Great Smoky Mountains
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is an area of scenic forests that holds a world record number of 130 tree species. Fourteen major forest types are distinguished, most notable cove hardwood and spruce-fir. Large parts of the forests are old growth forest with many trees that predate European settlement of the area in the 18th century.
The park covers 209,000 ha and has been a US National Park since 1934. It has diverse fauna including 50 native animals. These include the black bear and the white-tailed deer, and smaller mammals like the red fox, raccoons and squirrels. Its lungless salamanders, more than 200 species of birds and mollusks are also notable.
There are a number of historical attractions inside the park. The most well-preserved of these is Cades Cove, a valley with a number of preserved historic buildings including log cabins, barns, and churches. These were made by the white frontierspeople that began settling the land in the 18th and early 19th century. Before that, the region was part of the homeland of the Cherokee Indians.
Visit April 2009
I spent two days in the Smoky Mountains, a Monday and Tuesday in April, and was fortunate enough the avoid the notorious crowds. At the first day I did the Cades Coves loop. This takes you through a secluded valley deep in the park, with bright green pastures and historical wooden buildings. It's also known for its wildlife, but I didn't encounter more than wild turkeys (huge!) and deer.
About half way on the loop lies the start of a popular walking tour, the Abrams Falls Trail. It's a 5-mile walk. It takes you on a sometimes slippery path through the forest, ending at a waterfall. Not wildly spectacular, but a fine way to stretch your legs. I walked it in about 3 hours in total.
The second morning I took the Newfound Gap Road that leads right through the National Park, from Gatlinburg (Tennessee) to Cherokee (North Carolina). Along the road are a number of overlooks that give good views over the forests and the mountains. The latter indeed with the layers of "smoke" attached from which it takes its name.
In the evening I undertook a last attempt at spotting a bear (or other wildlife). I went back to Cades Cove, where I arrived at 7.15 pm. The setting sun gave the open fields a wonderful golden glare. There were more cars around than during the day, many of those belonging to photographers. But again no bears! Only deer.
The hosts of my B&B told me when I came back that (young) bears when they are hungry even come into Gatlinburg and spook around the house. At this time of the year they are not often seen. Cades Cove at dusk however still is the best bet.
More photos can be found in the Picture Gallery
Reviews
James Kovacs (USA):
The Smokies can be a joy or it can be a nightmare.
I've had both experiences in this park. I would not
recommend taking the Cades Cove driving loop tour
in the summer. The traffic is overwhelming and very slow.
I would recommend doing this on a weekday in the spring
or fall. The hiking in the Smokies is extraordinary.
I hiked the remote Cataloochee cove area on a Saturday
in July and didn't see a soul. It was marvelous.
I have also hiked to Alum Cave and Andrews Bald and enjoyed
these hikes very much. Clingmans Dome however is a bit
overrated. And I was so disappointed to see all the
acid rain destruction here. |
| Date posted: February 2006 |
Paul Tanner (UK):
 The Great Smoky Mountains have been designated as “one of the world’s finest examples of temperate hardwood deciduous forest”. For those interested, they also apparently have “possibly the greatest variety of salamanders in the world” and are “a centre of endemism for N American molluscs”!! I am afraid we didn’t look for any examples of these “families” on either of our visits and, I suspect, neither have many of the people who visit the Park each year.
In reality the most amazing aspect of the “Smokies” is that it exists at all in such a relatively pristine state so close to the great cities of the eastern seaboard and southern states. It would be an interesting “trivia speculation” to consider which of the world’s UNESCO heritage sites receives the largest number of visitors (clearly this question can only apply to WHS with “entry rules” not to eg cities!). Apparently the Smokies has over 9 million pa – more than twice as many as the next most popular US park. And you will notice as you drive in/through on the relatively few roads! To pass through the “border towns” of Gatlinburg and Cherokee is to see what could have existed inside the park if there had been no restrictions on development. The nearby “Dollywood” theme park is billed as follows:-
“Unique as its namesake Dolly Parton, Dollywood is a one-of-a-kind Smoky Mountain Family Adventure! Spanning 125 acres and nestled in the lush foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, near Gatlinburg, Dollywood is one of the most popular family vacation destinations”.
And that is the problem with visiting the Smokies - wherever you go it is going to be very crowded. No doubt there are slack days but, in vacation season, it can be hell. The side trip along a loop road to the historic “log cabin” pioneer settlement of Cades Cove (Photo) can take hours to drive (it gets 2 million people a year). But it is a beautiful valley with lush pastures, dark green woods and rushing streams. Clingman’s Dome, at 6643ft the 2nd highest point in the eastern US, has an enormous car park and crowds walking the last half mile to the observation ramp (the Smokies are too far south to have a conventional “tree line” and, although there are some mountains called “Balds” topped by meadows most of the mountains are fully wooded - hence the ramp to get a view). No doubt it is possible to find quiet trails and to escape the crowds out of season but my visits have been in May/June when the area is popular for the Rhododendrons and both were pretty busy. By the way you can actually see the blue “haze” which gives the mountains their name – well I don’t think it was exhaust fumes anyway! |
| Date posted: June 2005 |
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