How tall is great smoky mountains

Fog lingers among the forested hills of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which spans the southern Appalachians along the border between Tennessee and North Carolina. Water and hydrocarbons exuded by trees produce the filmy "smoke" that gives the mountains their name.

Established: Size: , acres Annual Visitors: By the time Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most visited park in the United States, was established it was almost too late to save it.

It was ; about 80 percent of the forest in the park had been decimated by logging. Much of the land belonged to 1, small property owners. It took the governments of Tennessee and North Carolina, donations from wealthy conservationists, the U. Park Service, and a whole lot of work to buy out the loggers and landowners, and to restore the Great Smoky Mountains to their glory.

As the mountains regrew their native tree species and over native shrub species , the haze that gives the Smokies their name filled the mountain valleys in the early morning. More than 1, species of flowering plants, types of birds, and around 50 kinds of fish live there. Great Smoky Mountain National Park has five visitor centers, ideal starting points for your journey.

Here are our favorite points of departure for exploring the park. Hiking Mount LeConte could be the bucket-list item for the Smokies. LeConte Lodge sits close to the summit of Mount LeConte, at 6, feet the third highest peak in the park. There is no driving to the summit; hiking in is the only way to get there.

Built on the site of a tent camp erected in around to house visiting dignitaries, LeConte Lodge hosts day trippers as well as overnight guests. Spectacular sunrises and uninterrupted nature at LeConte Lodge welcome hikers to the only National Park Service lodging in the park. Wears Valley , just outside the Tennessee side of the park, has pastoral views and its own lesser known park entrance.

The other Tennessee park gates, especially the one in Gatlinburg, get congested at peak times of year. But the Wears Valley entrance just south of Townsend is where many locals enter the park. Synchronous fireflies light up late spring with their annual stupendous display of nature. At least 19 species of fireflies live in Great Smoky Mountains and the males and females of one species synchronize their bioluminescent flashing. But plan ahead: A free lottery determines who gets to ride the shuttle into the park on certain dates to view the night lights.

This national park contains more than cemeteries from tiny plots with just a few headstones to hundreds. Not all of the burial places in the park are marked, but keep an eye out for periwinkle. According to local author Gail Palmer , European settlers planted periwinkle on graves to keep away evil spirits. North Carolina : Located just outside Cherokee, the Oconaluftee Visitor Center is the starting point for most visitors entering the park from North Carolina.

In addition to a sizable bookstore and information desk, the center offers exhibits on Smoky Mountains history, in particular the Cherokee Indians and the early European settlers and their ancestors. Behind the visitor center, the Mountain Farm Museum gives insight into the lives of the people who once farmed the region, with hands-on exhibits and historic buildings brought from elsewhere in the park.

Clouds, precipitation, and cold temperatures reveal the hostile environment atop Clingmans Dome. Proper preparation is essential for a good visit. Although Clingmans Dome is open year-round, the road leading to it is closed from December 1 through March 31, and whenever weather conditions require. What's killing the trees?

The balsam woolly adelgid Adelges piceae is an insect pest that infests and kills stands of Fraser fir Abies fraseri in the spruce-fir zone. This fir occurs naturally only in the southern Appalachians and used to be the dominant tree at the highest elevations. The adelgid was introduced on trees imported from Europe, and the fir has little natural defense against it. By injecting the tree with toxins, the adelgid blocks the path of nutrients through the tree.

The trees literally starve to death, and thousands of dead snags are all that are left on the highest mountain peaks. Highlights: There are several trails that start on Clingmans Dome Road and parking area. Cool, wet conditions on Clingmans Dome's summit make the spruce-fir forest that grows there a coniferous rainforest.

Newfound Gap's recognition as the lowest pass through the Great Smoky Mountains did not come until Guyot, the second highest peak in the Smokies, takes his name. He used a simple barometer to measure changes in air pressure to calculate mountain heights. In most cases he was within percent of current values. His work revealed Newfound Gap as the lowest pass through the mountains, displacing nearby Indian Gap.

A new road followed, and it became the forerunner of Newfound Gap Road. Scenic views from the large parking area. Visitors can enjoy a short stroll to strech their legs or a multi-day backpacking excursion on the AT as it runs through the park. Whisky Parts Co. Whether you're looking to upgrade your current cyclocross steed, or searching for the perfect fork to round out a Mountain Bike Components. Air Quality. Clingmans Dome Clingmans Dome is marked by an observation tower with a curved ramp, providing a view out over the trees Photo by Jeff Malik.

Click here for larger-size photo. LeConte Photo by David CrazyNut. Mount Chapman Hard to find cairn Photo by Garth Brown. Old Black Overgrown summit