The Great Smoky Mountains is the most visited National Park in the United States. With over eleven million visitors a year, and within a day's drive of half of the countries population, many of the parks more popular areas can become quite crowded.
However, there are some places of unparalleled beauty and historic significance that are far removed from large numbers of Park visitors. One such place is the Cataloochee Valley. Because it requires a little more effort to get there, the Cataloochee Valley is rarely crowded; more than likely, there will be fewer visitors in this large area than in any other place in the park.
It is also here in Cataloochee, that the Park Service reintroduced elk earlier in the decade. Although elk roamed these mountains for hundreds of years, they were extirpated by settlers in the 19th and early 20th Centuries. In an effort to return the ecosystem to its historic diversity, the elk have been imported from western parks into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
The result is a spectacular addition to the plethora of wildlife already in the park. If you arrive in the early morning or stay into the late evening, you may be rewarded by hearing a bull bugling. The sound is indescribable, high pitched and loud, and serves as both a call to his herd and as a warning to would-be interlopers.
Although the black bear used to be the star of the Smokies, the elk are fast replacing there ursine counterparts in popularity! And your chances of seeing elk in Cataloochee is great, as the herds have increased in number over the years.
So if you live in the east, and want to see elk in their natural habitat, come to Cataloochee in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. You will not be disappointed!
Photos courtesy of SmokyPhotos.com
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