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96-659: The trailhead is located at Fighting Creek Gap along Little River Road, between Gatlinburg and Elkmont. The trail's terminus is located just off Clingmans Dome Road, where the trail intersects the Appalachian Trail . Sugarland Mountain is a ridge that consists of a series knobs and peaks, each increasing in elevation as the mountain approaches its junction with the main Smokies crest. The northernmost knobs, which overlook Fighting Creek Gap and Mids Gap, have elevations of around 3,000 feet (910 m). Beyond Huskey Gap,

192-411: A cabin, barn, and tub mill that were once part of the homestead of Noah "Bud" Ogle (1863–1913). The cabin is a "saddlebag" cabin, a design in which two cabins are built around the same chimney, with both cabins consisting of one story and loft. Ogle's barn is the last remaining four-pen barn in the park, consisting of four 11 feet (3.4 m) by 11 feet (3.4 m) pens. Ogle's tub mill, one of

288-474: A great frog squatting in the gap, but when the people who came to see it were frightened like the others and ran away from the monster he mocked at them for being afraid of a frog and went on to the next gap. The first European settlers arrived in the area around 1800, settling in the vicinity of what would eventually become Gatlinburg . Richard Reagan and William "Black Bill" Ogle—children of these early settlers—farmed land along Mill Creek (now LeConte Creek) in

384-512: A house to take them in for the night but returned to North Carolina empty-handed. While moonshining no doubt occurred, Kephart's account is probably exaggerated. Gladys Trentham Russell, who grew up in the Fighting Creek area, estimated that less than 20% of mountain families ever engaged in the practice. Those who consumed moonshine often did so for medicinal purposes. Russell did acknowledge, however, that "bootleggers" and "bad men" made

480-529: A narrow ridge that branches off the southeastern slope of Sugarland Mountain, opposite the Rough Creek headwaters. Sugarland Mountain's various knobs and peaks are typically connected by narrow "backbone" ridges, some of which are just a few feet wide. The relatively broad Huskey Gap— between the mountain's northern peak and its lower northern knobs— is the exception. Several mountain streams have their sources high on slopes of Sugarland Mountain. Streams on

576-495: A privately funded public transit system, caters to area tourists. The Gatlinburg SkyLift takes visitors up 1,800 feet (550 m) to the top of Crockett Mountain, to the longest footbridge in the US which spans two mountains. Ober Mountain is the only ski resort in the state. It has eight ski trails, three chair lifts, and a wildlife encounter area and is accessible by road or aerial tramway. Originally known as Ober Gatlinburg, it

672-469: A quasi-factual account of a North Carolina deputy's raid into the Sugarlands to find three fugitives. Kephart describes a cornfield planted on a slope "so steep that it must have been dug with mattocks and hoed on hands and knees." The residents, while polite, seemed very suspicious of the outsiders, offering no information on the three fugitives and refusing overnight lodging. The party eventually found

768-615: A reality. Andrew Huff spearheaded the movement in the Gatlinburg area, and he opened the first hotel in Gatlinburg – the Mountain View Hotel – in 1916. His son, Jack, established LeConte Lodge atop Mount Le Conte in 1926. In spite of resistance from lumberers at Elkmont and difficulties with the Tennessee legislature, Great Smoky Mountains National Park opened in 1934. The park radically changed Gatlinburg. When

864-442: A remote land that seemed "unearthly in its dreariness and desolation." In "A Raid Into the Sugarlands," Kephart gave a quasi-factual account of a North Carolina deputy's excursion into the Sugarlands to apprehend a fugitive. The deputy and his hodgepodge posse chased the fugitive across Sugarland Mountain to "Barradale's upper logging camp" on Rough Creek, although they failed to locate him. They returned to North Carolina empty-handed

960-501: A small town primarily due to the large volume of tourists that pass through the area annually. Sugarlands The Sugarlands is a valley in Tennessee within the north-central Great Smoky Mountains , located in the southeastern United States . Formerly home to a string of small Appalachian communities, the valley is now the location of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park headquarters and

1056-416: Is a popular vacation resort, as it rests on the border of Great Smoky Mountains National Park along U.S. Route 441 , which connects to Cherokee, North Carolina , on the southeast side of the national park . Prior to incorporation, the town was known as White Oak Flats , or simply White Oak . For centuries, Cherokee hunters, as well as other Native American hunters before them, used a footpath known as

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1152-485: Is approximately 6 miles (9.7 km) to the north, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park (viz. the Sugarlands ) is approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) to the south. TN-73 (Little River Road) forks off from 441 in the Sugarlands and heads west for roughly 25 miles (40 km), connecting the Gatlinburg area with Townsend and Blount County . U.S. Route 321 enters Gatlinburg from Pigeon Forge and Wears Valley to

