Cherokee, North Carolina
Cherokee, fifteen minutes down the road
Cherokee is the capital of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and the town at the park’s door. It is 10 miles from the lodge: close enough for a show at Harrah’s and dinner, far enough that you come home to birds and frogs.
- From the lodge
- 10 mi / ~15 min to Harrah’s · 11 mi to the museum
- Allow
- An evening for the casino; a half day for the museum, village and Qualla Arts
- Kids
- The museum, Oconaluftee Islands Park and Fire Mountain Trails; no one under 21 is allowed in the casino building
- Best time
- Late April–October for the Indian Village; summer evenings for the outdoor drama
Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort
The largest casino in the Carolinas, with headline concerts and comedy at the Event Center, a long list of restaurants and the Mandara Spa. Stay with us and you get the show and the dinner, then a quiet ten-mile drive home.
Cherokee history and art
Start at the Museum of the Cherokee People on Tsali Boulevard, then cross the road to Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual, the oldest Native American arts cooperative in the country, for baskets, pottery and carving by enrolled artists. In season, the Oconaluftee Indian Village re-creates an 18th-century town, and Unto These Hills has told the Cherokee story under the stars every summer since 1950.
- Museum of the Cherokee People, 589 Tsali Blvd, open year-round
- Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual, 645 Tsali Blvd
- Oconaluftee Indian Village, late April to October, closed Sundays
- Unto These Hills at the Mountainside Theatre, summer evenings; check cherokeehistorical.org for dates
Outside
Fire Mountain Trails climbs above the Indian Village with more than ten miles of free mountain-bike and hiking trail. Oconaluftee Islands Park is where families wade the river on hot afternoons. Anglers should read our fly-fishing page: Cherokee’s 30 miles of stocked water run on a tribal permit, and the Raven Fork trophy section is fly-only, catch-and-release.
Golf
Sequoyah National Golf Club, a Robert Trent Jones II course owned by the tribe, is six miles from the lodge in Whittier.
Eat afterward
Harrah’s has the widest choice. In town, Tsali Boulevard has diners and fry-bread stands. Or head 15 minutes the other way to Dillsboro and Sylva.
Where to stay
Then come back up the hill
Cherokee’s hotels line US-441. We are on a ridge ten miles out, with a wood fire, a long porch and a view that fills the window.
Common questions
How far is The Lodge at Smoky Cove from Harrah’s Cherokee Casino?
About 10 miles, or roughly 15 minutes by car via US-74 and US-441.
Is The Lodge at Smoky Cove a good place to stay for a concert at Harrah’s Cherokee?
Yes. The Event Center is about 15 minutes away, and the lodge is quiet when you get back. Rooms sleep two to four; groups can take several rooms or the entire lodge. Book early for big show weekends.
Is Whittier, NC close to Cherokee?
Yes. Whittier is the next community south of Cherokee along US-441/US-74. The lodge is about 10 miles from downtown Cherokee.
Do I need a North Carolina fishing license to fish in Cherokee?
No. Waters on the Qualla Boundary require a tribal fishing permit instead, sold online and in shops in Cherokee. Inside the national park, a North Carolina or Tennessee license is valid.
More places nearby
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
14 mi / ~25 min to Oconaluftee · 15 mi / ~25 min to Deep Creek
The Tuck at Dillsboro 7 mi · Cherokee waters 10 mi · Deep Creek & the Oconaluftee 14–15 mi
13 mi / ~20 min to the depot · 24 mi / ~30 min to NOC
Sleep up the hill from here
Rooms from $189 a night, or the entire lodge for a group.