We were driving along US 441 through Great Smoky Mountains National Park returning to North Carolina from Tennessee and we saw signs to Mingus Mill and decided to investigate. There is a large parking area and adjacent toilets. It is then a short stroll along Mingus Creek to where the mill sits. (Free entry.) This is a fairly large building and is powered by the water that rushes into the "millrace" from a diversion upstream. The path leads all the way to where this diversion occurs.
Next to the mill building, built in 1886, is its water-powered turbine which it uses instead of a water wheel to power all of the machinery in the building. Inside the building is a small gift shop selling, among other things, flour ground by the mill and you can also see the grinding wheels etc. The area is very attractive and we were glad we had made the short diversion to see it.
