The Great Smoky Mountains
National Park
Tennessee and North Carolina
Established in 1934, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is one of the largest protected land areas east of the Rocky Mountains. It is over 500,000 acres of forest and contains an enormous variety of plants and animals. In terms of biological diversity, a walk from mountain base to peak is often compared to the 2,000 mile hike on the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine. The Great Smoky Mountains are ancient mountains (formed 200 to 300 million years ago), shaped by millions of years of wind, water and ice; and yet they remain some of the tallest mountains east of the Mississippi River. The park contains one of the largest remaining virgin forests. Historic churches, barns, log homes and even grist mills dot the landscape.
Click here for a down-loadable park map.
Over $10 million was raised to purchase the land that would become the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. $5 million dollars toward the purchase was provided by the Rockefeller Foundation. In 1934, congress preserved the forest for the benefit and enjoyment of the people. This park is owned not by one, but by all.
There is something exciting to do in the Smokie Mountains for every sportsman, athlete, nature lover, car or motorcycle enthusiast or just someone who wants to breathe in the fresh air! Please check out the links below in the area of YOUR interest
Seventy eight historic structures, including grist mills, churches,
schools, barns, and the homes of early settlers, preserve Southern
Appalachian mountain heritage in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.
Places to go in Smoky Mountain National
Park:
Visitor Centers
Cades Cove
Cataloochee
Deep Creek
Clingmans Dome
Fontana Dam
Mountain Farm Museum and Mingus Mill
Newfound Gap
Roaring Fork
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
107 Park Headquarters Road
Gatlinburg, TN 37738
Visitor Information
(865) 436-1200
Sinks