Reviews of Oconaluftee Visitor Center (Tourist Attraction)

Marcos Antonio

Awesome discovery on our adventures! Awesome place to visit! Mingus Mill is near by.

roger gulick

Spent over an hour looking at everything. I learned a lot about the area and the national park. It was fun.

David Stirrat

Love this place and seeing the elk and wild turkeys just takes it up a notch...

Gary Oke

Elk outside. Friendly rangers inside. Nice exhibits. Did I mention the elk? ;-)

Diane Hayes

So glad we stopped here. It's a great place to experience history at the farm museum. And we seen some Elk.

Jason Reagin

Really great place to see how our ancestors lived and work. Amazing to see the engineering people came up with back then.

Ivan Whitaker

Súper genial experiencia !! Not just a visitor center but some path to have nice hiking around!! The most beautiful thing to do whit kids because is safe and cute, you can have the chance to see elks there. Don’t miss the chance to have nice hiking by the river and if you bring your tub will be even funnier,on one side of the park you’ll find the museum of old family Cherokee. Great photo-shooting for sure. Enjoy it !!

Dane Whitehead

Amazing spot. The farm is well maintained and in great shape. The Visitors center is beautiful and modern the park staff and volunteers are helpful and knowledgeable. You need to make this a stop on your trip.

Atul Nautiyal

Very nice and well maintained visitor center. The adjacent Mountain farm museum is worth visiting and the surrounding views are great.

Teleen Sickles

Completely fell in love with this place. It was really neat to walk around and see an old homestead setup. Can't wait to go back

Indy Psydoc

This a clean and informative center focusing on life in the Smokie Mountians. The mountain farm was educational and fun. The pictures of the pigs are from the farm. It is set by the stream which is a great place for a picnic or enjoy the scenery. A must stop when traveling through the area. It does not take long and is a great way to break up the drive.

The Kyle Reeves

Wow! What a great place to stop. You never know what you will see. Very clean and well maintained. Take the time to stop on your way through, you won’t regret it.

Rhonda Kaufmann

Cool outdoor farm area that shows how life used to be in the Smokies.. Helpful Rangers if you have questions on any current trail situations.

jared casey

Has a great little walk along the river and you have a great chance at seeing some elk

Eric Leshay

Great stopping point before heading into the windy mountain roads with park info inside and a small farm exhibit outside.

Cassandra Vanderwall

Great place to see the Elk! We happened to go when there was an Old Timey Craft Fair going on! Such a beautiful place!

David Byrd

Beautiful visitors center. The elk we're beautiful!

J K

Step back in history to a time when physical labor generated a successful living off the land, elk stroll through the river and area without a care, it's beautiful, serene and enchanting.

Cheri Bjork

Great visitors center! Always well staffed and very knowledgeable. You can get wifi here and plug your phone in. Farmstead is a must see--Buy the $1 booklet. River walk is incredible during spring when the wild flowers are in bloom. Also lots of elk in the area. Saw elk crossing the river, birds of prey hunting and butterflies galore.

Mercy Neal

Great melding of history and reality of the park. The collection of historical buildings beyond the visitor center are fantastic to wander around to get a feel of the place as it once was, and the dioramas in the visitor center are Interesting and worth a read. The gift shop is charming and appropriate to the park. The ranger demonstrations are also really quite fun, if you get the chance to hear one.

Jodi Williams

The farm museum was super neat to see. The Visitor's Center was really well done and had lots of information about the start of the park. We look forward to bringing the kids back in the future!

Joseph Schmidbauer

Very nice center. The Ranger was extremely helpful and answered all of our questions. They gave a talk about the elk that are becoming reintroduced to the area. The restrooms were clean and they had running water with flush toilets.

Jeremy Hewit

We were a little disappointed that staff was cutting grass while my family was walking through the farm area. The guys were not considerate the numerous tourists current in the area. May want to consider moving your mowing schedule to a time before tourists are in the areas you plan to mow. Aside from this inside was very informational, and the staff was very friendly and welcoming.

