Oconaluftee Visitor Center

The Oconaluftee Visitor Center is the park’s main center on the North Carolina side, inside the park about two miles north of Cherokee on US-441. Museum exhibits trace life in the mountains from Native Americans and early European settlers through the Civilian Conservation Corps and the creation of the national park. There is a bookstore, gift shop, restrooms, and rangers who can help with trip planning. Next door is the Mountain Farm Museum, a collection of historic log buildings with seasonal demonstrations of farm life, and elk are often seen in the fields nearby. The center is open daily except Christmas Day.