Great Smoky Mountains United States

Legendary

The Appalachian Trail passes through the center of the park on its path from Georgia to Maine.

Photo by Jody Claborn

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Unlike many national parks in the American West, which were created from land already held by the federal government, the Smokies had to be put together piece by piece from thousands of private landowners.

That land belonged to farmers, families, and huge logging firms. Some owners agreed to sell, while others were pushed out, and entire communities vanished in the aftermath.

Funding arrived from many directions. Tennessee and North Carolina each put in money, schoolchildren contributed pennies, and the Rockefeller family donated $5 million.

The Great Smoky Mountains form part of the Appalachian Mountains, a range that stretches along the eastern edge of North America. Among the oldest mountains on Earth, they have been smoothed by hundreds of millions of years of weathering.

Long before any of that, the Cherokee lived across these mountains. They hunted in places such as Cades Cove, and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians continues to live near the park today.

The park was created on June 15, 1934. After that, Civilian Conservation Corps crews spent years constructing the roads, trails, and shelters that visitors still use.

On September 2, 1940, President Franklin D. Roosevelt arrived to dedicate the park. At Newfound Gap, with one foot in Tennessee and the other in North Carolina, he addressed a crowd of at least 10,000 people.

He dedicated the park "for the permanent enjoyment of the people." Today, it is the most visited national park in the United States.

Cutting through its center is the Appalachian Trail. Roughly 71 miles of the famous 2,190-mile route run along the ridge crest on the state line.

This is among the trail’s highest terrain. Hikers traveling from Georgia to Maine pass straight through the park.

For the best chance to see black bears, deer, and wild turkeys, drive the loop road around Cades Cove early in the morning. At Newfound Gap, you can stand where Roosevelt once spoke, with one foot in each state. For the park’s highest view, hike to Clingmans Dome, and go early because the mist that gives the Smokies their name usually clears by midday.