– Day Trip –

CHECKING OUT CHEROKEE

A people and place with stories to tell

BY AMY BESS COOK

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Thousands of years before European settlers arrived in Western North Carolina, the Cherokee lived and thrived in these mountains. At one point, the Cherokee—or Ani’-Yun’wiya, translated as “the real people”—occupied about 140,000 square miles of Southern Appalachia.

No tour guides offer a time-machine trip back to those days, but visitors can still gain a glimpse of that bygone era—and listen to the powerful voices of a Native people—with a visit to Cherokee, about an hour’s drive west of Asheville.While some visitors gravitate toward Harrah’s Cherokee Casino, which offers gambling and a regular lineup of well-known music and comedy acts, the city also offers the Museum of the Cherokee People, as well as the popular Oconaluftee Indian Village, a living history museum that features a replica of an 18th-century Cherokee community, with live demos and events.

Coupled with its restaurants and cafes, and stunning nearby hikes, Cherokee is a fantastic day trip for all ages and attracts about 4 million visitors per year.

Oconaluftee Indian Village, Cherokee.

SHARING STORIES

The town of Cherokee is the modern-day capital of the Eastern Band of Cherokee, located within the Qualla Boundary and about seven miles from the “mother town” of Kituwah, a sacred site considered the birthplace of the tribe.

A good place to start your visit to Cherokee is at the Museum of the Cherokee People. Founded in 1948, this museum is one of the country’s longest-operating tribal museums. Newly renovated, it offers exhibitions, artifacts, programs and a museum store.

As oral history is integral to Cherokee culture, you’ll also find workshops on storytelling led by tribal luminaries. “Before written word, our voices shared experiences, likes and dislikes, memories, and connection,” says Nola, one of the lead Atsila Anotasgi Cultural Specialists at the museum, who only goes by a first name. “There is nothing like hearing a story from someone who remembers it like yesterday.”

The deeply held value of storytelling is reflected at Oconaluftee Island Park every Saturday night, from June until September, at the Bonfire Storytelling Series. No two nights are alike: Some events feature music and dance, while others focus on myth.

Oconaluftee Island Park is maintained by Cherokee Historical Association, which also operates Oconaluftee Indian Village, providing immersive experiences into Cherokee village life, social dance, and demonstrations of revered crafts like basketry or beadwork.

The association also hosts “Unto These Hills,” the third-longest-running outdoor drama in the United States. Set in the scenic Mountain Theater and played to consistently positive reviews, “Unto these Hills” depicts the forcible removal of the Cherokee people from their ancestral land on the 1838 Trail of Tears, and subsequent triumph of the Native spirit.

A woman weaving a basket at Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual.

THE GREAT OUTDOORS

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the country’s most-visited national park and Cherokee sits along its southern gateway. The Smokies need little introduction. Roaring rivers? Check. Otherworldly vistas? Yep. Miles of unspoiled hiking and biking trails? You’re in luck.

At Oconaluftee Visitor Center, you’ll find trail maps and first-hand advice from park rangers about how to make the most of your time outdoors.

Our suggestion: Start with waterfalls. At 120 feet, Mingo Falls, located within the Qualla Boundary, is one of the tallest in Southern Appalachia, requiring 161 arduous vertical steps but well worth the effort.

Equally tall but easygoing is Soco Falls. After enduring damage from Hurricane Helene, its access area was rebuilt to include picnic tables, ADA-accessible parking and viewing, and safer waterfall access.

You’ll find no shortage of hiking options, whether you seek a casual ramble on the flat, three-mile Oconaluftee River Trail, which wends through downtown Cherokee, or a climb up nearby Waterrock Knob for unparalleled views.

Seeking a light walk with a dose of Cherokee mythology? Within Nantahala National Forest, Judaculla Rock offers one of the most elaborate petroglyphs in the eastern United

States. On the Blue Ridge Parkway, check out Devil’s Courthouse, where the same slant-eyed giant beast Judaculla is said to have dwelled and danced.