1248-610: Is now the Huskey Gap Trail. During the tourism boom in subsequent decades, Cole was a much sought-after mountain guide due to his knowledge of the Mount Le Conte area. The "Rock House," as it is locally known, can be found along a moderately difficult and faint footpath extending roughly a half mile off of the Old Sugarlands Trail. This structure is of unknown origin, although it is likely linked to

1344-496: Is typical of Appalachian Trail shelters in the area. 35°35′26″N 83°28′27″W  /  35.5906°N 83.4742°W  / 35.5906; -83.4742 Gatlinburg, Tennessee Gatlinburg is a mountain resort city in Sevier County, Tennessee . It is located 39 miles (63 km) southeast of Knoxville and had a population of 3,944 at the 2010 Census and a U.S. Census population of 3,577 in 2020. It

1440-530: The 2020 United States census , there were 3,577 people, 1,742 households, and 1,012 families residing in the city. As of the 2010 census , Gatlinburg had 3,944 people, 1,681 households, and 1,019 families residing in the city with 5,825 housing units available. The racial makeup of the city was 85.3% White , 0.6% African American , 0.4% American Indian/Alaska Native, 2.8% Asian , 0.0% Pacific Islander , 8.9% from other races , and 1.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race accounted for 15% of

1536-598: The Museum of Salt and Pepper Shakers . Gatlinburg has numbered intersections in the core of the town. The numbers hang from traffic lights or signs and are written on official tourist maps. (A similar idea was tried in Niagara Falls, New York , after the mayor of Niagara Falls visited Gatlinburg and took the idea back to Niagara Falls. The idea was short-lived in New York and was scrapped due to budget issues.) During

1632-622: The Weeks Act to allow for the purchase of land for national forests. Authors such as Horace Kephart and Knoxville-area businesses began advocating for the creation of a national park in the Smokies that would be similar to Yellowstone or Yosemite in the Western United States. With the purchase of 76,000 acres (310 km ) in the Little River Lumber Company tract in 1926, the movement quickly became

1728-540: The last ice age —have carried rocks of various sizes down from boulder fields high up on the surrounding mountain slopes, leaving the valley coated with a bouldery alluvium . Early farmers, having to move these rocks in order plant crops, stacked them up to make crude stone walls, many of which remain today. In Cherokee lore, the Sugarlands was part of the area known as "Walasi'yi", or "Frog place". Walasi'yi included Mount Le Conte and Bull Head, as well as "the ridge extending into Sevier County, Tennessee , between

1824-472: The "Roamin' Man of the Mountains," Oakley's navigational instincts and extensive knowledge of area plant and animal life and oral traditions would later prove invaluable to park service scientists and anthropologists. When various entities began buying up land for the national park in the 1920s and 1930s, most of the inhabitants of the Sugarlands were displaced. Russell recalls: Most folks were happy with

1920-698: The 2003 fire was contained to the building's exterior, with the museum suffering minimal damage, primarily cosmetic. Starting in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park at Chimney Tops in November 2016, a moderately contained wildfire was compounded by very strong winds – with gusts recorded up to 87 miles per hour (140 km/h) – and extremely dry conditions due to drought, causing it to spread down into Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge , Pittman Center , and other nearby areas. It forced mass evacuations, and Governor Bill Haslam ordered

2016-660: The Cherokee— crossed the crest at Indian Gap and descended along Road Prong to the West Fork of the Little Pigeon Valley. The trail then followed the valley northward, where it intersected the Great Indian Warpath near modern Sevierville. This trail was expanded several times by Euro-American settlers throughout the 19th century. While the main road gradually shifted to the lower Newfound Gap ,

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2112-641: The Christmas season, the downtown area is decorated with lights for a "Winterfest Celebration", with a trolley service and shuttle bus available. Because of the ease of obtaining a marriage license in Tennessee, Gatlinburg is a popular destination for weddings and honeymoons. The town is mentioned in the lyrics to the Johnny Cash song A Boy Named Sue , written by Shel Silverstein . The Gatlinburg Convention Center has over 67,000 square feet (6,200 m ) of exhibit space. The Convention Center hosts

2208-773: The Civil War and would hide under a big cliff on Turkey Nest Ridge and watch the Blue Coats ride their horses around the graveyard hill, shooting their cannon toward Burg Hill where the Grey Coats had a fort and would ride their horses around the Burg Hill ;... As the Union forces converged on the town, the outnumbered Confederates were forced to retreat across the Smokies to North Carolina. Confederate forces did not return, although sporadic small raids continued until

2304-704: The Elkmont vicinity in the 1920s. By the time the Great Smoky Mountains Park Commission started buying up tracts of land in the late 1920s for the formation of the national park, the Little River Lumber Company owned the entire western side of Sugarland Mountain and the Champion Fibre Company owned the mountain's southeastern section. Members of the Parton family and Huskey family owned small farms around Huskey Gap and

