No, this Methodist church isn't turning its back on Cataloochee Rd. Built in 1898, it faces the old road that once ran through the valley. Circuit-riding preachers visited the chapel one Sunday per month. Today the bright-white church hosts the annual Cataloochee Reunion, when old timers and the descendants of valley families gather to share memories and news. The reunion was held for the 80th time in 2017, and shows no signs of slowing down.
Palmer Chapel
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
21.34 MILES
The story of the Smoky Mountains began in primordial times when clashing supersized continents created a chain of mountains that are today among the…
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29.6 MILES
On April 15, 1912, the steamship Titanic sank on her maiden voyage after colliding with an iceberg. The ship's history and the stories of many of her…
18.53 MILES
Mt LeConte (6593ft) is the park’s third-highest peak and one of its most familiar sights, visible from practically every viewpoint. The only way to get to…
15.23 MILES
This remarkable modern museum traces Cherokee history from their Paleo-Indian roots onwards. Its villain is the perfidious Andrew Jackson, who made his…
22.35 MILES
‘On top of Old Smoky’ is Clingmans Dome (elevation 6643ft), the park’s highest peak. At the summit, a steep, half-mile paved trail leads to an observation…
13.47 MILES
One of the park's most picturesque 19th-century buildings, the Mingus Mill is a turbine-powered mill that still grinds wheat and corn much as it has since…
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23.41 MILES
A 'chondola' whisks visitors from downtown Gatlinburg to this playground in the sky, where views of the Great Smokies are superb. Once atop Anakeesta…
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28.32 MILES
For a totally exhilarating stop on a journey along the Blue Ridge Parkway, stop off and strip down at Sliding Rock, 7 miles off the parkway. Propelled…
Nearby Great Smoky Mountains National Park attractions
0.23 MILES
This 1901 schoolhouse is the one of only three valley schoolhouses still standing. Inside you'll find rows of old desks and a blackboard. School was…
0.56 MILES
With its weatherboarding, interior paneling and shingled gables, as well as its white exterior and jaunty blue trim, this frame house, built in 1906,…
1.89 MILES
The yellow Palmer House is a 'dog-trot' house, meaning it consists of two separate log cabins sitting side by side with a covered breezeway between them…
9.88 MILES
This restored stone fire tower provides 360-degree views over the ridges and valleys in the eastern half of the Smokies. It's a lovely site, reachable by…
13.47 MILES
One of the park's most picturesque 19th-century buildings, the Mingus Mill is a turbine-powered mill that still grinds wheat and corn much as it has since…
13.52 MILES
Adjacent to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center, this excellent collection of historic buildings evokes life on a typical farmstead of the late 19th century…
7. Museum of the Cherokee Indian
15.23 MILES
This remarkable modern museum traces Cherokee history from their Paleo-Indian roots onwards. Its villain is the perfidious Andrew Jackson, who made his…
17.8 MILES
This two-tiered stone-walled structure overlooking two states commemorates the $5 million contribution John D Rockefeller Jr made to help make the…