- Elk returning to the Mountains!
Most folks know about Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, but few know about a place in the southeastern part of the park known as Cataloochee. Settled in the 1830’s, Cataloochee Valley was home to over 1,250 people, who built schools, churches, and large homesteads, and was the largest and most prosperous settlement in what is now the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Once known for its farms and orchards, today Cataloochee is one of the most picturesque areas of the park. When the National Park was established in 1934, many of the historic buildings were preserved.
It’s a challenge to get to Cataloochee. The road into the valley is an 11 mile long dirt and gravel road that follows the original Cataloochee Turnpike, which began as an Indian trading route.
Viewing the beauty of the valley and visiting the preserved homesteads and buildings is only a part of the Cataloochee valley experience, the real treat is viewing the Elk herds that now populate the valley.
In 2001, elk were reintroduced into the Cataloochee valley as part of an experimental program. 25 elk were imported from the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area along the Tennessee-Kentucky border. In 2002, 27 additional animals were imported into the park. The elk are closely monitored by Park Rangers, the U.S.G.S. Biological Resources Division, and the University of Tennessee.
Photo Gallery
Elk in the Cataloochee Valley
From the nps.gov web site:
The best times to view elk are usually early morning and late evening. Elk may also be active on cloudy summer days and before or after storms. Enjoy elk at a distance, using binoculars or a spotting scope for close-up views. Approaching wildlife too closely causes them to expend crucial energy unnecessarily and can result in real harm. If you approach an animal so closely that it stops feeding, changes direction of travel, or otherwise alters its behavior, you are too close!
Most of the elk are located in the Cataloochee area in the southeastern section of the park. The easiest way to reach Cataloochee is from Interstate highway I-40. Exit I-40 at North Carolina exit #20. After 0.2 mile, turn right onto Cove Creek Road and follow signs 11 miles into Cataloochee valley. Allow at least 45 minutes to reach the valley once you exit I-40.
Elk are large animals-larger than the park’s black bears-and can be dangerous. Female elk with calves have charged people in defense of their offspring. Males (bulls) may perceive people as challengers to their domain and charge. The best way to avoid these hazards is to keep your distance. Never touch or move elk calves. Though they may appear to be orphaned, chances are their mother is nearby. Cows frequently leave their newborn calves while they go off to feed. A calf’s natural defense is to lie down and remain still. The same is true for white-tailed deer fawns.
The use of spotlights, elk bugles, and other wildlife calls are illegal in the national park. It is also illegal to remove elk antlers or other elk parts from the park. Never feed elk or other wildlife or bait them in for closer observation. Feeding park wildlife is strictly forbidden by law and almost always leads to the animal’s demise. It also increases danger to other park visitors.
http://www.nps.gov/grsm/naturescience/elk.htm
Later – CWW
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