Cherokee
Stroll: Cherokee’s Oconaluftee Islands Park is an oasis near downtown. The park’s bridges and trails permit an easy stroll onto islands in a pristine river flowing out of the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (www.visitcherokeenc.com; type “Oconaluftee Islands” in the search window). For a longer walk that’s still easy, head out Big Cove Road five miles and take the short hike to one of the Smoky’s most impressive cascades, Mingo Falls (www.visitcherokeenc.com, type “Mingo Falls” in the search window).
Shop: To really appreciate Eastern America’s largest Indian reservation, shop at the Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual (www.quallaartsandcrafts.com). The country’s oldest Native American arts cooperative features more than 250 artists showcasing everything from weaving and basketry to pottery, beaded items, weaponry, wood carving and stone sculpture, as well as Cherokee toys, masks, musical instruments and more. Traditional Hands Art Gallery (www.traditionalhands.com) is another top stop, with fine jewelry by General Grant, the only master silversmith of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee. Be sure to see the top notch Museum of the Cherokee Indian for insight into the tribe’s art traditions.
Hike: Head to the heights. From Cherokee, take Newfound Gap Road (U.S. 441) and then Clingmans Dome Road and climb the half-mile paved trail to Clingmans Dome for an awesome view from the park’s highest point.
Bike: Very few trails in Great Smoky Mountains National Park permit bicycling – but a handful of easy trails are great choices for hikers and bikers. The Occonaluftee River Trail runs 1.5 miles from Cherokee to the park’s new Oconaluftee Visitor Center (www.visitcherokeenc.com; type “River Trail” in the search window). Park at Cherokee Transportation Center on the park boundary. Occonaluftee River Trail is a memorable, easy amble along a wild stream. Interpretive plaques with paintings by tribal artists describe Cherokee legends. Near the visitor center, the trail, and local Native Americans who use the path, meet the Mountain Farm Trail, a fascinating collection of the log cabins and barns that arrived with later white “settlers.” Hike or bike this gravel trail. It’s the only path in the park where dogs are permitted (on leash).
Deep Creek Trail is another hike/bike option. Follow the signs out of Bryson City to the Smokies’ Deep Creek campground and head up the road-width trail past scenic Tom Branch Falls at 0.2 mile. At 0.7 mile, hikers take a right on the Indian Creek Trail to Indian Creek Falls, then turn around for a 1.5 mile roundtrip. If you’re a sturdy mountain biker, stay left past Indian Creek Trail another mile along Deep Creek and turn around at a bridge (no bikes allowed beyond). That’s a 3.4-mile round-trip ride. Details: www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/deepcreek.htm. Randy Johnson
Eat
Sassy Sunflowers Bakery and Cafe (at www.facebook.com, search for Sassy Sunflowers) is a tasty, healthful “shop local” spot for great sandwiches, smoothies, sweet breakfast items and desserts. And it’s just a few blocks from the start of the Oconaluftee River Trail, so you can grab a bite before or after your bike or hike (or get a to-go order and make it a picnic). Take the last right on Newfound Gap Road before the national park (Acquoni Road) and it’s just across the river on the right. Only a rare mountain town has a Ruth’s Chris Steak House. If sizzling cuts of aged beef are your passion, this admittedly chain eatery will add an upscale, urban interlude to your Smokies visit amid the glitz of Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort. Details: www.caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee/restaurants.
Sip
Alcohol sales are limited in Cherokee except for Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort (www.caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee) where beer, wine, and spirits flow in the casino, eateries, Essence nightclub, and during special events, such as the Tony Bennett concert Oct. 23. Best bet for a brew pub experience is Nantahala Brewing Company in Bryson City (www.nantahalabrewing.com), 10 miles or 20 minutes west. Nantahala’s cozy taproom is well-supplied with regional craft brews, their own year-round beers and seasonal specials, such as Rivers End Oktoberfest and Trail Magic Ale No. 3, both debuting in time to toast fall color. The pub’s Friday night “Music on Tap Concerts” will help entice you into the hills on Oct. 9, 16 and 23.
This story was originally published October 2, 2015 at 7:59 AM with the headline "Cherokee."