Visiting The Smokies Summer 2021
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Courtesy of Great Smoky Mountains National Park The Clingmans Dome Observation Tower is a prominent landmark and destination as the highest point in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Don't leave without visiting Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Many would say a trip to East Tennessee without a stop in Great Smoky Mountains National Park would be a waste. They might very well be right, as it would certainly be a shame to miss out on the natural and historic splendors the nation’s most-visited national park has to offer, officials say. Regarded by some as the crown jewel of national parks, it has not only world-class scenery, abundant wildlife and vegetation, but a rich background of pioneer history. The park preserves the largest collection of historic log buildings in the East. It includes houses, barns and schools, located in Cades Cove, Cataloochee and the Oconaluftee Mountain Farm Museum. Want to see all of the interesting sights without missing any of the major scenic views? Plan a second trip to visit the Townsend/Great Smokies area. Great Smoky Mountains National Park is recognized as having natural resources of international significance.
The Smokies have more old growth or “virgin” forest than anywhere else in the East — more than 100,000 acres — despite the fact much of the park area was timbered before becoming a park. According to the National Park Service, Great Smoky Mountains is the most biodiverse park in the system. “Encompassing over 800 square miles in the Southern Appalachian Mountains, no other area of equal size in a temperate climate can match the Park’s amazing diversity,” the NPS maintains. “Over 19,000 species have been documented in the Park and scientists believe an additional 80,000-100,000 species may live here.” The Smokies also have more types of flowering plants than any other North American national park. As for its mountains? Mount LeConte isn’t the highest (feet above sea level) mountain in the East, but it is the tallest Continue on page 10
