When we booked a night at the Cherokee/Great Smokies KOA, we weren’t expecting to find a bamboo forest! But that is what we found in town as we drove by in the dark on our way to the campground. We marked it down as a Cherokee North Carolina hidden gem and decided to take a closer look in the daylight the next day. What we found completely blew us away and became the trip's highlight.
Oconaluftee Island Park is where you will find the marvelous wonder. This is the coolest of all of the parks in Cherokee because not only is it located on a small plot of land in the middle of a river, but this island houses a bamboo forest!
This small mountain town has a massive cultural connection to the Cherokee people and it was fun to immerse ourselves in the history. Out of all the attractions and places to see I think that this bamboo forest was one of the most unique things to do in Cherokee.
The towering shoots were really impressive and there is a small path where you can walk among them. The thick forest darkened the sun as you traveled through.
I felt like a kid again lost in awe-struck wonder as I looked up and saw the plants soar at least fifty feet above my head. My girls had a lot of fun just weaving in and out of different sections and making their own paths.
The trickling river was always present and offered a soothing soundtrack to our travels. This was the only sense of normality I felt while in the bamboo forest. From the moment I stepped into this bamboo wonderland I felt like I was swept away to a jungle in Asia and wouldn’t be surprised to see a panda roaming by. Once I looked at the river it reminded me I was still in the Appalachian region and reminded me I was still home.
The joy I felt inside the bamboo forest was not at all exaggerated, it became the highlight of our trip and we even spent some time in the Great Smoky Mountains, which is my favorite national park.
This small island park has paved walkways and plenty of places to enjoy the water, but to me, the bamboo forest was so unique and awe-inspiring it made the whole trip well worth it.
Have you ever heard of this Cherokee North Carolina hidden gem before? This is why I love to travel, we were not planning on visiting this spot but sometimes when you explore a new area you discover unique things like this. We are always on the lookout when we are out and the allure of places like this bamboo forest will keep me searching for a lifetime. I would recommend taking a trip to this little town and if you would like to learn more please visit the Cherokee town website.
Also located in the town is the Museum of the Cherokee People, this is a great spot to learn more about the fantastic history of the people and land in this little town. If you do find yourself in the park then the Oconaluftee visitor center is a great place to see elk and explore an old historical village.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Get the latest updates and news
Thank you for subscribing!