E Bonnen

Always love to place! In 4 months of visiting, nearly every time I have seen turkeys. Today there was an elk ❤️

Alice Marthe

Beautiful center. Loads of parking. Clean bathrooms. Trails are well marked. This trail you can have dogs on. Great scenic walking trail. Excellent time.

Frank Hoelck

Was very informative. First time my wife got to see Elk so was a fabulous journey

Justin Hayden

Amazingly nice and knowledgeable Rangers on hand. Extremely clean facilities. Wildlife and river right at the center. Poor Joy and awesomeness

Evan Moore

Great place to take the family. Looking to hike? Stop here first to find the best hikes!

Krissi Buck

Everyone at the center was very helpful and knowledgeable. The ice on the cake for us was watching the elk. Beautiful animals!

Scott Williams

Nice gift shop and exhibit area. Pretty trails along the river. My wife saw an elk and a groundhog and was very happy.

Rachel Hurmence

Great place to stop on your way through the mountains. Clean bathrooms and nice gift shop. Staff were helpful!

Cathy McClain

Such a beautiful serene place to visit. The elk are beautiful! This is our second time stopping by and will surely be back!

Ebe JS

This is truly a beautiful place to stop by on the way to Clingmans dome or to Gatlinburg. We spent more than 3 hours to enjoy the river water flowing down, and get to see a great view of elks in the field and some old generation technologies and houses. Water is not so deep and not so cold in the river and they let you enter it.We had lots of fun here and recommend to stop by if you are on the way.

Kahn Southard

Fascinating. I'm a history buff and this place transports you back into early American Southern farm life. The buildings are authentic and you could spend all day discovering our forbear's ingenuity with construction techniques and skill.

Chase Walker

Beautiful place off of the blue ridge parkway. Full of information and in one of the most beautiful places on Earth.

Brittany Caldwell

Great visitor center. The Elk were out in the field near here. There is a museum here.

Nancy Hampel

Really enjoyed the center. Staff great about explaining place to hike. Maps available. Saw lots of elk on the way.

Gary Prince

Great place to stop for a break, or for information. The farm onsite is a cool example of frontier mountain living and if you are lucky you can see the local elk herd grazing in the fields.

David Stark

Better stocked than the other visitors centers in the park -- they were the only ones with a topographic map of the park in stock. Sugarlands claimed they couldn't sell enough to be worth selling.

Vanessa Parmely

Such a neat place and sometimes you can see Moose in the field nearby! Today was Turkey on the way and a huge Moose on the way back! His antlers were massive!

Robert Walker

Very informative staff and a great historical experience the farm from the late 1800's was an amazing experience my children loved seeing how our ancestors lived

Tawny Studwell

Another well done national park visitor center. The elk were grazing in the fields on our way out at dusk.

GreatWhite Wrangler

Love the river behind the building. And they have very informative staff that know and care about the center. Definitely worth a stop!

Amanda Goins

Seeing all the female and Male Elk was beautiful!! Beautiful sight seeing

Ernie Ballard

Must visit when entering the GSM! Lots of info about the park. Maps, rules, camping, hiking, ect . Also a farm from way back to walk thru and learn about the history of the area. A small museum inside the visitors center and also a gif shop! Oh yea a large field where you can view the elk! Most importantly the most sought after thing in the smokies...RESTROOMS! Stop in just out side of downtown Cherokee and enjoy the National Park and all it has to offer!

Incubus 311

Super awesome place. Was coming back from pidgeon fordge and stumble upon this place. Really informative and great place to get out and stretch your legs. Saw some elk by the river. Just a cool place. Check it out

Yvonne Berry

Great place to take in a fun history lesson. Lots of historical buildings and informative displays.

