Cataloochee Elk

Great Smokey Mountains

10 Main Street

Bryson City, NC 28713

https://www.greatsmokies.com/elk-watching/

Oconaluftee Visitors Center

• wildlife viewing

• picnicking

• hiking

• camping

• back-country camping with permit

• historical buildings to view

• excellent visitors center with lots of selection

Directions

About 52 miles from downtown, allow 1.5 hours to travel. Take I-40 West to Exit 27. Follow US Highway 74 to Cherokee and follow Highway 441 North. ​Street address: 1194 Newfound Gap Rd, Cherokee, NC 28719

elk

black bear

Wonderful place to view wildlife near Cherokee, NC.

Winter: Elk wear a two-layer coat during the colder months. Long guard hairs on the top repel water and a soft, woolly underfur keeps them warm. Elk may move from the high country to valleys to feed.

Spring: Most elk shed their antlers in March. The antlers, which are rich in calcium, are quickly eaten by rodents and other animals.

Summer: Most calves are born in early June. Male elk roll in mud wallows to keep cool and avoid insect pests.

Fall: The elk's fall breeding season is known as the rut (begins mid-September). Even if the elk are not present, people are not allowed to walk into the fields. During the rut, male elk make bugling calls to challenge other bulls and attract cows. Dominant bulls use the fields to gather and breed with harems of up to 20 cows. Bull elk actively defend their territory by charging and sparring with competitors using their antlers to intimidate and spar with other males. Encroaching too close may lead a bull to perceive you or your vehicle as a threat causing them to charge.