Looking for a gem to get away from the constant buzz of the city? Cherokee, NC, is the place to set you off on a little adventure. As the home to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, it's easily the most unique town on the North Carolina side of the Smokies.
We crossed state borders and escaped into the Great Smoky Mountains. It's only a couple of hours from Greenville, but driving across the land surrounded by blue and smoky mountains felt like traveling somewhere entirely new. It was so magical I couldn’t resist writing something about it.
Cherokee
Located in the Oconaluftee River Valley next to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Cherokee is part of the original homeland of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. At present, the Eastern Band is a sovereign nation with 14,000 members with its own preserved language and cultural traditions.
How long the Cherokee have lived in western North Carolina remains a mystery, but some artefacts confirm that people lived here more than 11,000 to 10,000 years ago, foraging in the Great Smoky Mountains and in the lowlands of the Southern Appalachians.
To continue their heritage nowadays, the Cherokee people use their own syllabary on street signs and buildings throughout the town. Written characters representing syllables in the Cherokee language, developed in the early 19th century, are still used today.
Located right in the heart of Western North Carolina, it's also the starting point for the Great Smokies.
Cherokee is a nice change of scenery with tons of things to see and do in and around the town. Here are a few things to fuel your adventure.
1. Cherokee's Saunooke Village
Downtown Cherokee is a sprawling shopping district. Stretching between a babbling stream and cloud-wrapped towering mountains, the area is full of authentic shops, restaurants and water features to play in, hidden among the trees.
A river flows right through downtown, slowly winding into the distance. Here we walked closer to the water edge and picked a spot on the bank to claim as our own for the time being and simply enjoyed staying in this happy, quiet bubble.
2. Oconaluftee Island Park
This park is a lovely, well-shaded park with a crystal clear river for swimming, picnic areas, and a volleyball court. The walk from the parking area down to the river is a short one. Claim your spot along the river, let its soft comfort to quiet your mind and simply watch the world go by.
3. Oconaluftee Visitor Center
There's so much natural beauty in this region, so I’m not even sure where to begin. In Cherokee, all roads eventually lead to the Smokies, and we made our way there after visiting Mingo Falls in the area. Oconaluftee Visitor Center is the Great Smoky Mountains' main welcome and information center for the North Carolina side.
It's also a great starting point to map out your visit to the mountains.
4. Mingo Falls
If you feel like stretching your legs and spoiling yourself with some epic views, don't miss these falls. Snuggled up beneath the lush greenery, Mingo Falls is a 120-ft stunning waterfall. Easily accessible from the downtown area, these are probably the most popular falls among tourists to visit if exploring Cherokee.
5. Soco Falls
Another beautiful waterfall in the area is Soco Falls, a double waterfall on the border of the Cherokee Indian reservation. It's more of a roadside attraction with an observation platform a short walk away from the parking area along the road.
6. Elk Watching
Then we had an encounter of all encounters – wild elks grazing lazily on the grass along the road without a single care in the world. And that's the story I will never tire of talking about.
If you are in the area, don't also miss the Museum of the Cherokee Indian and the Oconaluftee Indian Village, a replica of an 18th-century eastern Cherokee community.
Cherokee is a small town with a big punch. It was a magical getaway trip that felt like a world away from Greenville and we loved every moment of it.
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