Vacation 2014: Vacation 2014, Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Indian Creek Campground

We arrived at site at Indian Creek Campground about 7 miles outside of Cherokee, NC up in the mountains. Our site was right next to the Indian Creek which created a beautiful background for us as we settled in on a rainy afternoon. During our stay a national trout tournament was in progress making for a interesting sight as anglers meandered up and down the banks of the stream catching the abundant trout which were tagged with cash prizes of various amounts. The white noise of the stream at night made sleeping a pleasure as we opened the windows to let the cool mountain air in.

Indian Creek just behind our campsite at Indian Creek Campground

Our neighbor at our campsite Jason and his son showing their catch for one day

Angler Trout fishing near our campsite in the waters of Indian Creek

We stayed at Indian Creek campground for three nights and two days. The first day was rainy making it hard to go our and tour The Great Smoky Mountain National Park. We did however venture out during the afternoon to Cherokee, NC on the outskirts of the park to visit the shops and the Cherokee Indian Museum. I spent a couple hours in the Museum while Barbara shopped and learned a good deal about the Cherokee Indians history including the trail of tears when the tribe was moved out west before the turn of the last century. The exhibits were compelling and well done with many artifacts from the past all presented with the history of the tribe as they populated the mountains of the Appalachians.

Cherokee Indian Reservation

Oconaluftee River near downtown Cherokee, NC

Cherokee Indian Museum

During our second day at Indian Creek Campground the weather cleared up allowing us to get out and tour the visitors center at The Great Smoky Mountain National Park where we walked through a mountain farm which the park has restored to it's original state. We were very lucky to spot two Elk in a field near the visitors center grazing on the lush grass of the valley.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Oconaluftee Visitors Center

Mountain Farm exhibit near visitors center

Elk feeding on the lush grass near the visitors center

We spent the afternoon hiking to Mingo Falls near our campsite. Mingo Falls is the highest falls in the area falling hundreds of feet made even fuller by the recent rain fall in the area.

Mingo Falls

We meet up with a couple who we have known from home who were in the area staying at their cabin near Bryson City, NC. Mark and Nora are followers of my blog and got in touch with us during the course of the trip to invite us to their cabin. After a very pleasant visit at their cabins in the woods we invited them both back to campsite where we spent our last night enjoying a nice meal and a campfire next to one of the most beautiful settings that we have experienced during our trip.