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  • PAST EVENT: Monday, Oct 23rd @ 4pm

Smoky Mountain Elk Tour

Take a wildlife safari and visit a ghost town in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Quick Details

Tour time: Tour starts at 4 pm at our storefront at 1 River Arts Place, Asheville, NC 28801. This is located in the River Arts District. We plan to return to Asheville around 8 pm.

Difficulty: Easy walk between historic structures

Recommended clothing: Dress in layers for this tour as it gets chilly in evening

Guides: Jenny Gruhn and Ian McLaughlin

Tips: Never required but always appreciated!

Join us on our Free Community Tour to view elk in the Smoky Mountains.

Jenny Gruhn, PhD, owner of Asheville Hiking Tours, and Ian McLaughlin, historian and storyteller extraordinaire, will take you on a biology and history adventure into the Great Smoky Mountains! This tour highlights both the impressive wildlife and intriguing backstory of Cataloochee Valley. Discover the famous “elk rut” when bull elk claim their harem before winter. Cross a scenic footbridge to a historic home, view additional structures once alive in a thriving community, and learn about an earlier way of rural life.

This is an evening tour that lasts about 4 hours. The drive from Asheville to the elk is approximately 50 minutes (with the last 25 minutes being a scenic, winding road). On this community tour, guests will have the option to carpool together to Cataloochee.