They may be fun to learn, but these forbidden places in the Smoky Mountains are off-limits for visitors

I’ve been told over my 30 or so years living around the mountains of places I shouldn’t go. There are places that for a variety of reasons aren’t safe or aren’t welcoming. But in the Smokies, few places are forbidden or off limits. Verboten places as they like to say in Sweden. (Yes, I know that’s actually German). In this article, we’ll discuss three such locations in the mountains. 

1. Gregory’s Cave

Not too far from the John Oliver Cabin on Cades Cove Loop Road is one of the better-kept secrets in the park, Gregory’s Cave. But it’s off-limits to anyone without the express permission of the National Park Service. It’s usually limited to scientific exploration. 

The cave had several different uses in the days before the National Park. It may have been used for saltpeter mining in the early 1800s. It’s not rare for significant caves to be found in the region. In fact, outside of the park, multiple commercial caverns certainly welcome tourists. And that’s what the Gregory family developed the cave into. It opened as a commercial cave in 1925 with wooden walkways and electric lights. It cost tourists 50 cents each to tour the cave, but the kids were free. 

The operation remained until 1935 when the Gregory property was sold for the National Park. The Matriarch – Elvira Gregory lived on the land until she died in 1943. 

Why is the cave forbidden?

Safety, first of all. The last thing the National Park Service needs is a bunch of amateur spelunkers lost underground in the mountains. Of course, some would say that’s the entrance to a secret underground city. We try hard not to listen to those people. If you go down into the mouth of the cave, you’ll see a pretty substantial gate blocking further access. Do not cross that gate.  

2. Dolly Parton’s childhood home

Dolly Parton is famous for giving of herself. But this is one part of her past, her history that she does not share with the public. Or at least, she’s come up with a compromise. For those curious fans who want to know what Dolly’s childhood was like, there’s a replica inside Dollywood. It’s a gift from Dolly to her fans. It’s a window into what her life in the mountains was like. 

But the real thing? That part the fourth of Avie Lee and Robert Parton’s children keeps away from the public eye. The real thing is up on Locust Ridge. But it didn’t always stay in the family. Practical mountain folks, Dolly’s parents sold the old home when they no longer needed it. But when Dolly became famous and wealthy, she bought it back. It had gone through some remodels and additions, so she paid to have it returned to its 1950s status. She joked she paid millions to make it look as poor as it did when she was a child. 

Why is it forbidden?

This is the part of Dolly that she’s chosen to protect from the world. Trespassers are not welcome on the property. A tall fence surrounds it. Do not cross that fence. Dolly still has family members nearby and they are rightfully protective of her property. 

3. The House of Fairies 

In the years before the national park, the Smokies became something of a playground for the wealthy and elite. The House of Fairies began life as a stone springhouse on a 38-acre mountain retreat developed by Louis Voorhies. Voorhies, a Yale graduate and entrepreneur from Cincinnati, bought more than 100 acres of land where he built his mountain paradise. From 1928 to 1944, Voorheis employed a variety of craftspeople and workers to build and maintain the elaborate estate. 

In 1933, he worked out a plan with the National Park Service to donate the property. That plan allowed him to stay until he died in 1944. Over the years, the National Park Service has kept up some of the buildings for administrative purposes. Park officials even lived there for quite some time. But many of the landscape features are not being kept up. The mountains are being allowed to reclaim the territory slowly. The House of Fairies is in the process of being reclaimed – which leads to its fanciful nickname. 

Why is it forbidden?

Strictly speaking, it’s not. However, we believe visiting the old springhouse and maybe the Voorheis estate is now frowned upon. Last month, park officials began reaching out to blogs like ours and requested that anything with directions to the House of Fairies be removed. The Voorheis estate is in an administrative area that is for official business only. Also, we’re told the structure itself and the vegetation around it are sensitive. Simply put, they don’t want visitors there. 

However, last time we checked, there was a sign on the property with directions to the House of Fairies. Also, a quick search of the NPS website reveals the specific locations of the estate as well as maps featuring the spring house. If it is off-limits, the messages are somewhat mixed.

In general, the Smokies and the surrounding areas are welcoming to visitors from around the world. However, there are places for various reasons – like safety, privacy or sensitive vegetation – that are off-limits. While the forbidden nature of these places may prove alluring, it’s best for all involved if we are respectful. It’s best if we all understand the bigger picture.  

Read More…

Why These 9 Popular Activities Are Now Banned in the Smoky Mountains

Local lists bans across the National Park that you should know

There’s a feeling that you get when you are deep in the Smoky Mountains, far from civilization and cell phone service. It’s a freedom, a connection to life before we were quite so linked to an interconnected society. But that freedom isn’t unlimited. There are rules to keep us and others safe, to protect the park for future generations and to protect the wildlife within. And so, in this article, I will discuss a few verboten things – banned in the Great Smoky Mountains.

After all, the National Park Service is tasked with protecting public safety but also protecting the National Park. The reasons for some bans are self-evident (don’t feed the wildlife) while others are a little more obscure (we can’t honk in the tunnel anymore). So without further ado, let’s look at the following things that have been banned in The Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

When you’re visiting the Smoky Mountains, it may feel like you’re in the wilderness. However, there are rules that were put in place for a reason. Many of these bans are in place to protect wildlife, other visitors and the park itself. Some bans are intuitive, like not disturbing the wildlife. Other bans are more confusing, like honking in tunnels.