Dale Rickman

It's a glimpse into early mountain life, with a high chance of viewing elk. They weren't there this time when I was, but have been the past three visits.saw a wild turkey gobbler come out of the woods to the fields, he had about 10 " beard and visible Spurs.

Mary Solan

Cool place to visit with lots to see and do. Good info on the area.

Ed Caruso

A must see if ever around Cherokee, NC. The staff is super friendly and helpful, and the farm steps you back in time with an educational experience the whole family can enjoy. If you catch it at the right time you'll be able to see huge elk too. There's also a dog friendly trail to walk that takes you right into town. Definitely a great place to visit, you won't be disappointed.

Cecilia Scott

The visitor center is very nice and well maintained. It has an interesting farmstead set up that can be toured free of charge. The Oconaluftee river runs beside it and it is peaceful to walk the trail. The day we were there an Elk walked up the bank right at us. Of course it wasn't wanting to be petted so we stayed a good distance. It had a beautiful rack on its head. It was an exciting adventure. Highly recommended!

Samantha Musho

Really cool place to see the elk! They seem to be pretty used to people walking around, they were just grazing quietly in the fields around the center. Nice trails along the river and village with information signs to learn about life in the old days.

William Recktenwald

Nice place to visit on the east side of the Smokey Mountains on the North Carolina side. For a potty break and a stretch of the legs, this is a great spot. READ the signs though, you are in the mountains and wildlife is forever present.

Michael Littman

Good place to pee before entering the park, see the Elk and Turkey in the field. Get a National Park passport stamped in the visitor center.

Jim Nutter

Beautiful well displayed visitor center with adjacent primitive farm. You might even see elk!

Tom Remein

Well worth a visit to imagine life in the Smokies in the late 18th - 19th centuries. My grandmother was born in a one-room primitive home near Maggie Valley, NC in 1890. I have a few fading photographs of the homestead but we are unable to determine its former location. Visiting the Oconaluftee Farm greatly enhanced my appreciation of what her early life would have been.

Gene Hauser

A must see stop before entering the Smokies. Super clean welcome center. Pioneer Village, great place to see Elk.

Hu Yami

Great elk viewing. Saw elks both times when driving pass

Lisa Keenan

Enjoyed the visit center very much. The farm area could stand a little more description. There is a wonderful mountain stream that just screams. "bring your picnic lunch here"!

Bre Ximenes

Our favorite place to go. ..with the dogs. This is one of two trails that allow dogs. Places to swim, tube and float. We love coming here and think you will too... the Visitors center is beautiful and restrooms are clean.

Jim Bentley

totally worth stopping in. We just stopped because the field next to it frequently has elk. No elk so we stopped by... very enjoyable! Lots of cool stuff inside about the history and area. Then there is an outside area that is basically an old farm with a nice tour path through it. Again, definitely worth stopping by!

Ellie Brownlee

Really enjoyed visit around the old farm. Only wish it was an actual working farm. River Trail back of farm is just beautiful to walk!

Bonnie Robinson

Connected to the Mountain Farm Museum, the visitors center provides a wealth of mountain history. The museum was impressive for its size. There is a deck with rocking chairs that overlook the river. Come in the evening to view the elk grazing in the field. We also spotted several wild turkeys.

Faith Finkes

Farm museum was very interesting. Knowledgeable staff. Good chance to see wild turkeys and elk grazing in an open field.

Becky Redden

Just has been renovated. In a beautiful location!

andrew bowden

Beautiful area at this Smokie Mountains south entrance near Cherokee, North Carolina. Nice place to walk and relax. Always clean restrooms, dog friendly. Stop by an tour this visitors center

Jody May

Nice, clean visitor center with free park information, exhibits, and a gift shop. Lots of parking that's easy to get in and out of. There are several historic buildings on the grounds that you can walk to and the nearby fields sometimes have elks (ask the park rangers about any sightings). The restrooms here are large and clean!

John Federer

Very well done. Nice deck and trails to walk pups.

