The Great Smoky Mountains is a national park located in North Carolina and Tennessee, encompassing 800 square miles of which 95 percent are forested. World renowned for the diversity of its plant and animal resources, the beauty of its ancient mountains, the quality of its remnants of Southern Appalachian mountain culture, and the depth and integrity of the wilderness sanctuary within its boundaries, it is one of the largest protected areas in the east. Part of the park, visit Cataloochee Valley and see the reintroduced elk population and an old settlers’ village.

Maggie Valley, appropriately, was named after a child - the young daughter of the community's first postmaster. Today, it's still a perfect place for children and families. Maggie Valley is a nearly linear town settled right along Soco Road (U.S. 19), the pretty drive that winds right up the valley, climbing up to incredible views in the mountains just above town - some of the most photographed views in the Smokies.