Salamanderin' in Smoky Mountain National Park

Smoky Mountain National Park is a place of great beauty. Large amounts of rainfall in Tennessee and miles of mountains mean there are plenty of waterfalls to discover. We went on hikes to see Cataract Falls and Grotto Falls. The auto tours through Roaring Fork and Cades Cove are both naturally beautiful and historically interesting.

Wildlife is also abundant in this area. This national park is one of the largest wilderness areas in the East. Over 66 species of mammals, 200 varieties of birds, 50 native fish species and 80 types of reptiles and amphibians call Smoky Mountain National Park their home. The American Black Bear is probably the most famous resident of the park, but white tail deer, groundhogs, chipmunks, squirrels and bats are the most commonly seen.

Great Smoky Mountain National Park has been called the "Salamander Capital of the World." Over 30 salamander species in five families live here, making this one of the most diverse areas on earth for salamanders. We spent a considerable amount of time learning about these intriguing little creatures and learned how to search for them, a hobby called salamandering.

Quick Tips:

Do: Bring good walking shoes. The paths are old and unpaved. You will need to cross streams and walk over rocky paths for the most common hikes.
Don't: Put off going on a hike during the summer because you think it is too hot. While it might be in the 90s in town, once you get near the shaded forest and cool streams of the mountains, the temperature is usually quite comfortable.
Do: Pack a lunch! There are many scenic places atop the mountains or near a creek where you can sit down and eat a picnic lunch, which is a wonderful change from going to another restaurant.
Do: Take a moment to watch a 20-minute movie at the Sugarlands Visitor Center. It will describe the history of the park and the Trail of Tears.
Do: Note that there are two peak seasons in the Smokies, mid-summer and the entire month of October. If you visit the park during those times, expect traffic delays and crowded trails.
Don't: Forget water safety. Serious water-related injuries occur every year in the park. Remember, water is shallow and the moss-covered rocks are very slippery.

Best Way To Get Around:

Getting There: You can access the park from either the Tennessee or North Carolina side. Gatlinburg is the "Gateway to the Smokies" in Tennessee. There is a trolley that will take you to the Sugarlands Visitor Center from Pigeon Forge, but I suggest you plan on having a car to explore the park.

Getting Around: The great sights to see are spread a good distance apart, so you will need to drive. You can leave your car at the trail parking lots before beginning a hike. Some places are also bikeable. Cades Cove is closed off from vehicles a few times during the week to open the road up to bikers.

While most big parks charge per vehicle, Smoky Mountain National Park is completely free. Some of the drives offer booklets for which they ask for a donation. There are a few places around the park where you can donate money.

I’m surprised Cataract Falls isn’t a more popular hike. When we went to the Sugarlands Visitor Center, we asked a ranger if he could recommend a place where we could go swimming. I had seen some "swimming holes" on the map, so I assumed he could pick a good one for us. He informed us that the park rangers cannot recommend swimming anywhere because it is too dangerous. Also, on that day, there had been a horrible accident on the main road over to Cades Cove, so he didn’t recommend going anywhere in that direction. Instead, he recommended walking over to nearby Cataract Falls, and he mentioned that sometimes people "do or do not" go down in the river and splash around a bit.

After watching the 20-minute film at the Visitor Center about Smoky Mountain National Park, we followed the hand-drawn map the ranger gave us around the back of the Visitor Center, through the employee parking lot, across the bridge, and into the forest. After a few minutes we found a nice place where we could go down into the river. This was the first hike of our trip and the first time we had made it into the river. We showed the kids how to walk across the rocks, paying attention to the slipperiness of the moss. The river was cold but felt very refreshing. Another couple, all dressed up, passed us as we splashed around. We put our shoes back on to continue the hike.

In about ten steps we could hear the waterfall. In a few more steps we could see that the couple that had passed us a few minutes ago was getting married right in front of the waterfall. We turned back around without seeing the falls and went back down to the river. We found a large rock there where we sat down and had lunch. At this point we began our quest, searching for salamanders, but didn’t know what to look for, so we didn’t find any. We did find some neat bugs that seemed to walk on top of the water, though. The now-married couple walked back past us, so we got out of the river and went over to the falls. This was the first waterfall we had ever seen so close, and we were impressed. It seemed to be about 40 feet high, and water streamed down in a narrow drop. I had plenty of time to set up my tripod and take a few pictures before another couple of hikers joined us. We moved out of the way and let them take their pictures. Later we noticed they lunched in the same place we had. We spent about 15 more minutes at the falls, us climbing around to get pictures while the kids looked for bugs and salamanders. Only one other person stopped by the falls. It was a great hike to start off the trip.

We found the hike to Sutton Ridge Overlook in the "Day and Overnight Hikes in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park" book a friend of mine lent me before our trip. It was described as an off-the-beaten-path hike that leads to a great view. This hike is 3.0 miles round trip and we went with two children, ages 8 and 10.

