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Great Smoky Mountain National Park Camping

The campground is approximately. Please visit for a list of available vendors near the park firewoodscout. Fly fishing is particularly good during spring months when aquatic insects hatch in large numbers.

Backcountry Camping – Backpacking

Amy Nichter Photo The park offers several different types of campsites: Backcountry – for backpackers. Requires hiking several miles to a site located in the park’s backcountry. Frontcountry – camping near your car in a developed campground that has restrooms with cold running water and flush toilets.

Each individual campsite has a fire grate and picnic table. Located in frontcountry campgrounds. Horse Camps – Small campgrounds, accessible by vehicle, that offer hitch racks for horses and primitive camping facilities.

Campground facilities and the procedures for obtaining a site in each type are different. Click on the titles above for additional information about facilities, reservations, and operating seasons. Includes food storage regulations, generator use and quiet hours Firewood Regulations: Only heat-treated firewood that is bundled and certified by the United States Department of Agriculture USDA or a state Great Smoky Mountain National Park Camping of agriculture may be brought into the park.

Campers may also collect dead and down wood found in the park for campfires. Certified heat-treated firewood is packaged and clearly marked with a state or federal seal.

Heat-treated wood is available from a growing list of private businesses in communities around the park. Concessioners at Cades Cove, Smokemont, and Elkmont will provide heat-treated wood for sale during their operating season March-October.

Additional information about this regulation. Last updated: February 6,

Pet Friendly Hikes and Walks

The park has over miles of trails offering hikers a wide range of scenery including spectacular mountain vistas, rushing streams and waterfalls, historic structures, and quiet groves of old-growth forest. Additionally, reservations are required for all of the shelters and backcountry campsites. Eastern Time. Amy Nichter Photo The park offers several different types of campsites: Backcountry – for backpackers.

Blue Trees Path Great Smoky Mountains National Park Tennessee

Yes, it’s time to say goodbye to Pixdaus as a website Also known as the tulip poplar, this tree often features a wide trunk with branches that begin high above the forest floor. There is no driving to the summit; hiking in is the only way to get there. You can request a removal using the Copyright flag link below each image if you find an image that shouldn’t belong here.

Trees and Shrubs Checklist

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 speciesthe haze that gives the Smokies their name filled the mountain valleys in the early morning.

Don’t miss 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 Glacier National Park To Great Falls Mt 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 Valleyjust outside the Tennessee side of the park, has pastoral Blue Trees Path Great Smoky Mountains National Park Tennessee 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 Blue Trees Path Great Smoky Mountains National Park Tennessee 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. Not all of the burial places in the park are marked, but keep an eye out for periwinkle. According to local author Gail PalmerEuropean settlers planted periwinkle on graves to keep away evil spirits.

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.

Beyond the mill, Highway starts its forest-flanked climb into the heart of the mountains. The former site of the Smokemont lumber village renders the first Glacier National Park To Great Falls Mt for camping, hiking, and horseback riding through outfits like Smokemont Riding Stables.

The road continues its ascent to Newfound Gap on the Tennessee-North Carolina border elevation 5, feetwhere a viewpoint looks out over much of the Smokies. A stone monument marks the spot where FDR dedicated the park in A side road leads to Clingmans Dome, at 6, feet the highest point in the park, third highest peak in the eastern United States, and the highest place along the entire length of the Appalachian Trail.

Smoky Mountain Trees: Northern Hardwood Forest

Vacation Rentals In Yosemite National Park

The name smoky comes from the fog that sometimes appears above the Mountains. Additionally, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park holds within it several different ecosystems ranging from high-altitude spruce-fir forests to hemlock lined cascading streams. There is no driving to the summit; hiking in is the only way to get there. These beautiful Mountains are also home to many species of trees such as the blue trees that you can find them only in the great smoky mountains national park.

Best Place To Camp In Smoky Mountain National Park

The price for one night of Elkmont paradise? All other campgrounds operate on a first-come-first-served basis. Some folks love to be right in the middle of the action, and others will cringe at the seemingly endless t-shirt and fudge shops. Group campgrounds are located near the individual camps.

Your Guide to Camping in the Smoky Mountains National Park

The national park has several different types of campsites for visitors to choose from, each offering a different camping experience. Browse those campsites below: Backcountry: The backcountry campsites are for backpackers. Frontcountry: The frontcountry campsites allow you to camp near your car. It is a developed campground that has restrooms with cold running water and flush toilets.

At each individual campsite, there is a fire grate and picnic table. These large campsites are located in frontcountry campgrounds. Horse Camps: After enjoying a nice horseback ride through the Smoky Mountains, set up camp in one of the horse camps.

These are small campgrounds that are accessible by vehicle and offer primitive camping facilities as well as hitch racks for horses. Campground Rules The Great Smoky Mountains National Park has Best Place To Camp In Smoky Mountain National Park number of rules in place to guarantee a safe and hassle-free camping experience. The rules regard everything from food to length of stay and apply to those staying in frontcountry campgrounds and group campgrounds. If your vehicle does not have a trunk where you can store food, there are campgrounds that have food storage lockers, like Cades Cove, Cataloochee and Elkmont.

