The Great Smoky Mountains lie along the North Carolina-Tennessee border, forming part of the Appalachian range, which runs up through the Eastern United States. The national park there is stunningly beautiful, as is Shenandoah National Park in Virginia (which lies in the Blue Ridge Mountains), and it is home to diverse wildlife and offers visitors with great activities that get them closer to nature.
About Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP)
The park lies on the NC-TN border, and it encompasses over 520,000 acres of beautiful forested mountains, green meadows, and beautiful clear streams. Through the park runs the Appalachian Trail, which goes the length of the Appalachian range. The park lies just off of U.S. Highway 441, which passes through the nearby towns of Cherokee, NC, and Gatlinburg, TN, through which visitors may enter the park. One of the most visited national parks in the country and a top national park in the eastern states, GSMNP is an excellent family vacation destination because of its natural features.
Flora and Fauna in GSMNP in the Appalachian Mountains
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is mainly composed of deciduous temperate forest, much of which is made up of various types of maple, oak, magnolia, and also walnut, and tulip poplar, though several types of conifers, such as the Fraser fir and numerous pines and cedars are also found in the park. Ferns, wildflowers, grasses, and mosses, as well as several species of fungi also thrive in the park.
Animal life in the Smoky Mountains is diverse as well. Notable mammals in the park include black bear, white-tailed deer, bobcats, raccoons, skunks, several species of squirrels, including flying squirrels, rabbits (cottontails), and many species of bats. Birds include Red-tailed Hawks (and other, smaller hawks), Bald Eagles, several types of owls, Wild Turkeys, Ruffed Grouse, Bobwhite Quails, and dozens of species of wood warblers, and other songbirds (such as sparrows, orioles, flycatchers, towhees, and more).
Activities in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, a Top Family Vacation Destination in the East
Hiking and camping are some of the more popular activities in which visitors to the park may participate. Others include birdwatching, fly fishing for brook trout, and water sports, like rafting, canoeing, kayaking, and tubing in the park's many rivers. Nature-loving and outdoor-loving visitors will not be disappointed by the scenery and activities available in this top eastern recreation area.
GSMNP in North Carolina and Tennessee is certainly one of the top locations for family travel in the Eastern United States. Its natural beauty and wildlife are beyond compare.
Thomas Wyatt - Tom Wyatt grew up in Virginia. He has been interested in the outdoors (fishing, birding, camping, and other such activities) since he was ...
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