A place like no other near Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee
The Oconaluftee Visitor Center is the primary hub for information and welcomes visitors to the North Carolina side of the park. It was built with eco-friendly materials and has an energy-efficient design, making it the first visitor center constructed in the park since the 1960s. Inside, visitors can find a bookstore, a gift shop, restrooms, trail maps, and a museum that tells the park’s history. Right next to the center, you’ll discover the Mountain Farm Museum, which showcases a preserved 19th-century farmstead. It includes buildings like a barn, spring house, apple house, and a working blacksmith shop. Throughout the year, you can witness demonstrations of farm life and participate in ranger programs. For those who enjoy hiking, there’s a pleasant 1.5-mile trail along the Oconaluftee River. This trail takes you from the Oconaluftee Visitor Center to the outskirts of Cherokee, North Carolina. It’s worth noting that this is one of only two trails in the park where you can bring your pets or ride bicycles.
The Mountain Farm Museum is a popular destination for recent travelers. They absolutely enjoyed observing the majestic elk that freely roam around the fields adjacent to the visitor center. Alongside this, visitors highly recommend paying a visit to the museum itself. It seems that the gift shop at the center has also received much appreciation, as well as their well-maintained and tidy restrooms. Though it’s important to note that a few reviewers mentioned that the place can get quite crowded during peak seasons.