2400-616: The Huskey Gap Trailhead along Newfound Gap Road follows this road along the river's west bank), but was later moved to the Jim Bales Place along the Roaring Motor Nature Trail a few miles to the east. Like many Sugarlanders, Albert Alexander "Alex" Cole (1870–1958) and his sons worked for the Little River Lumber Company at Elkmont, making a weekly trek across Sugarland Mountain via what

2496-566: The Indian Gap Trail to access the abundant game in the forests and coves of the Smokies. This trail connected the Great Indian Warpath with Rutherford Indian Trace, following the West Fork of the Little Pigeon River from modern-day Sevierville through modern-day Pigeon Forge , Gatlinburg, and the Sugarlands, crossing the crest of the Smokies along the slopes of Mount Collins, and descending into North Carolina along

2592-570: The Little River Trail and Little River, just upstream from Elkmont. The Huskey Gap-to-Rough Creek section of the Sugarland Mountain Trail is characterized by heaths and boulder fields as it winds its way around the western slope of Sugarland Mountain's 4,833-foot (1,473 m) northern peak. This peak comes into clear view as the trail enters its first substantial stand of heath immediately south of Huskey Gap. As

2688-575: The Little River Valley westward to Miry Ridge and Blanket Mountain. Beyond the north peak, the trail traverses its first substantial backbone. Gatlinburg and Newfound Gap Road are visible through the treeline to the east. The Rough Creek-to-Appalachian Trail segment of the Sugarland Mountain Trail is its most rugged and most strenuous. Most of the remainder of the trail consists of sharp ascents over steep ledges alternating with smooth strolls over narrow backbones. Approximately one mile of

2784-612: The Middle and West forks of Little Pigeon River." In the legend "Aganunitsi and the Uktena," the Shawano medicine man, Aganunitsi, in exchange for his freedom, seeks out the great serpent, Uktena , in hopes of snatching a magical jewel from its forehead. After searching the surrounding mountains, Aganunitsi found his way to Walasi'yi: Going still south to Walasi'yi, the Frog place, he found

2880-538: The Mountain View Hotel in 1916. With the arrival of tourism, Sugarlanders found a wider market for their furs and produce. During this period, many Sugarlanders became legendary as mountain guides. Wiley Oakley (1885–1954), the most famous of these guides, lived on the northern slopes of Mount Le Conte in an area known as the Scratch Britches (now traversed by the Rainbow Falls Trail). Known as

2976-507: The National Guard to the area. The center of Gatlinburg's tourist district escaped heavy damage, but the surrounding wooded region was called "the apocalypse" by a fire department lieutenant. Approximately 14,000 people were evacuated that evening, more than 2,400 structures were damaged or destroyed, and damages totaled more than $ 500 million. Fourteen people died in the fires, including local citizens and visiting tourists. Following

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3072-675: The Noah Ogle homestead and the eastern head of the Old Sugarlands Trail. The Noah Ogle Place at the northeastern fringe of the valley, the John Ownby Cabin near the Sugarland Visitor Center, and the Alex Cole Cabin now at Roaring Fork are the last remaining extant building from the valley's pre-park communities. Various stone foundations, chimney falls, and crude rock walls remain scattered throughout

3168-603: The Old Sugarlands Trail, crossing the slopes of Bull Head before intersecting The Boulevard Trail atop Mount Le Conte . The Huskey Gap Trail, with its trailhead along Newfound Gap Road a mile past the visitors center, ascends Sugarland Mountain to the Sugarland Mountain Trail . Both the Boulevard Trail and Sugarland Mountain Trail intersect the Appalachian Trail along the crest of the Smokies to

3264-460: The Pi Beta Phis arrived in 1912, Gatlinburg was a small hamlet with six houses, a blacksmith shop, a general store, a Baptist church, and a greater community of 600 individuals, most of whom lived in log cabins. In 1934, the first year the park was open, an estimated 40,000 visitors passed through the city. Within a year, this number had increased over twelvefold to 500,000. From 1940 to 1950,

3360-489: The Road Prong Trail still follows this ancient road. In the late 19th century, the residents of Little River (now Elkmont) and the Sugarlands built a log schoolhouse at Huskey Gap. To allow easier access to the school, they constructed a crude road along what is now the Huskey Gap Trail. Although the schoolhouse had burned down by 1916, the trail received continued use by Sugarlanders working in logging camps in

3456-471: The Smokies. Andrew Jackson Huff (1878–1949), originally of Greene County , was a pivotal figure in Gatlinburg at this time. Huff erected a sawmill in Gatlinburg in 1900, and local residents began supplementing their income by providing lodging to loggers and other lumber company officials. Tourists also began to trickle into the area, drawn to the Smokies by the writings of authors such as Mary Noailles Murfree and Horace Kephart , who wrote extensively about

