Facts and Information | Explore the Great Smoky Mountains

Facts and Information About The Great Smoky Mountains and Environs

Areas of the GSMNP

Sugarlands
Oconaluftee
Smokemont
Newfound Gap
Elkmont
Tremont
Roaring Fork
Metcalf Bottoms
Little Greenbrier
Cades Cove
Greenbrier
Deep Creek
Big Creek
Cosby
Balsam Mountain
Cataloochee
Foothills Parkway
Chilhowee

National Park Service Map of the GSMNP (click to magnify)

Great Smoky Mountains - Staggering Biodiversity in America's most visited National Park

GSMNP Statistics:

Size (acres) 522,427.
Size (sq. miles) 800.
Over 800 miles of trails including 71 miles of the Appalachian Trail (AT).
Roads 384 miles total —238 are paved and 146 are unpaved.
Lowest elevation (feet above sea level) 875.
Highest elevation (feet above sea level) 6,643.
Average annual rainfall varies from 55 inches in the valleys to over 85 inches on some peaks.
Average snowfall varies from less than a foot in the valleys to over 5 feet at high elevations.
Average temperature is 71.1°F, however can vary from the 90s in Summer to the low 20s in Winter.

Most Popular Places

Cades Cove
Elkmont
Look Rock
Mount LeConte
Newfound Gap
Clingmans Dome
Townsend
The Appalachian Trail

Activites

Driving tours
Bicycling
Horseback Riding
Fishing
Hiking
Picnicking
Camping
Wildlife Viewing
Fall Colors
Winter Snow
Spring Bloom
Summer Fire Flies
Waterfalls
Rushing Water
Exploring
Discovering
Learning
Experiencing
Just Being

Environs

Pisgah NF
Nantahala NF
Cherokee NF
Chattahoochee NF
Blue Ridge Parkway
Gatlinburg, Tn.
Cosby, Tn.
Pigeon Forge, Tn.
Wear Vally, Tn.
Townsend, Tn.
Walland, Tn.
Sevierville, Tn.
Kodak, Tn.
Cherokee, NC.
Maggie Valley, NC.
Bryson City, NC.
Fontana Village and lake
Knoxville, Tn.
Asheville, NC.

Interesting Facts:

The GSMNP has over 11 million visitors each year.
It's the most visited National Park in the U.S.
The Black Bear population in the Park is approximately 1,900.
Elk were reintroduced in the Park in 2000 and 2001. The current size of the Elk herd is now approximately 200.
Most popular hiking trails are - the Appalachian Trail (AT), Laurel Falls, Abrams Falls, Alum Cave trail, and Trillium Gap trail.
The GSMNP is designated as an International Biosphere Reserve, known as the Southern Appalachian Man and the Biosphere (SAMAB).
GSMNP is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Up and until 1991 the Elkmont area of the Park was a mountain resort comprised of private vacation home communities such as - Daisy Town, Society Hill, Millionaires Row, the Wonderland Hotel, and the Appalachian Club.

About the Great Smoky Mountains and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park was established by Congress on June 15th 1934.

A little over six years later, on September 2nd 1940, President Franklin D. Roosevelt officially dedicated the Great Smoky Mountains National Park for "the permanent enjoyment of the people."

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A Concise History of the Great Smoky Mountains Region:

Up and until the late 1700s the Great Smoky Mountains were the exclusive home of the Cherokee Indians.
European settlers arrived in the area in the late 1790s.
The Cherokees were forcibly removed from the region in 1830.
Beginning in the early 1800s life in the Smoky Mountains evolved from hunting, fishing, and trapping to farming and the commerce which supported farming.
Starting around 1900 logging and lumber became a growth industry in the Smokies. In just a matter of years close to 80 percent of the trees in the Smoky Mountains had been felled for lumber.
Around 1923 efforts began to save the remaining trees and preserve the region from further logging.
On June 15th, 1934 Congress established the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
On September 2nd, 1940 the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was dedicated and opened.

Internet Links to GSM Resources

The Appalachian Club in Elkmont