Great Smoky Mountains National Park
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What is the Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a scenic wilderness area located in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina, U.S., encompassing the core of the Great Smoky Mountains. Established in 1934, the park aims to preserve the last sizable area of southern primeval hardwood forest in the United States and contains some of the highest peaks in the Appalachian Mountains. The park is a UNESCO International Biosphere Reserve and a World Heritage site. The mountains were named for the bluish haze characteristic of the region.
Nearly all of the park is forested. Summits and ridges are crowned with relict ice-age forests of red spruce and Fraser fir. The park is easily accessible and is one of the most heavily visited in the country. Popular activities include hiking some of the trails, fishing, and going on driving tours.
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Where is the Great Smoky Mountains National Park located?
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a scenic wilderness in the eastern part of Tennessee and western North Carolina, United States. The park, which covers 816 square miles (2,113 square km), stretches 54 miles (87 km) southwest from the Pigeon River to the Little Tennessee River and is 15 to 20 miles (24 to 32 km) wide. It is located between Knoxville, Tennessee to the west and Asheville, North Carolina to the east.
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What kind of plants and animals can be found in the park?
In Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the summits and ridges feature forests of red spruce and Fraser fir. Open areas, called balds, showcase purple and pink rhododendron blossoms in early summer. Lower slopes contain trees such as hemlock, silverbell, black cherry, and tulip trees. Other vegetation includes flowering dogwood, redbud, serviceberry, mountain laurel, rhododendron, and azaleas.
Important wildlife species include black bears, white-tailed deer, wild boars, foxes, raccoons, red wolves, ruffed grouse, wild turkeys, at least 25 species of salamanders, and numerous songbirds.
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Why is the Great Smoky Mountains region known for its biodiversity?
The Great Smoky Mountains region, home to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, is renowned for its biodiversity due to its varied elevations, abundant rainfall, and old-growth forests. These forests, about 40% of which are virgin growth, support a wide array of plant and animal life, including at least 25 species of salamanders, numerous songbirds, black bears, and unique flora like the threatened red spruce and Fraser fir. The area's unique bluish haze, which gave the mountains their name, adds to the distinctive character of this UNESCO World Heritage site.
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What activities can visitors do at the national park?
In Great Smoky Mountains National Park, visitors can enjoy a variety of activities. The park features 800 miles of trails for hiking. Other popular pursuits include fishing, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing. Driving tours are also a common way for visitors to experience the changing colors of the leaves in the fall. Additionally, the Appalachian National Scenic Trail follows the crestline between North Carolina and Tennessee, and the southern end of the Blue Ridge Parkway is located at the park's southern border.
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How was the Great Smoky Mountains National Park created and protected?
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, located in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina, was established in 1934. The park was created to preserve a sizable area of southern primeval hardwood forest. The area, originally part of the Cherokee Nation, was heavily logged in the early 20th century. Today, the park is one of the most heavily visited national parks and was designated a UNESCO International Biosphere Reserve in 1976 and a World Heritage site in 1983.
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park, scenic wilderness area in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina, U.S., encompassing the core of the Great Smoky Mountains. Covering 816 square miles (2,113 square km), the park is some 15 to 20 miles (24 to 32 km) wide and extends southwestward for 54 miles (87 km) from the Pigeon River to the Little Tennessee River. It was established in 1934 to preserve the last remaining sizable area of southern primeval hardwood forest in the United States, and it contains some of the highest peaks in the Appalachian Mountains—including Kuwohi, the park’s highest point at 6,643 feet (2,025 meters). The park was designated a UNESCO International Biosphere Reserve in 1976 and a World Heritage site in 1983.
Nearly all of the park is forested. Summits and ridges are crowned with relict ice-age forests of red spruce and Fraser fir; both species are threatened—the firs by a nonnative insect and the spruce by acid rain and air pollution. In open areas (balds), purple and pink rhododendron blossoms often appear in the early summer. Among the rushing streams on the lower slopes are found such trees as hemlock, silverbell, black cherry, black walnut, buckeye, yellow birch, and tulip tree; the latter tree sometimes attains a trunk diameter of more than 7 feet (2.1 meters). Other vegetation at lower elevations includes flowering dogwood, redbud, and serviceberry; dense stands of mountain laurel, white-blossomed rhododendron, and azaleas form almost impenetrable thickets. Important species of wildlife in the park include black bears, white-tailed deer, wild boars, foxes, raccoons, red wolves, ruffed grouse, wild turkeys, at least 25 species of salamanders, and numerous colorful songbirds.
Until the 1800s the area formed part of the Cherokee Nation; its people named the land “Place of Blue Smoke” for the bluish haze characteristic of the region. The first white settlers established themselves in the sheltered coves and valleys of the area, and a number of their picturesque primitive buildings have been preserved. The area was heavily logged during the first quarter of the 20th century.
The park, easily accessible via a road bisecting its center, is one of the most heavily visited in the country. Its three visitor centers contain exhibits on natural history and culture, such as the Mountain Farm Museum’s collection of historic log buildings. Popular activities include hiking some of the 800 miles (1,300 km) of trails, fishing, horseback riding, cross-country skiing, and going on driving tours; autumn draws many visitors to view the changing colors of the leaves. The Appalachian National Scenic Trail follows the crestline between North Carolina and Tennessee, and the southern terminus of the Blue Ridge Parkway is at the park’s southern border, where it meets the Cherokee Indian Reservation. Just north of the park, the Tennessee cities of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge (home to the Dollywood resort complex) are popular tourist destinations.