Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is an American national park in the southeastern United States, with parts in Tennessee and North Carolina. The park straddles the ridgeline of the Great Smoky Mountains, part of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which are a division of the larger Appalachian Mountain chain. The park contains some of the highest mountains in eastern North America, including Clingmans Dome, Mount Guyot, and Mount Le Conte. The border between the two states runs northeast to southwest through the center of the park. The Appalachian Trail passes through the center of the park on its route from Georgia to Maine. With 12.5 million visitors in 2019, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited national park in the United States.
The park encompasses 522,419 acres (816.28 sq mi; 211,415.47 ha; 2,114.15 km2), making it one of the largest protected areas in the eastern United States. The main park entrances are located along U.S. Highway 441 (Newfound Gap Road) in the towns of Gatlinburg, Tennessee and Cherokee, North Carolina, and also in Townsend, Tennessee. The park is internationally recognized for its mountains, waterfalls, biodiversity, and spruce-fir forests. In addition, the park also preserves multiple historical structures that were part of communities occupied by early European-American settlers of the area.The park was chartered by the United States Congress in 1934, and officially dedicated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1940. The Great Smoky Mountains was the first national park whose land and other costs were paid for in part with federal funds; previous parks were funded wholly with state money or private funds. The park was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983, and an International Biosphere Reserve in 1988.As the most visited national park in the United States, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park anchors a large tourism industry based in Sevier County, Tennessee adjacent to the park. Major attractions include Dollywood, the second-most visited tourist attraction in Tennessee, Ober Gatlinburg, and Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies. Tourism to the park contributes an estimated $2.5 billion annually into the local economy.
- 1 History
- 2 Cultural importance
- 3 Geology
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4
Environment
- 4.1 Climate
- 4.2 Air pollution
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5
Biology and ecology
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5.1
Fish
- 5.1.1 List of fish
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5.1
Fish
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6
Attractions and activities
- 6.1 Hiking
- 6.2 Other activities
- 7 Historic areas within the national park
- 8 See also
- 9 Notes
- 10 References
- 11 External links
Links
Images Gallery
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The observation tower at Clingmans Dome, the highest point in the national park
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Clearcut logging in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Tennessee, 1936
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Colorful autumn leaves in October 2008
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The Alum Cave Bluffs trail to the summit of Mount LeConte provides numerous views of the Great Smoky Mountains.
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The Chimney Tops was a popular destination for hikers until access was closed due to wildfire damage in 2016.
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Cades Cove panorama
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The Becky Cable house in the Cades Cove Historic District was built in 1879.
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The John Ownby Cabin in The Sugarlands valley was built in 1860.
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Comments
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Amazing place, abundantly rich in nature, beauty, history, adventure, and wildlife. Hikes are amazing but please be prepared and informed ahead of time. Smoky Mountains have many great things for all.
a week ago -
Simply beautiful, breath taking sites. I'd love to come again some day!!! All kinds of site seeing, and rest stops to take pictures. Everyone is so friendly!
2 weeks ago -
Awesome and beautiful place! You'll want to put this on your bucket list. Take time to stop by and dip your feet in the streams that run alongside the roads leading up the mountain. You won't regret it.
4 days ago -
So many trails. This place is so beautiful and is very peaceful. Look forward to seeing bears and other animals! Plan ahead and do research before coming.
2 weeks ago -
Breathtaking views throughout, so many places to pull over and take it all in, my daughter loved exploring in the rocks/creek, and we had the opportunity to see elk up close. Amazing!!!
a week ago -
While the views may not be as spectacular as Yosemite or Yellowstone, this is still a beautiful park with great hiking and forever views. The many original settler cabins provide a window into the past. We saw deer, turkeys, elk, and bear. And while we encountered crowds at the most popular attractions when we visited in early June, it was easy to find great trails where we were the only hikers. Definitely worth the trip.
a month ago -
It was so beautiful. Had a great time riding our motorcycle there. We had a blast.
a week ago -
WOW!!! What an amazing adventure. This park is absolutely gorgeous. The rivers and streams are just stunning, and there seems to be something exciting around every corner. There is a lot of history within the park as well. Do yourself a favor and stop off at the many attractions to really see what it was like back in the day. The wildlife and numerous trails are all worth the trip.
a month ago