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| Oconaluftee River Trail | ||
| Trail Features: | Stream | |
| Trail Location: | Oconaluftee Visitor Center | |
| Roundtrip Miles: | 3.0 miles | |
| Total Elevation Gain: | 70 feet | |
| Avg. Elev Gain / Mile: | 47 feet | |
| Highest Elevation: | 2103 feet | |
| Trail Difficulty Rating: | 3.14 (easy) | |
| Parking Lot Latitude: | 35.51386 | |
| Parking Lot Longitude: | -83.30662 | |
Directions to Trailhead:
The Oconaluftee River Trail begins just behind the
Trail Description:
To reach the trailhead, walk behind the visitor center and head towards the
The Mountain Farm Museum is a collection of log buildings from various locations around the park. These log structures, built during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, depict a farm, typical of the Smoky Mountains region during this time period. The farmstead includes a furnished two-story log house from the 1840's, a large barn, pig pens, corn cribs, split rail fence, drovers' barn, and several other outbuildings.
The trail itself is a pleasant walk along the
The term "Oconaluftee" comes from the Cherokee word egwanulti, which means "by the river," a reference to one of the oldest Cherokee villages along the river. The Cherokee word was corrupted in pronunciation and spelling by the European settlers who arrived in the early 1800s. The word became Oconaluftee, and soon, by association, grew to mean the river itself.
The trail has been covered with gravel as a result of the large number of hikers on this trail. It’s also one of two trails within the park in which visitors can walk dogs and ride bicycles.
As the trail meanders along the river, it travels among Eastern hemlock, yellow buckeye, Eastern sycamore, white basswood, flowering dogwood, and tuliptrees.