Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Welcome to Great Smoky Mountains National Park sprawled across the Great Smoky Mountains of eastern Tennessee and Western North Carolina!

Park History: Archeologists have unearthed human artifacts inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park that are over 9,000 years old, telling us that this land was settled by Native Americans long ago. In the late 18th Century the first white settlers arrived in the region and met the people of the Cherokee Tribe. The Cherokee were one of the most culturally advanced tribes in North America and they had built towns, farms, trails, and had a sophisticated system of government. Most of the Cherokee were forced westward to Oklahoma on the trail of tears, but a few of them still live near the park today. In the early 20th century, the timber industry began to take it's toll on the region's forests sparking local concern for the land's future. The mountain townships of Tennessee and North Carolina worked together to raise half of the necessary $10 million needed to purchase the land for Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which was established in 1934.

Flora and Fauna: Great Smoky Mountains National Park helps protect the home of numerous plant and animals species. There are more species of plants inside this park than there are on the entire continent of Europe. Some of the plants that grow inside the park boundaries include beeches, black walnuts, loblolly pines, umbrella magnolias, pecans, Japanese barberries, American hazels, and many others. Some of the wild animals who call this place home include black bears, deer, foxes, raccoons, coyotes, squirrels, bats, skunks, salamanders, Eastern Box turtles, rat snakes, king snakes, and so many others. Over 10,000 species have been documented inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Please treat their home with respect.

For the lover of the outdoors Great Smoky Mountains National Park boasts numerous waterfalls, over 150 trails, and so much more. Come on out and explore!

This was RecPlanet place of the day on April 19, 2016 and again on October 7, 2017.