This in turn has opened more eyes to Cataloochee’s past. “Elk bring people into the valley, and the history keeps them there and brings them back,” said Lynda Doucette, a park ranger. Doucette has ...

In 2001, 52 Rocky Mountain Elk were released into Cataloochee Valley as part of an experimental program to reintroduce elk to the national park, since native elk had been eliminated from the ...