3552-492: The Smokies. Andrew Huff had erected a sawmill in Gatlinburg, and the Little River Lumber Company began operating in the upper reaches of Little River by 1908. Many Sugarlanders found employment with the latter in Elkmont , which could be reached on foot by crossing Sugarland Mountain via what is now the Huskey Gap Trail. Bark from trees cut in the Sugarlands was often used for tanning . Poverty plagued much of Appalachia in

3648-521: The Sugarland Mountain Trail is uphill as the trail rises out of Fighting Creek Gap and winds its way around the eastern side of the mountain's northernmost knob. After descending to Mids Gap (an unmarked manway follows Mids Branch to the Elkmont Nature Trail, a mile or so to the west), the trail swings to the western slope of the mountain, where it winds its way up and around a second knob and gradually descends to Huskey Gap. At Huskey Gap,

3744-407: The Sugarland Mountain Trail, which runs north-to-south, intersects the Huskey Gap Trail, which runs roughly east-to-west. The eastern half of the Huskey Gap Trail descends to Newfound Gap Road ( U.S. Route 441 ), and continues as a "Quiet Walkway" to the ruins of the Sugarlands community along the banks of the West Fork of the Little Pigeon River. The western half of the Huskey Gap Trail descends to

3840-580: The Sugarlands Visitor Center. From this intersection, it is approximately 25 miles to Cades Cove in the western Smokies, 22 miles to Newfound Gap , and 34 miles to Cherokee , North Carolina. Gatlinburg is two miles to the north. The Old Sugarlands Trail, which is both a hiking and horse trail, connects the Fighting Creek area along Newfound Gap Road with the Cherokee Orchard area. The Bullhead Trail branches off from

3936-493: The Sugarlands Visitor Center. Lying just south of Gatlinburg , the Sugarlands is one of the park's most popular access points. The Sugarlands area stretches roughly from Grapeyard Ridge and Roaring Fork in the east to the slopes of Sugarland Mountain to the west. Mount Le Conte rises 5,000 feet above the valley to the south and southeast. The West Fork of the Little Pigeon River , its source high in

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4032-463: The Sugarlands to get a basic education and helped to improve the health and economy of the area. By 1900, moonshining had become rampant throughout the Smokies. The dense forest, isolated coves, and ready availability of corn made mountain valleys such as the Sugarlands the perfect places to hide and operate illegal stills. Horace Kephart , a writer who lived on the North Carolina side of

4128-438: The Sugarlands was a "land of poorer homes" than even Gatlinburg, which was selected for the settlement school as the community most in need. Another recalled a dining experience with a family in the Sugarlands where the food was served on "large pail lids" while chickens roamed freely through the house. Some of the area children did not know simple childhood games, and others knew nothing about Christmas . Regardless, building on

4224-521: The West Fork of the Little Pigeon River, which proceeds northward through Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville , where it merges with the Little Pigeon River proper before emptying into the French Broad River . In Cherokee lore, the eastern slopes of Sugarland Mountain— along with the northern slopes of Mount Le Conte— were part of a ridgeline known as Walasi'yi , or "Frog Place." An ancient Native American trail— possibly predating

4320-479: The annual week-long Gatlinburg Regional , the largest non-National bridge tournament in the U.S., which attracts over 3,000 players. The Gatlinburg Police Department, sometimes referred to as "GPD", is the primary law enforcement organization serving Gatlinburg, Tennessee in the United States. The department has a staff of 45 officers and 10 support personnel. The department maintains a large force size for

4416-557: The area for the park service. The ruins of this camp remain along a bend in the Old Sugarlands Trail. The closing of the CCC camp after World War II was the end of permanent human habitation in the Sugarlands. The forest quickly reclaimed the farmland, and other than a few small mountain cemeteries and the occasional odd clearing or pile of stones, few signs of the former inhabitants remain today. The park's two main paved roads—Fighting Creek Gap Road and Newfound Gap Road ( US-441 )—intersect at

4512-510: The area today. In 1856, a post office was established in the general store of Radford Gatlin (c. 1798–1880), giving the town the name "Gatlinburg." Even though the town bore his name, Gatlin, who didn't arrive in the flats until around 1854, constantly bickered with his neighbors. By 1857, a full-blown feud had erupted between the Gatlins and the Ogles, probably over Gatlin's attempts to divert

4608-400: The area, the school's staff created a small market for local crafts. Isolation in the region attracted folklorists such as Cecil Sharp of London to the area in the years following World War I . Sharp's collection of Appalachian ballads was published in 1932. Extensive logging in the early 1900s led to increased calls by conservationists for federal action, and in 1911, Congress passed

