Just across the river from Chota, the original capital of the Cherokee Nation, are your comfortable accommodations at Once Upon A Time Wilderness Adventure Trips and Hostel.

As you sense the spirit of the great Indian nation, you will enjoy the peace and serenity of our homeplace high atop a foothill of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee. We offer week-long adventure trips as well as 2, 3, or 4-day “mini-adventures.” Our trips are unique in that we offer a different adventure every day: hiking, whitewater rafting, backpacking, biking, wildflower and birdwatching hikes, fishing, horseback riding, rappelling, photography workshops, caving, sporting clay shooting, and tubing. We customize our trips based on your group’s interests. Evenings are spent enjoying old timey mountain music on the porch, learning from a Cherokee storyteller, visiting the Once Upon A Time furniture workshop and other educational programs about Appalachian culture.

You will enjoy hearty, home-cooked meals. We grow most of our own fruits and vegetables right here. You can’t get any fresher than that. We might even ask you to dig some potatoes from the garden for your supper!

We offer adventure trips from April 15 - August 15, and we can accommodate groups of 2 to 12 people.

When not in use for a wilderness adventure trip, the bunkhouse is open to travelers as a hostel. See the Hostel page for more details. The facilities can also be rented for a day for family reunions, corporate retreats, quilting and scrapbooking clubs, church groups, etc.  See the Reservations Page for rates.