, and the Titanic--all inviting you and your money in.

A little rain and fall leaves

We got a good night's sleep and woke to gentle but persistent rain and more fall colors. We had several goals, starting with Gatlinburg--not to see the tourist attractions but to show Ruthie the Arrowmont Craft School, a place that has given me rich instruction over the years, and the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, another park road similar to Parson's Branch. From there we headed around the park and up the Tennessee Foothills Parkway to Cataloochee, another preserved community like Cade's Cove but far more isolated.

Arrowmont was closed, and I confess, we pretended not to see the No Trespassing signs and walked the

Cabin on the Roaring Fork

dog around the peaceful campus. The Roaring Fork trail was busy but not overwhelmed, and the beauty outshone any distractions. The big challenge was Cataloochee. I've been there twice before and each time the road is has been terrifying. It's gravel, washboard, narrow and without guardrails. Drivers have to pull to the side (where there is a side) to let oncoming cars pass. The first time we took it, trucks pulling horse trailers filled the road. Today it was large RVs. Why the National Park put an RV park (without size restrictions) at the Cataloochee entrance is a mystery to me. One man's wife was walking in front of their truck to let him know if the space was large enough for him to pass.

Tennessee Foothills Parkway

The first time we visited Cataloochee, we walked freely among the preserved homesites. The second time I went there with my kids and the park service had just introduced elk, choosing Cataloochee because of its isolation. This time Cataloochee, and much of the rest of the park was FULL of elk--and signs warning tourists to keep a distance from them and the bears. Between that and the rain, we didn't walk this time, but headed back through the park to our campsite and a cozy supper.

We'll be headed up to another Fiberglass RV rally, one we've attended before at Brown County State Park in Indiana. It's always on Columbus Day weekend and the last time we went, two years ago, we were dismayed to see so little fall color. We're already enjoying it here which just makes the trip more special.