Greeting the morning on a beautiful fall morning in the Cataloochee Valley of North Carolina in the Great Smoky Mountains.

The park’s elk restoration program began in Cataloochee Valley in 2001 with the release of 25 elk, followed by the release of another 27 elk in 2002. The first batch of elk came from Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, and the second were brought in from Elk Island National Park in Alberta, Canada.
Over the years the elk have spread to other areas including close to the Visitor Center in Cherokee NC, about 40 miles away.