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Oconaluftee Over the Top Tour: Scenic Smokies Exploration
4.8
23 Ratings
Gatlinburg
Embark on the Oconaluftee Over the Top Tour and explore the scenic beauty of the Smokies. Discover panoramic mountain vistas, learn about Cherokee culture, and spot majestic elk in the historic Oconaluftee Valley.
Embark on the Oconaluftee Over the Top Tour and explore the scenic beauty of the Smokies. Discover panoramic mountain vistas, learn about Cherokee culture, and spot majestic elk in the historic Oconaluftee Valley.
Duration:
5 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Oconaluftee Visitor Center - Situated at the Cherokee, NC entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, this visitor center hosts the Oconaluftee Mountain Farm Museum. The surrounding fields are home to numerous elk, the largest animals in the Smokies. Visitors can enjoy exploring the exhibits and the gift shop.
- Newfound Gap Road -…
- Oconaluftee Visitor Center - Situated at the Cherokee, NC entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, this visitor center hosts the Oconaluftee Mountain Farm Museum. The surrounding fields are home to numerous elk, the largest animals in the Smokies. Visitors can enjoy exploring the exhibits and the gift shop.
- Newfound Gap Road - Renowned as the most picturesque road in the southeast, this 33-mile route winds through the mountains, crossing Newfound Gap at an elevation exceeding 5,000 feet. Several stops will be made to take in the breathtaking views.
- Mingus Mill - Established in 1886, this historic grist mill showcases the traditional methods used by mountaineers to grind corn and wheat.
- Mountain Farm Museum - Located next to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center, the Mountain Farm Museum is a distinctive collection of farm buildings gathered from various locations within the national park. Visitors can explore a log farmhouse, barn, apple house, springhouse, and a functioning blacksmith shop to experience how families might have lived a century ago. Most structures date back to the late 19th century and were relocated here in the 1950s. The Davis House provides a rare opportunity to see a log house constructed from chestnut wood before the chestnut blight devastated the American Chestnut in the 1930s and early 1940s.
- Oconaluftee River Trail - Elk sightings are possible at several spots around Oconaluftee and the Cherokee, NC entrance to the park, including the Oconaluftee River Trail and other fields and meadows.
What's Included
- Bottled water
- Snacks
- Bottled water
- Snacks
What's Not Included
- Car seats- please provide your own car seat for children that are too small for a regular seat belt
- Car seats- please provide your own car seat for children that are too small for a regular seat belt
Additional Information
This tour crosses the Smoky Mountains’ crest from Tennessee to North Carolina. Participants will enjoy one of the Southeast’s most picturesque roads and several breathtaking mountain views. Upon reaching the Oconaluftee Valley, there will be visits to historic buildings to learn about the culture of the native Cherokee and European-descended…
This tour crosses the Smoky Mountains’ crest from Tennessee to North Carolina. Participants will enjoy one of the Southeast’s most picturesque roads and several breathtaking mountain views. Upon reaching the Oconaluftee Valley, there will be visits to historic buildings to learn about the culture of the native Cherokee and European-descended mountaineers. While exploring this historic valley, participants should watch for elk, the largest animals in the Smokies, reintroduced by the park service in 2001.
- Please provide your own infant/booster seat if needed
Location
Gatlinburg Welcome Center
Banner Road
On Banner Road off of Highway 441/321 just north of Gatlinburg.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.8
(23 Ratings)
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Compass02246401482
Dec 3, 2025
Absolutely loved this experience - We had a tour last Wednesday with Wes and it was nothing short of fantastic. It wasn't like a mechanical tour of the mountains, it was more akin to meeting up with an old friend and being driven round stunning scenery. Wes was a fountain of knowledge and everywhere he took us was stunning and insightful.
He found us a family of elk to watch and then rather than sitting in a huge line of traffic once we had watched the elk, he took the time to take us to other sights.