Just coming for our hike at Cataract Falls, we anticipated another beautiful hike. We drove to Cosby Campgrounds and hit the trails. Unfortunately, the first thirty minutes of the hike we had to deal with an excessive amount of bugs. They were all small like gnats, but they were swarming around us. We could deal with it okay, but the kids really hated it. We learned that if we fanned ourselves with the guide books that would keep the bugs away. Of course we got them in our eyes and up our noses all the same.

As the hike starts you are high above a stream. Walk along this path and you will come to a narrow foot bridge. Walk across the bridge one person at a time. The bridge is over a rushing stream and the kids wandered down into it and splashed about a bit. There were a few more streams we crossed, some with foot bridges and some without. Eventually we followed the trail up into the mountain and walked into the forest, away from the streams. On this hike we actually did hike up an entire mountain. On the way we were looking all over for black bears. The only people we passed said they saw a mother and two cubs high up in the trees. We had just past the area where they saw them earlier and we missed them. While we never saw any black bears on this hike, we did see plenty of snails. They were big huge snails and very interesting to us because we are not accustomed to seeing them.

At the end of the long hike we got to the top and were a bit disappointed. We expected a spectacular view. We did see Gabes Mountain, but we honestly had a better view of the mountain range from our cabin. One other couple joined us at the top and they were the only other people we saw the entire hike. After a few pictures we began our descent down the mountain, stopping to look at snails and splash around in the streams.

Our hike down the mountain was at about 6:00 p.m. and the sunlight streamed through the high forest trees creating a wonderful scene. At the bottom we saw several people fishing in the stream and found out later that it is a brook trout stream. There were many people around back down at the bottom of the mountain by this time.

I recommend this hike to anyone who wants a good hike but doesn’t want to go on all the over-crowded trails throughout the park.

Cades Cove is one of those "must do’s" that are associated with Smoky Mountain National Park. A "cove" is a flat valley between mountains. Cades Cove is just such a place on the west side of the park, showcasing some of the most inspiring natural and cultural treasures that the southern Appalachian Mountains have to offer.

You visit Cades Cove by taking a "tour." Most people drive the 11-mile loop in their car, stopping at interesting places, but a hayride is available a few times a week. The best time to visit is an hour or so before sunset. During the summer, you should get there at about 6pm. This is when the animals come out to feed, and although Cades Cove is one of the best wildlife-watching spots in the park, dusk is the premium time.

Expect to see wildlife ranging from wild horses and deer to wild turkeys and maybe even black bears. You will also see ruins of a distant time, including churches, graveyards and log cabins. In the late 19th century, Cades Cove was a farming community. At the John Oliver Place, you will hike for ¾ mile to see one of over 70 historic buildings in the park. In this log cabin an entire family lived. Exact arrangements differed from family to family, but usually the parents, infants and daughters slept on the first floor while the sons slept in the loft. His son, Elijah, built the Elijah Oliver Place for his family before the Civil War. During that time, there were more buildings needed for living than in modern days. With no refrigerator or freezer, they needed the springhouse to keep the milk and butter, the smokehouse to store and preserve meat for an entire year, and the corn crib to store enough corn to last until the next harvest. They also needed a barn to shelter their animals. You can see all these buildings at Elijah’s place.

Some of the earliest settlers established the Primitive Baptist Church in 1827, where some of their graves still lie today. A group of Baptists expelled from the Primitive Baptist Church because they favored missionary work formed the Missionary Baptist Church in 1839. The church building visitors may now see was built in 1915 and was used until it closed in 1944. J.D. McCampbell, a blacksmith and a carpenter, built the Methodist Church in 115 days for $115 and served for many years as its minister. Methodists were not as numerous as Baptists in the Cove, but there were enough to get together and establish the church in the 1820s which stood until the current one replaced it in 1902.

Further down the road is the cable mill area, which contains a blacksmith shop, millrace and dam, a cable mill, smokehouse, corn crib, barn, sorghum mill, and the Gregg-Cable House--all wonderfully preserved. Wander through the area and imagine what life in the "cove" must have been like.

It seemed like we were in a rainforest instead of hiking through Smoky Mountain National Park on the way up to Grotto Falls. The path was shaded from all the tall trees and we welcomed the coolness on such a hot day. The leaves on the trees appeared rubbery. They shone from the raindrops that had fallen a few hours before. Guide books state that this is a moderate hike up a gradual incline. We found the hike to be a bit challenging, and the path got to be quite steep in parts. It is a dirt path, not paved, and you will need to climb over tree roots, unstable rocks, and running streams in several places up the trail. This is one of the most popular hikes in all of Smoky Mountain National Park and the trail is crowded. I think this is the reason why you will not likely see too much wildlife.

Once you reach the top however, it will be more beautiful than you possibly could expect. When we saw our first glimpse of the falls in the distance, we noticed a photographer climbing up the side of the mountain. I asked him if he got any good shots. He said the view was great and told me how I could get down there, holding on to a thick tree root on the side. All four of us ended going down and we got to sit right in the lower part of the falls. It was our own private little place for about twenty minutes and it was absolutely beautiful.

