Cherokee North Carolina
Nestled in the small Appalachian town of Cherokee North Carolina is a cozy quaint little town full of things to do, including beautiful scenic stops. As a kid living in Eastern Tennessee we would always take small trips to nearby towns and Cherokee North Carolina was one that I loved visiting. Cherokee is known for its history and still today has many places you can visit that embodies the Cherokee culture. Visiting the Oconaluftee Indian Village is an incredible experience. Taking you on a glimpse of 18th century Cherokee, they have a beautiful show, reenactments, crafts, and historically accurate buildings. The area is also extremely popular for its natural amenities nearby. If you’re someone who loves the outdoors, you’re a quick drive away from picturesque fishing spots, peaceful mountain hikes, and even multiple spots for elk viewing. Cherokee is also very well known for it’s Casino, located right in town and brings the town a lot of it’s business. Cherokee is a smaller town that has gained popularity over the years, but it has a unique feel to the area that makes this charming little town a must visit if you’re near the area.
Mingo Falls
A short drive away from downtown Cherokee, will take you to the lush mountains in the Qualla boundary, sitting just outside of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Mingo Falls sits right inside of the Qualla boundary line. Navigating here is short and sweet. I simply typed in Mingo Falls in to Apple Maps and it will take you directly to the parking lot. It’s a short 18 minute drive from Harrahs Cherokee Casino itself.
We chose to make this hike during the fall, while coming back from a weekend trip to Lake Junaluska. This stop was on our way home back to East Tennessee. This was the perfect hike during the fall since it was short and sweet. We normally try to prioritize hikes for the fall that are quick and surrounded by the changing leaves, and we leave the hikes with swimming holes for the summer. Mingo Falls is the perfect combination of pretty views and easy access that you need during the chillier months.
When you pull in to the parking lot you’ll see that there’s quite a large area for parking that can easily fit a multitude of cars. I would imagine this is one of the more popular hikes in the area since it’s so beautiful and easy to get to, so I believe they have accommodated well for this. I seen other people walking from what seemed to be overflow parking right off to the right of the main parking lot for anyone who can’t seem to find a spot in the main parking area. They also have a convenient port o potty located at the bottom of the trail before or after your hike. From personal experience, I would recommend finding other accommodations prior to your visit. We also brought our dogs on this trail and it was a good, easy first hike for them.
Immediatley, the trail starts off with a few steep sets of stairs. For people with mobility issues this may not be an incredibly ideal trail with the amount of stairs but it I believe it is still doable just with a slower approach. The trail is just a very short 0.4 miles from your car, to the waterfall. The speed of your hike can definitely vary depending on how quickly you peak the stairs.
Once you’re able to peak the top of the stairs the trail becomes a lot less challenging. The trail continues for approximately another 5 minutes after peaking the stairs and I would say from there it is incredibly easy minus the rocks and roots along the way. We had to be a little bit more cautious with the slippery leaves, since we had our dogs and I wasn’t wearing hiking boots. I would recommend a sturdy pair of boots on this hike, taking into consideration the trail does have quite a few obstacles that you can easily twist your ankle on.
After the short trek, post stairs, you’ll soon reach the destination you came here for. Turning the last corner, you’ll reach a small stream that leads up to the epic 120 foot waterfall that cascades smoothly down the steep incline. The most incredible view is from the deck of the bridge that hovers over the downstream creek, below the falls. Even from a short distance away you can admire how enormous the falls are. The flow of the water differs throughout the year and is even more breathtaking in the spring months when rain is more frequent.
After the thrilling 10-15 minute hike up, getting back to your car is a breeze. It took us 5-8ish minutes to get back to our car since the decline of the stairs was much easier. After your hike to Mingo Falls I would highly recommend staying and spending the rest of your day taking in the beautiful town. A few things I would personally recommend checking out while you’re here would be Soco Falls, this is an incredibly short hike in the nearby area as well that boasts a beautiful double waterfall. Visiting the Oconaluftee Visitor Center where you can hike by the river, view their historic mills, and view elk, is a must. After leaving the Visitor Center, I would recommend stopping by Ocanaluftee State Park where there are plenty of beautiful spots where you can walk by the river and have a scenic picnic. The entire town is so welcoming and is the perfect destination if you are wanting to get outside in nature.
If you’re heading towards Tennessee after leaving Cherokee, like we did, it takes you the most beautiful route over the mountains. I highly recommend planning your trip in the fall time so that as you leave you get a breath taking ride through the Great Smoky Mountains during the most beautiful time of the year. The colors of the trees are something people travel from all over the country to see. We stopped at this scenic over look called New Found Gap Overlook that has a stunning view of the mountain range. Close by is the Blue Ridge Parkway which is also an extremely popular destination for all seasons. Tennessee and North Carolina are well known for their mountain views and you can easily spend weeks exploring this part of the country. I hope if you choose to travel this way you will enjoy it as much as I have for the past 25 years. As always, happy travels and leave it better than you found it!
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