Overview

Set in some of the oldest mountains on Earth, 814-square-mile Great Smoky Mountain National Park is so remarkably biodiverse that scientists haven't even come close to documenting every living thing that resides here (though estimates range up to 100,000 species of animals and plant). Untouched by glaciers, the Great Smoky Mountains have been a relatively stable environment for more than a million years, and copious amounts of rainfall ensure a profusion of life. Visitors will enjoy dramatic mountain scenery while hiking the park's 800-plus miles of trails (including a segment of the Appalachian Trail) to waterfalls, through forests, across streams, and to highpoints like 6,643-foot Clingman's Dome. Hikers and horseback riders may see black bears, deer, amphibians, and perhaps even elk. Cade's Cove, a pre Civil War mountain community, has its own visitor center within the park and features a variety of buildings from the 19th and early 20th centuries, set in a breathtakingly beautiful valley. Restored buildings representative of rural life in Appalachia also can be toured at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center and in the Cataloochee Valley, the latter accessible by an auto touring road. Backcountry camping is permitted in the park, and overnight visitors also can stay in campgrounds or the park's Le Conte Lodge. Date Formed: May 22, 1926 Area: 521,490.13 acres Website: [www.nps.gov/grsm/index.htm](http://www.nps.gov/grsm/index.htm)