Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Welcome to Great Smoky Mountains, comprised of ridge upon ridge of forest straddling the border between North Carolina and Tennessee. The park is world renowned for its diversity of plant and animal life, the beauty of its ancient mountains, and the quality of its remnants of Southern Appalachian mountain culture. With over 800 miles of trails, America's most visited national park is a hiker's paradise.
At A Glance
In The Park
Superintendent: Dale DitmansonPhone Number: 865-436-1200
Entrance Fees: Free
Sights: Mingus Mill; Mountain Farm Museum; Caldwell House; Gregg-Cable House; Hannah Cabin; Little Cataloochee Church; Noah "Bud" Ogle Cabin; Palmer Chapel; Grotto Falls; Laurel Falls; Abrams Falls; Rainbow Falls; Fontana Dam; Clingmans Dome
Important Dates
Established as Park: June 15, 1934By The Numbers
Acres: 521,495.00Highest Point: Clingman's Dome (6643 feet)
Annual Visitation: 9,289,215 (2006)
Location
Latitude / Longitude :35.631230 / -83.555910 (map it)
State: TN
Nearby Big City: Gatlinburg, TN
Gateway Communities: Cherokee, NC; Whittier, NC; Bryson City, NC; Gatlinburg, TN; Dillsboro, NC
Nearby Airports: McGhee-Tyson Airport (TYS); Asheville Regional Airport (AVL)
Green Features
Has Recycling? : YesHas Shuttle System? : No
Has Volunteer Program? : Yes
Park Photos
Bluebird Red Berry
Tony Campbell
Coyote Field
Tony Campbell
Night Opossum
Jeff Kinsey
View More Smoky Mountains Photos
In Detail
Activities & Programs Great Smoky Mountains National Park offers a variety of things to do each season. SPRING, SUMMER AND FALL Park Programs The NPS offers talks, slide shows, films, guided nature and history walks, a ... read more.
At Your Fingertips Park Headquarters and (865) 436-1200 General Information www.nps.gov/grsm Emergencies (865) 436-1230 (Touch tone only) (865) 436-1200, then 1, then 911 Backcountry Reservations (865) 436-1231 Speci ... read more.
Campgrounds in the Great Smokies Picnic tables, fire grills, running water and flush toilets are available. The large campgrounds also have amphitheaters for ranger talks and slide shows. There are no showers or trailer hookups.* Ab ... read more.
Camping at Great Smoky The park has 1,008 developed campsites at 10 campgrounds and 100 primitive backcountry campsites on the ridges. For information on horse camps, please see page 52. Reservations May 15 through Octob ... read more.
Did You Know : Battles While there were a few skirmishes, no Civil War battles were fought in the Smokies.. Mountain families sent many soldiers to fight for both the Union and Confederate armies. Meanwhile, some men, ... read more.
Did You Know : Families Mountain families typically sat down to a meal of "cat heads" (biscuits) drenched in 'lasses (sorghum molasses) or red-eye gravy, string beans with "side meat" and, of course, good, strong coffee. ... read more.
Did You Know : Photography When photographing wildlife, focus on the animal's eyes or on the area just in front of the eyes. ... read more.
Did You Know : Smokies According to local lore, the Smokies were so steep that the only way to sow them was to stand on an opposite hill and shoot the seeds across with a shotgun. ... read more.
Flora & Fauna The astounding variety of plants and animals in the Smokies is unequaled in most temperate areas of the world. Biological diversity is the hallmark of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which encom ... read more.
Foliage in the Great Smokies The Smokies foliage changes in the mountains beginning in mid-September and moves down to the valleys through October, often continuing into early November.. Here is a guide to the spectacular fall c ... read more.
Gatlinburg As one of Great Smoky Mountains National Park's principal gateway communities, Gatlinburg, Tennessee, hosts many of the park's millions of annual visitors. It is located on U.S. 441 on the park's nor ... read more.
Great Smoky Regulations SAFETY TIPS Bears: Feeding the bears is illegal! It makes them bold and potentially dangerous. Keep a clean camp and deposit garbage in park trash cans or dumpsters. Bears cause much property damag ... read more.
Highlights of the Smokies Established: The park was created in 1934 to protect the last of the southern Appalachian forest which once covered more than 4 million acres, but was virtually eliminated by logging and fire. Land A ... read more.
History of Crafts The strong crafts tradition in the Smokies produced many fine handcrafted items. Long after most people along the Eastern Seaboard lived in a cash economy, the mountain people still spun thread from ... read more.
History of Great Smoky The Great Smoky Mountains are among the highest peaks in the Appalachian mountain range, yet they are rounder and lower in elevation than younger mountain chains such as the Rocky Mountains. How they ... read more.
In A Nutshell TRANSPORTATION Getting to Great Smoky Mountains The beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway runs from Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to the southern entrance of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. U.S. 4 ... read more.
John Walker John Walker holds some cherries from his orchard. He, his wife Margaret Jane, and their 11 children lived in Little Greenbrier Cove and prided themselves on their self-sufficiency. He boasted that he ... read more.
Just For Kids Junior Rangers can earn a badge by engaging in specially-designed programs such as blacksmithing, creating a piece of pottery, venturing to learn about insects and other wildlife, or becoming a natur ... read more.
