The great smoky mountains national park pulls in nearly 10 million visitors each and every year. The majority of that group flocks to hike the parks nearly 800 miles of wilderness trails or fish and canoe its rivers or camp in the wide open spaces of its endless forest.
The great smoky mountains national park grounds are a living history lesson. In fact, the Mountain Farm Museum is a rare collection of refurbished assembly of farm houses and other buildings that reveal a way of life that no longer exists. Visitors can see, touch and smell a log farmhouse, a barn and a working blacksmith shop in addition to other types of buildings from the era. All in order to get an idea of how families lived worked and survived more than 200 years ago. Many of the facilities found in the great smoky mountains national park were constructed in the late 19th century, and then moved to the great smoky mountains national park in the early 1950s. Several of the log cabins and houses offer stunning examples not only of the workmanship of the time, but also of the materials used. For example, one cabin is made of chestnut wood which was all but eliminated during a serious blight that took place in American forests the 1930s and early 1940s.
As was mentioned, the great smoky mountains national park can be considered a hiker's paradise. One of the areas that draw in a steady stream of hikers and trekkers is the Cataloochee Valley. Situated among some of the most rugged mountains known to man in the southeastern United States, the valley is surrounded by 6000-foot peaks, which continue to test man's endurance and climbing expertise. In this secluded valley originated the largest and most prosperous settlement in what has become the great smoky mountains national park.
If the great smokey mountains could speak, who knows what grand tales would be revealed. Stories of explorers and miners who were embraced by the great smokey mountains gentle caress and never heard from again, outlaws and Indians that used the great smokey mountains as a hiding place have been passed on from generation to generation. The great smoky mountains park is like a book waiting to be read. Each trail like a page to be enjoyed. Each tree like a newly discovered word.
The park is a refuge to more than 200 species of birds, which make walking the many trails bird-watchers delight. Furthermore, over 70 types of fish and 30 species of amphibians can be found in the many lakes and streams, including the rare red-cheeked salamander, which lives only in the great smoky mountains park. Great smoky mountains park is especially famous for its many black bears, most of which weigh an average of 250 pounds and have - on occasion - attacked or mauled humans that ventured too close in their attempts to touch or feed the massive beasts. Other, less menacing animals include the white-tailed deer, raccoons and skunks, and even an occasional bobcat.
This massive open air treasure is one of the most revered parks in the United States and continues to impress visitors of all ages with its splendor and beauty.