Highly recommended using this company.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tabbethag2025
Nov 22, 2025
Mind blowing! - I can’t say enough about this trip and Wes, our guide. So knowledgeable and entertaining. In my husband’s words, you can tell he cut his teeth out here. He knew so much and exactly where to go to see the most stunning sites. We saw the biggest bull elk we have ever seen in our lives and several females as well. It was beautiful and a once in a lifetime experience! We already have plans to come back next year and request Wes for a specialized tour. We will never regret booking this trip. Thank you so much for an unbelievable experience. Me, Billy, Jason, and Michelle can’t quit talking about it!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Teresake3416zx
Oct 16, 2025
Tour in Smokey Mountain National Park - Going to Smokey Mountain National Park had long been on our bucket list and finally while visiting family in Charlotte we were able to hop in a car and make the long awaited visit to the park. It was an absolutely beautiful October day and the park was so amazing! Our “Over The Top Tour in Oconaluftee” with Smokey Mountain guide Phillip was great as well! Born and raised in North Carolina our guide was so knowledgeable of everything that the park had to offer us. You could sense the love that he had of the park as he drove us to see the beautiful vistas where the leaves were changing colors. Phillip shared with us the history of the park and the people past and present. He also generously shared his photography skills offering to take pictures of us surrounded by the beauty of the Smokey Mountains. We both had an amazing day and Phillip deserves most of the credit. Thank you all!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
O2724lzleslies
Oct 15, 2025
Great intro to the psrk - Mark was an excellent guide. He is very knowledgeable about the park and local history and made sure everyone was comfortable.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Y629cpmaryw
Aug 3, 2025
Over the Top Tour in Oconaluftee - Phillip Bateman contacted me the night before our tour and indicated that he would be willing to pick us up at our hotel in Gatlinburg. He met us at the appointed time the next morning and introduced himself to myself and my husband. We were the only tourists on the tour. We enjoyed the tour of the mountains he was very knowledgeable about the Indians native to the area. We also went to Cherokee, North Carolina. Phillip was very personable and knowledgeable about the flora and fauna of the mountain area as well as the history of the tribes native to that area. We would definitely recommend Phillip Bateman and his company for tours of this area. The tour was outstanding.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lisa_g
May 16, 2025
Must do tour - Fantastic tour. We had Philip as our guide and he was great. Very knowledgeable about the area and especially the Cherokee tribe and how everything came about being in the Smoky Mountains. I would definitely book this trip . In fact we changed our Cades Cove tour from Pink Jeep to instead go with Philip again on his Cades Cove one. I think he will make that trip great also
Review provided by Viator
Edward_n
Mar 27, 2025
Way over the top! - Philip was our tour guide. He as very knowledgeable about all of the history of the area and extremely courteous at all times. Very interested in knowing what exactly we were looking forward to seeing. If we are ever in the area again, we would definitely book another tour with Philip!
Review provided by Viator
William_p
Mar 10, 2025
Substitute Tour was still Excellent - Our Over the Top Tour got canceled due to wind and snow at the higher elevations. So our guide Wes proposed a substitute “mini tour” which lasted about 90 minutes. He cut the price and took us to the Elkmont settlement. During the drive he shared a lot of great information about wildlife, and park history. We truly enjoyed the tour and appreciated the substitution. He even volunteered to contact us the next morning and let us know which roads were open and he followed up on his promise. We highly recommend Wes!!
Review provided by Viator
Lauraz46074
Jan 21, 2025
Must visit - Thank you, Wes, for taking us to see the Smoky Mountains for the first time in our lives. It was an unforgettable experience, and we learned so much about the history of the mountains, the Elkmont Club, and the Cherokee communities.
It was amazing to discover that elk can only be seen in the North Carolina part of the park, and we were lucky to see them during our visit! Wes went above and beyond to help us spot wildlife in the mountains, and we truly appreciate his effort and dedication.
This trip was both educational and enjoyable, and we are so grateful for the experience. Highly recommend Wes to anyone looking to explore the Smoky Mountains!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Faraway365813
Dec 27, 2025
Disappointed! ☹️ - We were very disappointed!
We spent the majority of our time in the van. Out of 5 hours we got to walk around 45 minutes. It was way overpriced! When we went up to the Smokey Mountains it was so foggy obviously nobody can help the weather but on the way back it was clear and we didn’t get to stop 😒
I definitely don’t recommend this tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