4704-530: The area. With the help of the Cherokee, Ogle cut, hewed, and notched logs in the flats, planning to erect a cabin the following year. He returned home to Edgefield to retrieve his family and grow one final crop for supplies. However, shortly after his arrival in Edgefield, a malaria epidemic swept the low country, and Ogle succumbed to the disease in 1803. His widow, Martha Huskey Ogle (1756–1827), moved

4800-486: The banks of the Oconaluftee River . US-441 largely follows this same route today, although it crests at Newfound Gap rather than Indian Gap. Although various 18th-century European and early American hunters and fur trappers probably traversed or camped in the flats where Gatlinburg is now situated, it was Edgefield, South Carolina , native William Ogle (1751–1803) who first decided to permanently settle in

4896-512: The barns), chicken coops , and toolsheds. There were at least five gristmills in the Sugarlands, the largest belonging to Caleb Trentham. The tubwheel-powered mill of Noah "Bud" Ogle still stands today at Cherokee Orchard. Like much of southern Appalachia , the U.S. Civil War proved devastating for the Sugarlands. The mountain communities of East Tennessee (most of which were pro- Union ) were especially vulnerable, as they were easy targets for Confederate raiders from North Carolina. During

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4992-521: The block was completely rebuilt and reopened to visitors in 1995. Few artifacts from the Ripley's Museum were salvaged, and those that survived are marked with that designation in the new museum. The fire prompted new downtown building codes and a new downtown fire station. Ripley's has caught fire twice since it reopened, once in 2000 and again in 2003. Both of those fires, coincidentally, were caused by faulty light fixtures. The 2000 fire caused no damage, and

5088-479: The city was $ 24,423, and 15% of the population and 5.8% of families had income levels below the poverty line . 13.8% of those under the age of 18 and 8.3% of those 65 years and older were living below the poverty line. As of July 1, 2017, the 2017 estimated population of Gatlinburg had increased to 4,163. Bordering Great Smoky Mountains National Park , Gatlinburg is an important tourist destination in Tennessee, with many man-made attractions. The Gatlinburg Trolley,

5184-456: The cost per acre of land in Gatlinburg increased from $ 50 (equivalent to $ 1,000 in 2023) to $ 8,000 (equivalent to $ 101,000 in 2023). While the park's arrival benefited Gatlinburg and made many of the town's residents wealthy, the tourism explosion led to problems with air quality and urban sprawl . Even in modern times, the town's infrastructure is often pushed to the limit on peak vacation days and must consistently adapt to accommodate

5280-583: The devastation that occurred in Gatlinburg five days later. In May 2018, two Gatlinburg residents filed a $ 14.8 million lawsuit against the federal government for personal losses suffered in the fire. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 10.1 square miles (26 km ), all of which is land. It is surrounded on all sides by high ridges, with the Le Conte and Sugarland Mountain massifs rising to

5376-500: The early 20th century, and the Sugarlands was no exception. Former resident Alie Newman Maples recalled in a poem: The Sugarlands so clear and clean, Altho our meals were mighty lean. In 1912, the Pi Beta Phi women's fraternity established the Pi Beta Phi settlement school in Gatlinburg to combat poverty in the area. The early Pi Phi teachers' scrapbooks and letters recalled the region's sub-par conditions. One remarked that

5472-485: The eastern half of the Sugarlands. William Trentham homesteaded in the Fighting Creek area, where the Sugarlands Visitor Center now stands. In subsequent decades, three communities developed in the Sugarlands valley—the Forks-of-the-River and Fighting Creek communities in the vicinity of what is now the Sugarlands Visitor Center, and the Sugarlands community proper, which lay further to the south, between

5568-680: The end of the war. In the 1880s, the invention of the bandsaw and the logging railroad led to a boom in the lumber industry. As forests throughout the Southeastern United States were harvested, lumber companies pushed deeper into the mountain areas of the Appalachian highlands. In 1901, Colonel W.B. Townsend established the Little River Lumber Company in Tuckaleechee Cove to the west, and lumber interests began buying up logging rights to vast tracts of forest in

5664-524: The family to Virginia, where she had relatives. Sometime around 1806, Martha Huskey Ogle made the journey over Indian Gap Trail to what is now Gatlinburg with her brother, Peter Huskey, her daughter, Rebecca, and her daughter's husband, James McCarter. William Ogle's notched logs awaited them, and they erected a cabin near the confluence of Baskins Creek and the West Fork of the Little Pigeon shortly after their arrival. The cabin still stands today near

5760-433: The far reaches of the Sugarlands too dangerous for women and children. In the 19the century, mountain areas became popular vacation destinations, especially since large urban areas were often wanting for clean air and scenery. Mineral-rich mountain springs were thought to have health-restoring qualities, and the cool air of the higher elevations lured people seeking relief from allergies and hay fever. Colonel W. B. Townsend,

