Over the Top Tour in Oconaluftee

This tour travels over the crest of the Smokies from Tennessee into North Carolina. Along the way we'll experience one of the most scenic roads in the Southeast along with several panoramic mountain vistas. When we arrive in the Oconaluftee Valley we'll visit historic structures learning about the culture of the native Cherokee and European-descended mountaineers. While exploring this historic valley, we'll keep an eye out for elk. The largest animal in the Smokies, they were reintroduced by the park service in 2001.

1. 1

   Oconaluftee Visitor Center

   30 min

   The visitor center located at the Cherokee, NC, entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park is home to the Oconaluftee Mountain Farm Museum. Additionally, its fields are home to dozens of elk, the largest animal found in the Smokies. Guests have time to explore the exhibits and gift shop.

2. 2

   Stop 2

   2.5 hours

   The most scenic road in the southeast, this 33-mile route snakes through the mountains as it crosses the Newfound Gap at higher than 5,000 feet elevation. We'll make several stops for scenic vistas.

3. 3

   Mingus Mill

   30 min

   Built in 1886, this historic grist mill demonstrates how mountaineers ground corn and wheat.

4. 4

   Mountain Farm Museum

   1 hour

   Adjacent to the Oconaluftee Visitor's Center, the Mountain Farm Museum is a unique collection of farm buildings assembled from locations throughout the national park. Visitors can explore a log farmhouse, barn, apple house, springhouse, and a working blacksmith shop to get a sense of how families may have lived 100 years ago. Most of the structures were built in the late 19th century and were moved here in the 1950s. The Davis House offers a rare chance to view a log house built from chestnut wood before the chestnut blight decimated the American Chestnut in our forests during the 1930s and early 1940s.

5. 5

   Oconaluftee River Trail

   30 min

   We'll be on the look out for elk at several locations around Oconaluftee and the Cherokee, NC, entrance to the park including the Oconaluftee River Trail and other fields and meadows.

• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• Please provide your own infant/booster seat if needed

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.