• Approximately 1,500 black bears live in the national park.

    Great Smoky Mountains

    National Park NC,TN

Appalachian Clubhouse

Appahachian Clubhouse
 

The Appalachian Clubhouse is a historic structure constructed in 1934 and is located in the Elkmont Historic District. The structure has been rehabilitated by the National Park Service to its appearance in the 1930s although with the addition of electricity and indoor plumbing. It was used as a gathering spot by lessees and guests of the Appalachian Club whose members, mostly from Knoxville, built rustic cabins nearby to serve as weekend or summer retreats in the years before the Park was created.

 
Interior view of the Appalachian Clubhouse with wooden floors, french doors and fireplace

The meeting room has stone fireplaces and doors which open onto a covered porch.

The 3,000 square foot, one-story Clubhouse features a large, open meeting hall about 25' by 60' in size with exposed wooden beams and massive stone fireplaces at each end that are equipped with gas logs. It is lighted by period-type fixtures suspended from the ceiling and with wall-mounted sconces. French doors along the entire east side open onto a broad, roofed porch overlooking the forest and a small creek.

 
Front porch of Clubhouse

The broad, covered porch is furnished with rocking chairs.

It is equipped with folding chairs, round dining tables and rectangular buffet tables. There is a caterer's kitchen that has countertops, electrical outlets and a sink where food can be kept warm or served, but it has no cooking facilities or refrigerator. Newly built restrooms located just a few yards from the building accommodate both Clubhouse users and hikers using nearby Jakes Creek and Little River Trailheads. Both facilities are fully accessible.

The Appalachian Clubhouse is available for use from April 1 - November 15. The Clubhouse is rented on a daily basis and may be used from 10:00 AM through 8:00 PM. The rental fee is $300 per day, Monday through Thursday, and $500 per day Friday through Sunday. Group size is limited to 96 people. Reservations and more information including a map and photographs are available by searching for "Appalachian Clubhouse" at www.recreation.gov.

 
The meeting room is furnished with round tables and folding chairs.
The meeting room is furnished with round tables and folding chairs.
 
 

Take A Short Video Tour of the Appalachian Clubhouse

The park's two non-profit, partner organizations, the Great Smoky Mountains Association, and The Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, have posted a video tour of the Appalachian Clubhouse on their YouTube channels. Both organizations also offer a number of other interesting videos about the national park. The links below go directly to the Appalachian Clubhouse video, but be sure to check out the organizations' YouTube channels to view all of the additional videos they offer! (By clicking on the links below, you will be leaving the national park website and going to our partner organizations' YouTube pages.)

Great Smoky Mountains Association
Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park

 

Did You Know?

Flame azalea can be found growing on heath balds in the park.

The park’s high elevation heath balds are treeless expanses where dense thickets of shrubs such as mountain laurel, rhododendron, and sand myrtle grow. Known as “laurel slicks” and “hells” by early settlers, heath balds were most likely created by forest fires long ago.