The Park's rugged wildness leaves many areas still largely unexplored. Its amazing biological diversity is known to include at least 100 species of trees, 1,500 plant species, 200 species of birds, 66 types of mammals, 67 native fish species and 39 varieties of reptiles with more being discovered all the time as are new waterways.
Because of its exceptionally high rainfall, the park is also home to many natural streams. Following a three-year stream-mapping project, scientists in the Smokies have discovered that the park contains about 900 MORE miles of streams than originally known. The study is ongoing, so expectations are that there will be more streams discovered in the coming years.
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park includes ridge upon ridge of endless forest along the border between
North Carolina and Tennessee. World
renowned for the diversity of its plant and animal life, the beauty of its
ancient mountains, and the quality of its remnants of Southern Appalachian
mountain culture, this is consistently America's most visited national park. The Park is truly a nature-lovers paradise with
over 800 miles of hiking trails and
opportunities for camping, picnics and educational programs. Park Roads open in March along with Visitor Centers – The three visitor centers are open daily - Campgrounds and Horse Camps, Picnic Areas, Campground Concessions, and the ultimate "get away from it all" lodging, LeConte Lodge, accessible only by trail. Get additional links for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and other NC national and state parks on the NC Parks Visitor Guide.
No comments:
Post a Comment