Life Zones The Smokies' various ecological communities are most often identified by forest types called, "life zones." Elevation, soil conditions, moisture or dryness, and exposure to wind and sun all play role ... read more.
Lodging & Dining at Great Smoky A variety of lodging and dining options are available to visitors, from a hike-in lodge in the park to many hotels, motels and cabins in nearby towns. LODGING AND DINING IN THE PARK LeConte Lodge For ... read more.
Recent News
- How Little We Know August 20, 2008, 12:40 pm
- Bear Safety: Observing Bears Without Mishap in Our National Parks August 20, 2008, 12:31 pm
- Florida Man's Shoe Found in Stomach of Slain Black Bear August 18, 2008, 5:06 pm
- 8-year-old boy, father injured during bear attack at Great Smoky Mountains National Park August 12, 2008, 10:56 am
- U.S. Senator Backs New National Park Funding August 4, 2008, 8:00 pm
- Net to be cast for Smokies celebration August 4, 2008, 11:07 am
- 469-mile bike ride latest adventure for cancer survivor July 28, 2008, 11:38 am
Smoky Mountains In Depth
News from the Parks
Gettysburg Address to Return for Visitor Center Grand Opening
August 21, 2008 - 5:04pm
There are only five known manuscripts of the famous Gettysburg Address, penned by President Abraham Lincoln — one of those original documents is scheduled to appear in Gettysburg, during the grand opening celebration of the new Gettysburg National Military Park Visitor Center.
August 21, 2008 - 5:04pm
There are only five known manuscripts of the famous Gettysburg Address, penned by President Abraham Lincoln — one of those original documents is scheduled to appear in Gettysburg, during the grand opening celebration of the new Gettysburg National Military Park Visitor Center.
Anglers Wary of North Cascades Plan to Limit Fishing
August 21, 2008 - 10:51am
Not much comes easy in the precipitous ice-and-rock geography of North Cascades National Park -- not the hiking, not the high-lakes fishing, and across the park's 40 years of existence, not even fish management. This is what I'm thinking during the sweaty hike out of the stunning cirque that embraces Monogram Lake, where I've spent a couple hours catching and releasing dozens of pretty cutthroat trout with two mountain anglers who fear that soon there will be no fish in the park's high lakes. Whether trout should be in these lakes at all has been an issue since the park was created in 1968, and it is coming to a head with the release in July of the park's voluminous "Mountain Lakes Fishery Management Plan."
August 21, 2008 - 10:51am
Not much comes easy in the precipitous ice-and-rock geography of North Cascades National Park -- not the hiking, not the high-lakes fishing, and across the park's 40 years of existence, not even fish management. This is what I'm thinking during the sweaty hike out of the stunning cirque that embraces Monogram Lake, where I've spent a couple hours catching and releasing dozens of pretty cutthroat trout with two mountain anglers who fear that soon there will be no fish in the park's high lakes. Whether trout should be in these lakes at all has been an issue since the park was created in 1968, and it is coming to a head with the release in July of the park's voluminous "Mountain Lakes Fishery Management Plan."
Bison Advocates Go for Space
August 21, 2008 - 10:48am
As rancher Rick Knobe slowly guides his pickup around the iconic American bison on the prairie here, he reflects on a time when they roamed freely. "I figure the buffalo were there first, the elk were there first, the wolves were there first," he says, looking over his herd of 28 American bison, on his Lazy RRse Buffalo Ranch. "I figure these animals should be given more the right of way to roam."
August 21, 2008 - 10:48am
As rancher Rick Knobe slowly guides his pickup around the iconic American bison on the prairie here, he reflects on a time when they roamed freely. "I figure the buffalo were there first, the elk were there first, the wolves were there first," he says, looking over his herd of 28 American bison, on his Lazy RRse Buffalo Ranch. "I figure these animals should be given more the right of way to roam."
Rapid Climate Change Threatens to Thaw Icy Wonderland of Alaska
August 21, 2008 - 10:43am
I was in Alaska for 10 days in August, on a fellowship with Michigan State University's Knight Center for Environmental Journalism and the Union of Concerned Scientists, to see firsthand the effects of global warming. I didn't have to look far. I watched massive chunks of glacial ice breaking off into the sea.
August 21, 2008 - 10:43am
I was in Alaska for 10 days in August, on a fellowship with Michigan State University's Knight Center for Environmental Journalism and the Union of Concerned Scientists, to see firsthand the effects of global warming. I didn't have to look far. I watched massive chunks of glacial ice breaking off into the sea.
Park Seeks Construction Comment
August 21, 2008 - 10:38am
The National Park Service proposes to construct new housing, operations and recreation facilities in Big Bend National Park. The public, organizations and other agencies may review and comment upon a draft environmental assessment (EA) describing the proposal. The new construction would occur at Panther Junction, Rio Grande Village and Castolon. The proposal is to construct 27 structures, of which 15 would serve new purposes and 12 would replace temporary or inadequate facilities.
August 21, 2008 - 10:38am
The National Park Service proposes to construct new housing, operations and recreation facilities in Big Bend National Park. The public, organizations and other agencies may review and comment upon a draft environmental assessment (EA) describing the proposal. The new construction would occur at Panther Junction, Rio Grande Village and Castolon. The proposal is to construct 27 structures, of which 15 would serve new purposes and 12 would replace temporary or inadequate facilities.