Alex Brown

Beautiful visitor center with tons of info. Great gift shop with maps and books on the area. TONS OF PATCHES which are my favorite and a very sweet kids section. The historic town is interesting to explore and don’t forget to look for elk!!!

Jason Harris

Great place to stop and see wild life. Get a gift. Visit a old farmsted.

John Pilz

The National Park’s visitor center is truly beautiful. You need to visit this place if you plan on visiting the Smokies - the first place you see when you leave Cherokee, NC. The shop inside has a lot of beautiful souvenirs and items you may find useful/aesthetically pleasing. The friendly staff are there to help guide you and give you directions to where you want to go. There are some educational exhibits inside, and you can go out back behind the building to see the outdoor museum. You’ll find real farm animals, apple trees with natural apples on them, and the riverside. If you’re lucky, you may encounter elk here outside the fence perimeter!

Haunted Heather

Friendly and helpful staff! Very clean facility. What a kindness to the community to offer such history to everyone passing through at no cost. We stop here every time we come past it.

Chris Rybacki

Great service and go early in the morning or at dusk, chances are you will see Elk!

Vivian Oaks

We stop here almost every year when we visit the Smokies! There's a small gift shop and lots of history on the area. There's a small museum, which the 3-year old grandson especially loved. There was one section where you could pick up a phone handset, push a button and listen to an old-timer tell a story about their life growing up in the Smokies. He listened intently and occasionally said, "Okay" to the person telling the story.

Melissa Trice

Nice and clean. Nice park rangers answering kids questions. No elk in site but we saw plenty of turkeys.

Michael Bennett

Nice little place to stop before you make the trip up 441. They have several restrooms and drink machines. There is also a picnic area. The visitor center is a nice place with quite a bit to see and research.

matt poole

Lots of parking, helpful staff, clean bathrooms. The center has a very good gift shop with patches (my families favorite) pins, walking stick medals, shirts mugs ect. They have a wall of maps for sale (about $1 ea.) for specific things like waterfalls or hiking or caves. You can also get suggestions about activities and scenic routes and more. There are elk crossing signs on the road out front and we saw elk there all 4 of the times we drove by. One time had 13 or more of them.

Chris G

We seen Elk in the field next to the center. The rangers use crossing guard signs to stop traffic so the Elk can cross. Amazing and beautiful! Check out the free farm village tour by the field.

Mic Platt

A great introduction to the Smokey Mountains and wildlife there! Please "like" my review if it was helpful or informative.

Abigail James

The wildlife, the livestock, the gift shop and museum, the facilities, the ample space for my kid to run and play, including hiking trail and river access, and it's ALL in one place and it's ALL FREE!!!!!

Kimberly Morgan

Friendly and helpful staff. We stopped to visit the older community and read the history. We saw wild turkey and elk in the field. The rain came in rather quickly along with thunder and lightning. So, we walked the gift shop and sat on the covered porch. After an hour, we decided to head out. It was a very nice stop over. I would recommend you visit!

Melanie Colley

LOVE this visitors center. This visit was especially awesome because of the huge herd of elk in the park! We saw approximately 30 elk and the bull with this herd was MASSIVE!! The farm is fun to walk through and the trail along the river is a great walk. This is one of my favorite places in the park!

M Demers

It was very nice to stop and walk around the beautiful area. Inside, there was a lot of cool information. The best part was my family and I happened to be there and saw a heard of wild elk in the field next to the center! It was amazing!! (We were there around 5:45pm)

Dena Thompson

This place is my all time favorite place to stop at while around the area and I'm so glad that I was able to show it off to my 3 and 6 year old this time. How the have cleared alot around the river so you can see better and even have a picnic if you would like. It's a plus if you go in the early mornings and evening because most of the time you can see the heard of elk in the field. The nice of the welcome center is really nice and bathrooms have always been clean here. We also love all the information the inside can give you.