1. Commercial filming

Next time you take out your camera to capture the running waters of a Smoky Mountain waterfall, make sure that it’s strictly for personal use. YouTube and Tik Tok stars have been fined for filming in national parks, as filming for any monetary gain is banned. National Parks are areas for public use that are protected by the government, so rules are being put in place to protect the area – and its visitors – from any potentially ditsracting behavior. However, the viewpoint is often debated, with court cases being appealed and overturned. Basically, it’s complicated. But current guidance from the National Park Service states that:

“Under federal law, all commercial filming that occurs within a unit of the National Park System requires a permit.”

National Park Service

2. Regular firewood 

My family heated the house with a wood-burning stove when I was a kid. Therefore, I grew up to be an accomplished wood splitter. For camping trips, while others would buy wood from the nearest camp store, I’d bring my own freshly chopped from home. The NPS does not allow that, however. No matter how proficient you are with an axe or sledgehammer and wedge, you can’t bring firewood you chopped anywhere. In other words, only heat-treated firewood that is bundled and certified by a Department of Agriculture – state or federal – may be brought to the park.

But why? My friends, meet the Emerald Ash Borer, an invasive species of beetle from Northeast Asia that has been decimating the Smokies’ Ash forests. The borer and other destructive pests like to hide in firewood. Even if you’re camping outside the National Park, you shouldn’t bring firewood from other regions. Buy locally and help save the forest.

3. Honking in the tunnel between Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge 

There’s a tunnel – if you’re Pigeon Forge bound from Gatlinburg on the road known as the Spur. We’d driven through it for years – decades, even. Usually when going through we honk. It’s just a bit of a family tradition. It perks up the kids and is just a goofy break on a road trip.

But not long ago, the National Park Service put up temporary no-honking signs while construction workers were on site, which was fair. I wouldn’t want to work in a tunnel all day with car after car honking horns. When workers left, the signs stayed. Then they were replaced by more permanent signs. Honking – at least in that tunnel – is now strictly against the rules. It’s banned. Why? Over the years, more residential developments have been built close to the tunnel. It seems the residents don’t much care for all that honking, and the ban stayed in place. Is honking banned in all the tunnels in the Smokies? It seems just that one.

4. Drones and other unmanned aircraft

Did you know it’s against the rules to operate a drone or other unmanned aircraft in the National Park? I didn’t either. Of course, I don’t have a drone, so it wasn’t really on my radar. Why are they banned? Well, on the one hand, you could get some cool photos and footage in the National Park, especially with a high-quality drone. On the other hand, drones can be noisy and disruptive to both people and wildlife. There are also some indications that drones can pose a safety risk to other visitors and park officials. Special permits are available, but they can be hard to obtain. Also, the ban is enforceable even if you launch from outside the park if your drone disturbs park wildlife, creates a nuisance or crashes into National Park land.

5. Dogs and other pets (in most areas)

This isn’t a parkwide ban. Dogs and pets are permitted in many places in the park. You may have your dog in campgrounds, picnic areas and along the roads but they must always be on a leash. Dogs are banned from almost all trails in the Great Smoky Mountains except for the Gatlinburg Trail and the Oconaluftee Trail – which are more walking paths than true trails. Dogs are banned from all the rest of the park’s trails.

Pets, you see, can be disruptive to wildlife in the park, either by chasing or threatening creatures or by leaving a scent that would signal the presence of a predator. Pets can also become food for the park’s real predators like coyotes or bears. The NPS also indicates that dogs in strange places tend to bark and can disturb other visitors’ experiences. Finally, some people are afraid of dogs and the Park Service wishes to provide them with access to the park without having to worry about being confronted by their dogs.

6. Metal and mineral detectors

This one seems self-evident to me. I can’t imagine people would think it was OK to go around detecting and digging stuff up in the park. Truthfully, there are probably some pretty good artifacts in places like Cades Cove. But people don’t come from hundreds of miles away to watch a handful of dudes sweeping their way across the Oliver Cabin Homestead.

7. Disturbing the wildlife

I already mentioned feeding the wildlife, but disturbing the wildlife is a bad move as well. A couple of months ago, my family and I were in the Cove and watched as two dudes got out of their cars and marched off into a field to determine whether the deer gathered there were deer or fox. They were deer. They ran the animals off and ruined the experience for dozens of others who’d gathered to watch the wildlife.

I’m sure officials would tell you they also disturbed the deer – which they did – but I feel comfortable that the deer moved on. There have been, however, many wildlife encounters that have proven destructive or even deadly to the park’s real inhabitants. Keep your distance and keep yourself and the animals safe.

8. Fireworks

The reasoning behind this one may seem obvious. But using your own fireworks in any National Park, national forest or wildlife refuge is not allowed. They are a nuisance to humans and willfelife and could potentially be a fire hazard.

9. Rod Run ban on parking cars along the Parkway

The Rod Run ban is an enforcement of a regulation that’s been on the books between the state and the city since 2016 at least. Essentially, the state owns the land and leases it to the city which leases it to the businesses. The agreement between the state and the city bans parking cars in the spots along the road for advertising. The sub-leased agreements between the city and the businesses had omitted that regulation. As a result, Tennessee officials asked the city to update the sublease. The ban would not hurt the official Rod Run because it’s all inside the LeConte Center space. Enforcement of the ordinance may even drive commerce into the official venue.

At the end of the day, we live in a society. Things tend to run better if we all obey the rules – even the ones we find a little silly or overblown. Even when we’re out, free in the wilderness of the Smokies, it is incumbent upon us to live by the rules, maybe especially then. We are stewards, after all, who have been gifted these wonderful, magic mountains and it’s our job to share them with our peers and protect them for future generations.

Are you planning a trip to the Smoky Mountains? Be sure to check out our coupons page for area promos.

Have a question or comment about something in this article? Contact our staff here. You may also contact our editorial team at [email protected].