Oconaluftee River, Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Oconaluftee is
the name of a river valley in the Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina,
located in the Southeastern United States. Formerly the site of a Cherokee
village and Appalachian community, the valley's bottomland is now home to the
main entrance to the North Carolina side of the Great Smoky Mountains National
Park.
In the shadow of
Great Smoky Mountains, right at the entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National
Park, you’ll discover the Oconaluftee River. The "Luftee," as it is
known locally, is a beautiful freestone river that flows right through downtown
Cherokee, North Carolina and Qualla Boundary, the homeland of the Eastern Band
of Cherokee Indians.
The Cherokee have traditionally honored the Oconaluftee as
"sacred waters" and the river continues to play an important role in
Cherokee life and culture.
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