Nick Corduan

Great visitor center all around. The restrooms are clean, the store is good and well-staffed, the information center spacious and helpful. The outdoor Mountain Farm museum is free to visit and full of real, historic buildings (relocated) and a couple of replicas, all arranged in a nicely walkable layout. Pay a dollar to get the guidebook. You won't regret it! Also, the fields offer a chance to spot elk!

James Dodge

Loved it!! It was worth the stop. Everyone was so friendly.

Elizabeth Boss

Awesome place to learn how they used to live kids can also be a jr. Ranger.also for 35 a month u can become a friends of the smokies. Get discounts on that.

Linda Kelly

Nice walkway along the river. We love watching the elk in the field. Nice information center, clean restrooms.

Sentient Soup

Beautiful nature trails! The trails follow very closely to the river the entire way so you get a nice view of the river and the sounds of the flowing water. There are nice riverstone down on the river that are nice for skipping too. Farther down the trail there were a family of elk that got very close to us. The only reason I didn't give this a 5-star was because when we scheduled a tour inside the visitor center the ranger did not tell us where to meet so we were unable to make it. I would've really liked to have gone but he did not tell us where to go so we figured it was just back at the visitor center, which it was not. All in all, I would recommend this place to any visitors but just make sure you know where and what time a tour is when you schedule one.

Rhonda Hoornstra

Our favorite Visitors center in the Smokeys!! We have stopped here multiple times. Great little pioneer village with some farm animals. Also if your lucky you might see Elk grazing in the field near by. We have in the past.

Roy Gibbens

This is a beautiful place to go. The Elk are just so cool.

David Mizelle

This place is awesome, lots of Elk to look at and some old cabins and barns from long ago.

Robin Zielinski

Saw Elk. Nice walk around old farm. Inside is a gift shop and information. Worth the stop.

Mark Perschel

It has been a LONG TIME since my last visit to Oconaluftee Visitor Center. If you are visiting Cherokee or The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Make sure you stop in. The displays of the history of the area is TOP Notch! History of Before, During, and After the establishment of the Park....

Dana Price

It was such a nice place to visit. Definitely a must see! The elk were so close and we were able to get some pretty great pictures.

Shannon Olive

Very nice park. Highly recommend the river walk.

Sarah Gibson

Beautiful stop! The little old house and other buildings were great to see and read about. Coming in about an hour before sunset we saw a dozen or more Elk in the field! Such an amazing experience!

Detra Edwards

It is a nice place to look at the historic buildings, get information, and use the bathroom. The run beside it is very pretty!

Kristen Burch

This was a very nice and interesting stop. There’s lots of informative exhibits. It’s a small museum and gift store inside. Definitely worth the stop.

Tim Heistand

I was too late for the elk that are usually on pasture. Nice historic buildings and restrooms were good timing after sitting in car for 2 hours traveling through Cade's cove.

Fraggle Rock

Beautiful visitor center. Very clean and has gorgeous back deck area for gatherings and pictures.

J P

Interesting look at farm life 100 years ago. And, it's just a beautiful location.

Rhonda Smith

Great place to stop and use the bathroom before you go over the mountain. I was held up for a hour in traffic because someone saw a bear

Ron Hudson

Always enjoy stopping here on the way to Gatlinburg from Florida. It’s our first stop before getting into the Smokies. The farmstead is relaxing to walk around and enjoy walking along the stream. The visitor center is very clean with excellent information, gifts and souvenirs.

kjnkc55

Very helpful and friendly staff. Old valley farm exhibit is interesting and got to see elk in the clearing.

Larry Bennett

Great place to look around and see how it was way back. Great for kids.

Craig Bartley

Nice little store, clean bathrooms, maps...and maybe you'll see a group of elk in the fields/lawn. Also has a farm museum and an easy walking trail by the river.

e.m. fitzgibbon

Rangers and employees cheerful, got to hear a ranger give a small talk on snakes which was very cool!