Over the Top

Overview

Travel through the Sugarlands Valley, across the crest of the Smokies, and down into the Oconaluftee watershed toward Cherokee, NC. “Look to the left, this is why the Native Americans called it Shaconage, the land of the blue smoke.”

We walk a short distance to one of the largest turbine grist mills in the area, explore a mountain farm recreating 1800s culture, and visit the Oconaluftee Visitor Center, where, if you’re lucky, you’ll catch a glimpse of elk in the valley.

Highlights

• Cross the crest into North Carolina
• Historic turbine grist mill
• 1800s mountain farm
• Elk in the Oconaluftee valley