![]() ![]() Before the Park’s creation, much of the Smokies was privately owned. The park was chartered in 1934 and dedicated by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1940. Why is Great Smoky Mountain National Park Free? The Smokies are ancestral lands of the Cherokee people, who called the place Shaconage or “place of blue smoke.” Most Cherokee Indians peoples were forcibly removed from the area in the 1800s during the march known as the “Trail of Tears.” Learn more about the Cherokee history in the Smokies here. The VOCs also scatter blue light, creating the blueish tint you can see here. Thanks to the millions of trees in the Great Smoky Mountains, and natural humidity in the area, the VOCs create the fog and clouds that lend the Smokies their name. The “smoky” haze of the Great Smoky Mountains is visible thanks to millions of trees! VOCs easily form vapor, and in high concentrations create fog and haze. It sounds like science fiction, but VOCs are responsible for that amazing pine smell coming from your Christmas tree. Trees and plant life emit oxygen, as well as “volatile organic compounds” or VOCs. Despite the name, this isn’t actually “smoke” at all. Spend any time in the Smoky Mountains and chances are you’ll see the hazy clouds and fog that often blanket the area. Why are the Great Smoky Mountains “smoky”? Clingmans Dome, the highest point in the Park, is also the highest point on the Appalachian Trail as it winds 2,192 miles from Springer Mountain, Georgia to Katadhin, Maine. ![]() The Great Smoky Mountains, or “the Smokies” are part of the Blude Ridge mountains, which is a section of the greater Appalachian Mountain chain. That includes 70 miles of the world-famous Appalachian Trail that run through the center of the Park. ![]() There are more than 800 miles of hiking trails winding through the National Park, making Great Smoky Mountains one of the best hiking destinations in the Southeast. Home to elk, black bears, and more than 20,000 species of plants and wildlife, Great Smoky Mountains is one of the most biodiverse regions in the world. Cades Cove in Great Smoky Mountains National Park ![]()
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