5856-472: The fires, the town of Gatlinburg was shut down and considered a crime scene. The city reopened to residents only after a few days but maintained a strict curfew for more than a week, only reopening to the public after the curfew was lifted. In June 2017, the Sevier County district attorney dropped charges against two juveniles accused of starting the fire due to an inability to prove their actions led to

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5952-476: The following day. George McCoy, writing in an early park guide in 1935, reported that the Sugarland Mountain Trail was "extremely rugged," but offered excellent views of Mount Le Conte. In 1937, Laura Thornborough— who wrote extensively of hiking trails in the Smokies— echoed McCoy's description, calling the Sugarland Mountain Trail "rugged and rough," but well worth an all-day trip. The first half-mile or so of

6048-443: The growing number of tourists. On the night of July 14, 1992, Gatlinburg gained national attention when an entire city block burned to the ground due to faulty wiring in a light fixture. The Ripley's Believe It or Not! museum was consumed by the fire, along with an arcade, haunted house, and souvenir shop. The blaze was stopped before it could consume the adjacent 32-story Gatlinburg Space Needle . Known to locals as "Rebel Corner,"

6144-457: The headwaters of Sugarland Branch, and members of the Quilliams family lived in the vicinity of Backcountry Campsite 21. Author Horace Kephart , writing in the early 20th century, described Sugarland Mountain as a "razorback ridge" that formed a "rampart tedious to scale from either side." Kephart referred to the upper Rough Creek Valley on the mountain's southwestern slope as "Godforsaken" —

6240-727: The heart of Gatlinburg. James and Rebecca McCarter settled in the Cartertown district of Gatlinburg. In the decade following the arrival of the Ogles, McCarters, and Huskeys in what came to be known as White Oak Flats, a steady stream of settlers moved into the area. Most were veterans of the American Revolution or War of 1812 who had converted the 50-acre (200,000 m ) tracts they had received for service in war into deeds. Among these early settlers were Timothy Reagan (c. 1750–1830), John Ownby Jr. (1791–1857), and Henry Bohanon (1760–1842). Their descendants still live in

6336-586: The initial successes of the Gatlinburg school, the Pi Phis decided to open a school in the Sugarlands in 1920. The school was located near the old Ransom Sims place, in the vicinity of the Sugarlands Cemetery. While the Sugarlanders were initially suspicious of the Pi Phis' intentions, they eventually welcomed the benefits of the settlement school. Its presence allowed children in Gatlinburg and

6432-498: The lower section of trail was burned during the catastrophic wildfirefire that occurred in the area in November 2016. This portion of the trail is now overgrown with tall weeds and brambles in summertime. At just over 8 miles (13 km), a break in the foliage allows for an unobstructed view of the Rough Creek Valley below and Sweet Ridge and Miry Ridge in the distance to the northwest and west. Mount Le Conte dominates

6528-448: The mountain rises sharply to its prominent 4,833-foot (1,473 m) northern peak as the crest narrows, and maintains an elevation of 4,300 feet (1,300 m) to 4,800 feet (1,500 m) for several miles. At the headwaters of Rough Creek, the mountain rises above 5,000 feet (1,500 m) for the first time, eventually reaching 5,494 feet (1,675 m) at its summit. The Chimney Tops , which consist of two barren slate capstones, crown

6624-428: The mountains in the early 20th century, described the Sugarlands during this period: ...a country of ill fame, hidden deep in remote gorges, difficult of access, tenanted by a sparse population who preferred to be a law unto themselves. For many a year it had been known on our side as Blockaders' Glory, which is the same as saying Moonshiners' Paradise, and we all believed it to be fitly named. Kephart goes on to give

6720-414: The mountains, passes through the Sugarlands, draining much of the valley. When the first Euro-American settlers arrived in the early 19th century, they named the valley after the many sugar maple trees growing in the area at the time. Syrup was made from the sap in these trees and used as a sweetener in the days before the availability of cane sugar. While these trees were cleared by the early settlers,

6816-458: The north before turning east and connecting the city to Newport and Cosby . Gatlinburg has a humid subtropical climate ( Koppen : Cfa ) with hot, humid summers and cool, wet winters. Precipitation is heavy year round, peaking in the months of May–July, with October being the driest month, with only 3.19 inches (81 mm) of average precipitation Snowfall is lower in the valley, averaging about 8 inches (20 cm) of annual snowfall. As of

6912-577: The northern slopes of Mount Le Conte. He was forced to withdraw, however, when a Union relief force threatened to surround the fort. As small farms in the Sugarlands recovered from the Civil War, some began growing enough excess crops to sell or trade. The more prosperous farmers opened small general stores, which were often located in the store owner's house or a room attached to the house. The stores sold flour, meal, meat, soda, salt, coffee, tobacco, snuff, and castor oil. The stores also bought (or traded for) chickens, eggs, honey, ginseng, and furs, which

