Great Smoky Mountains National Park presents an opportunity to
preserve frontier conditions of a century ago. The cultural and human
interest aspects of this park are exceeded only by its scenery and
natural history.
In places where the forest has not yet encroached upon them, there
are clearings which were the sloping little farms of the mountain
pioneers. Sturdy log structures in varying stages of disintegration
remain there as evidence of a way of life which has practically
disappeared in eastern United States. Some of these log cabins,
barns, and other buildings have been rehabilitated in place so that
you may see the original structures in their true setting. Most of
them are in Cades Cove, where the park’s only grist mill powered by
an overshot wheel is located. Cades Cove, an isolated, oval-shaped
valley surrounded by mountains, is a region of outstanding pastoral
charm which you should visit.
Some of the finest of various types of authentic pioneer structures
have been assembled in the immediate vicinity of the Oconaluftee
Ranger Station and Pioneer Museum, located on the cross-mountain
highway about 2 miles north of Cherokee, N. C. On display in the
museum are tools, household objects, and a variety of other handmade
items which were used by the pioneers who made their homes on lands
which now comprise the park. This building is open from 9 a. m. to 5
p. m., April through October.