Historically, the Smoky Mountains were remote, but not a wilderness. People settled throughout the mountains, especially in places like Cades Cove, Cataloochie, Greenbriar and Proctor. Though a few stands of virgin forest remain, almost all of the Smokies have been logged.

Most signs of human habitation have been eliminated, but you can still come across a number of cemetaries and house foundations in the mountains, as well as old railroad beds and roads from logging operations.

Some of the old buildings were moved to Cades Cove, which is maintained in its historic form, as an open grassy field, through continued cattle grazing. The loop road is popular for moonlight bike rides and walks when there is a full moon.

At the Old Timers' Days in Cades Cove, former residents, relatives, and others gather and play music and dance. Historic demonstrations, including Sorghum molasses making, are held here occasionally, and also at Oconoluftee.

Cades Cove is not the only place in the park with old buildings. Cataloochie Cove, in North Carolina, is similar to Cades Cove, but smaller and much more remote. Little Cataloochie, across the ridge, can be reached only by foot or horseback. A church and cemetary, which are still used on occasion, can be found there, along with a cabin and some ruins of other buildings.

The building of Fontana Dam on the North Carolina side of the park buried a lot of other old towns. We had a canoe trip there once when the dam was low to try to find ruins, but didn't see any. The town of Proctor, on the park side of Fontana Lake, was cut off by the lake and incorporated into the park. This town was quite large, but most signs of it have been eliminated. Ruins of an old factory remain, along with a few other structures. The site can be reached by a long hike, or by boat across the lake.

Another historic feature of the Smokies is the high balds, whose origin is not completely known. These balds were used for grazing, and would grow over if not actively maintained for their scenic and historic value.

Great Smoky Mountains