We climbed back up onto the path and finished the hike to the top of the falls. Grotto Falls is the only waterfall in the park that you can actually walk behind. Be prepared that it will be crowded at the top and it may be hard to get an unobstructed picture of the falls. We were patient and happened to get there at a lull time and got some great shots.

While we were at the top we met a man who was able to show the kids how to look for salamanders. They were delighted and spent about 45 minutes catching at least 15 salamanders of 6 different types. We could not keep the salamanders so we put them in a jar, looked at them for a bit, and released them. The man had a book he purchased at a shop in the park describing all the different types of salamanders.

The water at the base of the falls was too cold for the kids to swim in, even though there were other kids in there splashing around for a bit. Since we were there for so long we were able to get a great place on the rocks to sit down and eat our lunch. By the time we were done the falls had become very crowded and we began our descent.

Smoky Mountain National Park is home to more than 25 species of salamander. In fact, one species, Jordan’s salamander, is found only in the park. This has helped Smoky Mountain National Park earn the title of "salamander capital of the United States." And it was our quest, a family of four from Chicago, to see some salamanders while visiting the park.

At the first few creeks we visited, we did what any normal person would do: looked down into the water, expecting salamanders to just appear in front of our eyes. We planned to participate in the Salamanderin’ for Kids program at the Sugarlands Visitor Center, but that wasn’t scheduled until Friday, the last day of our trip. On our hike to Grotto Falls we were lucky enough to meet up with a man and woman who work at the Ripley’s Aquarium. They were at the falls doing volunteer work studying salamanders. When I heard them talking, I asked if they could show our 10-year-old where to look for salamanders. He was very helpful and soon the kids were knee-deep in salamanders.

As we discovered, salamanders don’t hang out in the water. They like the dark, damp places near it. Part of the fun of salamandering is wallowing around in streams, creeks, and ditches turning over stones and logs (and, of course, replacing them to their original position) and churning through leaf litter and muck just to find the shy slippery creatures. A number of species of salamanders like to hang out around where water flows over rock outcroppings in the mountains. The combination of water, cool rocks, moss, vegetation and leaf litter makes a fine salamander habitat. And once your eyes become accustomed to picking these cryptic creatures out, it is generally easy to find a few salamanders at almost any damp area. With a small twig you can prod the salamander out from his hiding space. A flashlight could be handy, even in the daytime--it helps focus your eyes.

To us, all the ones the kids found looked to be the same species, but the man from the aquarium had a book that can be purchased in any park store which describes each species of salamander. The key is to look at the color of their bellies and then look for a pattern on their backs.

It is a federal offense to remove any animal from the park, and at this park salamanders are especially sensitive. We caught them and put them in a jar for a few minutes while we looked at them. Then we put them back where we found them and went on to hunt for the next one. We spent about 45 minutes at the top of Grotto Falls and found at least 15 salamanders of about six different species. Once we knew where to look, we found salamanders near all the rivers and creeks we visited for the rest of out trip.

Drive the 5.1-mile loop Roaring Fork Motor Trail in your car. The trail is shaded by the trees and a cool breeze drifts from the Roaring Fork River nearby. Straight through, the drive time is approximately 45 minutes, but this does not allow for stopping and enjoying the many historical homesteads, mill, and overlooks. The trail mainly follows Roaring Fork River, a classic mountain stream. Upon entering, you will immediately be surrounded by butterflies flying past your car, and you begin to hear the sound of the running stream while you pass logs covered with moss on your drive into the shaded forest.

The first major stop on the trail is Grotto Falls, a spectacular waterfall. The Trillium Gap Trail begins at the parking lot for the falls and ends on top of Mt. Le Conte. After a 1.3-mile hike through a virgin forest of hemlock trees you will discover Grotto Falls. You may continue climbing another 4 miles, rising up about 3,400 feet to the summit of Mt. Le Conte.

In addition to the magnificent waterfall, you will also have the opportunity to see several historic buildings as you continue down Roaring Fork Motor Trail. Nine children were raised in the small two-room cabin of Ephraim and Minerva Bales. Here you can walk throughout their farm and imagine trying to feed, clothe and shelter a family on a real mountainside. Their cabin has a living area and a kitchen. The only window is in the kitchen and looks out on the family pantry--the corn crib. They kept their rifle hanging over the window in case they heard the shutter squeak on the corn crib, which meant someone was trying to get at their food. Walk in back of the property to see the spring house, built right over the running river to keep the food inside cool.

Down the road you will come to the Alfred Reagan Place. Reagan was also a farmer, but he was also a businessman and a jack-of-all-trades. He built a blacksmith shop beside the creek, built a store which his son ran, and even built a mill and charged one gallon per bushel in toll for grinding people’s meal.

Keep your eye out for the "Place of a Thousand Drips" near the end of the trail. You may just drive past it if you are not looking for it. This place is an interesting waterfall that trickles down the side of the bedrock in various places. This is actually our favorite place on the trail. The kids and their father actually climbed up the waterfall. It is a pretty tricky hike and I don’t recommend it, but they are very proud of themselves for accomplishing such a feat.