7008-560: The other side of the road. Newfound Gap is approximately 4.5 miles (7.2 km) east of the trail terminus. The Mount Collins Shelter is situated just off the Sugarland Mountain Trail approximately 0.3 miles (0.48 km) north of the trail's terminus at the Appalachian Trail. A spring— part of the headwaters of Moccasin Branch— provides the shelter's water source. The shelter— built of stone and enclosed by fencing at one end—

7104-524: The owner of the Little River Lumber Company, began to see the value of creating recreational areas on land that had already been stripped of its wood. In 1909, after the Elkmont area had largely been cleared, the company's train, the Little River Railroad , began offering daily train service from Knoxville to Elkmont in conjunction with Knoxville's Southern Railroad. Tourists also began pouring into Gatlinburg, especially after Andrew Huff opened

7200-485: The park's two surviving tub mills (the other is at the Alfred Reagan Place at Roaring Fork), consists of a millhouse connected via vertical shaft to a tubwheel turbine. An 80-foot (24 m) flume diverts water from LeConte Creek to power the mill. The Alex Cole Cabin was originally located on the east bank of the West Fork of Little Pigeon River along the old Indian Gap Road (the "Quiet Walkway" opposite

7296-443: The population. Of the 1,681 households, 22.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them, 44.1% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.4% were non-families. Individuals living alone accounted for 29.4% of the non-family households, and 11.3% of those living alone were 65 years of age or older. The average household size

7392-553: The prospects of selling their rocky fields and hillsides for more money than they estimated it to be worth, but some felt they didn't want to be driven from their old homeplaces at any price. While most Sugarlanders accepted buy-out offers, a few had to be forced out via condemnation suits. Shortly after the formation of the park, the Civilian Conservation Corps constructed a camp along the West Fork which operated from 1933 to 1942, building roads and trails in

7488-521: The region's natural wonders. In 1912, the Pi Beta Phi women's fraternity established a settlement school (now Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts ) in Gatlinburg after a survey of the region found the town to be most in need of educational facilities in the area. Although skeptical locals were initially worried that the fraternity might be religious propagandists or opportunists, the school's enrollment grew from 33 to 134 in its first year of operation. Along with providing basic education to children in

7584-431: The south, Cove Mountain to the west, Big Ridge to the northeast, and Grapeyard Ridge to the east. The main watershed is the West Fork of the Little Pigeon River , which flows from its source on the slopes of Mount Collins to its junction with the Little Pigeon at Sevierville . U.S. Route 441 is the main traffic artery in Gatlinburg, running through the center of town from north to south. Farther along 441, Pigeon Forge

7680-472: The south. Two short trails labelled "Quiet Walkways" connect Newfound Gap Road with an area of stone ruins along the West Fork of the Little Pigeon River. An interpretive loop trail behind the Sugarlands Visitor Center leads past the John Ownby Cabin and the ruins of the Noah McCarter place. Cherokee Orchard Road connects US-441 in Gatlinburg to the Cherokee Orchard and Roaring Fork areas, and passes by

7776-542: The store owner would take to Sevierville or Knoxville to trade. Sugarlanders who lived near fords of the Pigeon River had the most lucrative storefronts. Among them were Richard Reason Reagan (1830–1912), who owned a general store near the Sugarland Branch ford, and Alex Cole, who operated a storefront further up the river. Around 1900, sawmills began moving into the area to harvest the thick forests of

7872-587: The sugar maple is still common throughout the park. The Sugarlands is underlain by a Precambrian sandstone of the Ocoee Supergroup, known specifically as Roaring Fork sandstone. This rock, like other formations throughout the Appalachian region, was formed from ancient ocean sediments nearly one billion years ago. Erosional forces throughout the Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras—especially during

7968-489: The town to protect the saltpeter mines at Alum Cave, near the Tennessee-North Carolina border. Federal forces marched south from Knoxville and Sevierville to drive out Thomas' men, who had built a small fort on Burg Hill. Lucinda Oakley Ogle, whose grandfather witnessed the ensuing skirmish, later recounted her grandfather's recollections: ... he told me about when he was a sixteen-year-old boy during

8064-423: The town's main road. The eve of the U.S. Civil War found Gatlin, who became a Confederate sympathizer, at odds with the residents of the flats, who were mostly pro- Union , and he was forced out in 1859. Despite its anti-slavery sentiments, Gatlinburg, like most Smoky communities, tried to remain neutral during the war. This changed when a company of Confederate Colonel William Holland Thomas ' Legion occupied

