The Great Smokey Mountains National Park
in Tennessee and North Carolina is a huge and hugely important region
of protected eastern American wilderness. This 500,000-acre park, once
home to the Cherokee, contains some of the world’s oldest mountains
and one of the most biologically diverse regions on the continent. Over
10 million visitors come to the park every year to enjoy its natural
grandeur.
Visitors to the Great Smokey Mountains National Park will find it very
educational. The Oconaluftee Visitors Center is a main point of entrance
where there’s a wealth of information. Pioneer Farm is free to
all visitors and is a fascinating look at Southern Appalachia Mountain
culture. Kids can sign up here to become junior rangers.
There are endless out-door adventures to be had in the Great Smokey
Mountains National Park. Campers have several options. Developed Front
Country campgrounds have flush toilets and cold running water, with
parties of up to 8 allowed in Group Camping Areas. Back Country camping
is a great way to enjoy the splendor of the park, but permits are required
and campers must stay in designated areas.
Visitors can find many ways to see the park. Hikers have well over 800
miles of trails to trod, like Andrews Bald or the Alum Cave Trail. Scenic
hikers won’t want to miss the 8-mile, round trip trek to the magnificent
Ramsay Cascades, the tallest waterfall in the park. Bikers will enjoy
the Greenbriar, or Cataloochee trails, but Cade’s Cove Loop is
their best bet. This 11-mile one-way road offers excellent wildlife
viewing and sights of 19th century homes. Horseback riding is permitted
on 550 miles of trails. The park allows visitors to bring their own
horses, or hire them at one of the park’s stables.
Fishing is a popular activity at the Great Smokey Mountains Nation Park.
Year round fishing is permitted in most streams. Anglers can expect
to catch lots of trout, but a license is required and park regulations
must be carefully followed.
Bird watchers will love the opportunities in the Great Smokey Mountains
National Park. The parks large acreage and diversity of habitats are
home to 120 nesting bird species and a haven for 52 species of neo-tropical
migrating birds. The American kestrel, the Red-eyed Vireo and the Ovenbird
are just a few of the many birds birders might see.
Wildlife viewing is especially rewarding in the Great Smokey Mountains
National Park. It is home to flying squirrels, brook trout and 1,500
species of flowering plants. The black bear population numbers around
1,800 and the Park Service has worked hard reintroduced species like
elk, river otters and the Peregrine Falcon. The park is also the salamander
capitol of the world with a whopping 24 species of lungless salamander
in its confines, including the Jordan’s Salamander, found nowhere
else in the world. The Smokey Mountains’ crests tower
nearly a mile above the foothills.