8160-561: The trail ascends sharply to the Mount Collins Shelter and the trail terminus along the Appalachian Trail. West of the Sugarland Mountain Trail terminus, the Appalachian Trail continues to ascend sharply, crossing the 6,188-foot (1,886 m) summit of Mount Collins and continuing onward to Clingmans Dome. A small footpath east of the trail terminus leads to Clingmans Dome Road and the Fork Ridge Trail terminus on

8256-429: The trail begins to ascend the northern peak, it reenters a thick deciduous forest. The headwaters of various streams have cut a series of hollows into the western flank of this peak, leading down into the Little River Valley. These upper hollows are littered with boulders, which over the years have broken off from higher elevations and have been carried down into the streambeds by erosional forces. Backcountry Campsite 21

8352-530: The two "Quiet Walkways" opposite the Huskey Gap Trail and the Chimney picnic area. Most of the inhabitants still living in the Sugarlands when the park was formed were descended from these early settlers. For much of the 19th century, Sugarlanders lived in log cabins . The typical mountain cabin consisted of one room, 16' × 20', constructed of notched logs and puncheon floors. A chimney, usually made of slate and clay, rose along one wall. A lone window

8448-580: The valley, giving hints of the layout of the early Appalachian settlements. The farmland, however, has been almost wholly reclaimed by hardwood forest. Built in 1860, the John Ownby Cabin is the last surviving structure from the pre-park Forks-of-the-River community. Repaired in 1964, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. The Noah Ogle Place, located along LeConte Creek just south of Gatlinburg, consists of

8544-453: The view through the treeline to the east. Around 10 miles (16 km) from the trailhead, the Sugarland Mountain Trail passes just below the mountain's 5,494-foot (1,675 m) summit, which rises at the mountain's junction with Sweet Ridge. Beyond the summit, Mount Collins becomes visible through the treeline to the south, and Mount Mingus dominates the view to the east. After winding its way across Sugarland Mountain's upper elevations,

8640-555: The war, Will Thomas —a Confederate colonel and later Cherokee chief—made improvements to the Oconaluftee Turnpike to allow Confederate marauders easier access to Sevier County. The Sugarlands would have been among the first communities approached along this road heading north from Chimney Tops . Early in the war, Thomas' forces ascended the turnpike and occupied Gatlinburg. Thomas erected a small fort on Burg Hill in hopes of protecting salt peter mines at Alum Cave, along

8736-681: The western side of the mountain include Mids Branch, Phoebe Branch, Big Medicine Branch, and Rough Creek. These all empty into Little River, which proceeds northward to Elkmont, veers west through the Little River Gorge, and turns north again to traverse Blount County before emptying into the Fort Loudoun Lake impoundment of the Tennessee River . Streams on the western side of the mountain include Sugarland Branch, Hickory King Branch, and Road Prong. These empty into

8832-413: Was 2.33, and the average family size was 2.8. The city's population consisted of 18.5% of individuals under the age of 20, 5.9% from 20 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 31.2% from 45 to 64, and 18.5% 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44.7 years. The ratio of males to females was almost equivalent at 1.02:1 (1,990 males to 1,954 females). For adult individuals 18 or older, the ratio of males to females

8928-459: Was also very close at 1.03:1 (1,671 males to 1,628 females). According to data in the 2012–2016 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau for Gatlinburg, the median income for a household in Gatlinburg was estimated at $ 36,445, with an estimated median family income of $ 42,903. For individuals who were employed full-time, males had a median income of $ 30,159 versus $ 24,528 for females. The per capita income for

9024-403: Was formerly located amidst the first of these boulder fields in the headwaters of Big Medicine Branch prior to being relocated to the Huskey Gap Trail near the junction with Little River Trail. Sandstone outcroppings are not uncommon along the steep western slope of the north peak. Approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) from the campsite, a pile of large rocks allows for an unobstructed view out over

9120-474: Was on the wall opposite the chimney. Around 1900, modern frame houses slowly started replacing the log cabins. A standard farm in the Sugarlands consisted of the cabin or house and a small vegetable garden, all of which was surrounded by a paling fence, and several outbuildings. A smokehouse and woodshed would likely be found near the kitchen, and a springhouse would straddle a nearby spring. Other likely outbuildings included barns, corn cribs (often affixed to

9216-622: Was rebranded following its purchase in 2022 by local entrepreneur Joe Baker. Gatlinburg Space Needle provides views of the Smoky Mountains. The Gatlinburg Arts and Crafts Community is an 8-mile loop located on the north side of town that focuses on preserving traditional mountain crafts. The Ripley's group of attractions includes Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies and a number of themed exhibits. Theme parks Dollywood and Dollywood's Splash Country —both named for Dolly Parton —are located in nearby Pigeon Forge . Museums include

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