Checkout is at noon. If you choose to stay at the Cataloochee Campground, reservations are required. All remaining campgrounds are a first-come, first-served basis. Pets: Pets are allowed in the campground but must be confined or on a leash and are not allowed on trails. They should not be left unattended at any time. Fire and Wood: Campfires are only allowed in the fire Glacier National Park To Great Falls Mt, and wood can only be collected if it is on the ground and dead.

Only heat-treated firewood that is bundled and certified by the United States Department of Agriculture may be brought into the park. And of course there is the one necessity for every type of trip: a first-aid kit! Relax: One of the best parts about camping in the mountains is how peaceful it is. If you visit with your family, you can enjoy spending quality family time together away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Spend your day exploring Best Place To Camp In Smoky Mountain National Park trails and chasing waterfalls, fishing in one of the many mountain streams, horseback riding, or having a picnic. The Smoky Mountains has plenty of opportunities for you to spot some of your favorite wildlife, from black bears to turkey. Before you go, make sure you learn the top 10 things you need to know about the national park. Related Posts:.

Campground Rules

Why stay in a hotel when you can sleep under the stars and the magnificent trees inside the park? There are also medical facilities. Good luck finding your perfect place. Elkmont Campground.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Employee Directory

One of her favorite memories is climbing around the rocks in the river at Chimneys picnic area, and she became intensely fascinated with the natural history exhibits at Sugarlands Visitor Center at a young age. Assists in conducting inventory of department stock; uses computer to conduct inventory checks. She is excited to be bringing her experience with nonprofits and her love of the national park together to make a difference at GSMA.

Number of employees in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 2017

As a Rotarian, Laurel works to improve the quality of life for Gatlinburg residents as well as to support international Rotary initiatives. At GSMA she seeks new ways to meet challenges that otherwise might not be addressed due to bureaucratic and political circumstances. She serves as lead designer for Smokies Life magazine and recently redesigned the Smokies Guide newspaper.

Acting as brand manager for GSMA, she assures all publications conform to established design standards. Karen Key, Senior Publications Specialist Karen has served on GSMA creative team since and is a full-time senior publications specialist providing graphic design and administrative work that helps generate numerous publications.

She is responsible for the overall layout of the park newspaper, Smokies Guide, designs articles for Smokies Life and created the moonshine book, Corn From a Jar. Karen has also provided graphic assistance for Public Land Alliance awards submissions. One of her favorite memories is climbing around the rocks in the river at Chimneys picnic area, and she became intensely fascinated with the natural history exhibits at Sugarlands Visitor Center at a young age.

Now, with a slightly firmer grasp of the natural and cultural history of these mountains, I love the park for what it protects and celebrates—an important refuge for biodiversity and diverse people, too. During her interviews for her current position, Terri shared that she and her husband fell in love with the park when they first visited many years ago; they have been full-time residents in Cosby since His list of responsibilities is long, including conducting financial audits to preparing annual reports and assisting with budget proposals.

He is willing to do whatever it takes to keep the association running smoothly, whether advising the board on fiscal policies or taking out the trash. Her responsibilities include managing the timekeeping, payroll and personnel systems and keeping up with supplies and repairs at the main office. She also spent time abroad studying food and energy policy related to climate change and worked as a campaign finance director in South Carolina.

One of six children, her parents regularly brought the family to Great Smoky Mountains National Park for hikes and picnics. After moving to Sevier County in to raise her own family, she continued the tradition with participation in the Parks as Classroom program with her two children and regular hikes with friends. She is excited to be Great Smoky Mountains National Park Employee Directory her experience with nonprofits and her love of the national park together to make a difference at GSMA.

Charlene grew up in Florida with one parent who was born and raised in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia. She grew Glacier National Park To Great Falls Mt with a Great Smoky Mountains National Park Employee Directory of the culture and history of the people that Great Smoky Mountains National Park Employee Directory the mountains.

Citizenship oath in In this role Great Smoky Mountains National Park Employee Directory is responsible for finding and developing new products, Glacier National Park To Great Falls Mt and maintaining correct inventory levels, overseeing all store locations and supervising the Senior Store Managers.

Because Dawn oversees many people who interact with thousands of park visitors every day, creativity, tenacity and empathy are all important to her position, which she thoroughly enjoys. Her responsibilities include purchasing merchandise, looking for new items to offer based on current trends and keeping visitor centers fully stocked.

Working with GSMA sinceRussell brings to his role a valuable background in book and magazine sales, knowledge of book distribution logistics, and a personal affinity for audio books.

She has worked for…

Tell us about your experience on NPS.gov.

She is excited to be bringing her experience with nonprofits and her love of the national park together to make a difference at GSMA. Acting as brand manager for GSMA, she assures all publications conform to established design standards. She also ensures that all products are well presented and easily shoppable.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Fall

We love checking out the visitor centers at National Parks as they have many informative exhibits and the park rangers are great at recommending age-appropriate activities for our kids. Do you want to go? It is the number one visited national park in the US, after all. Additional information about hiking to waterfalls can be found in various publications available at bookstores in the park.

11 Beautiful Spots To See The Fall In The Smokies

National Park Service Junior Ranger Program

The Southern Appalachian communities of Great Smoky Mountains National Park Fall Forge and Sevierville, which are located close to Gatlinburg, is also a great base for your visit to the Smokies. If you are coming from the North Carolina side, then the communities of Cherokee and Bryson City are good for a stay.

Whichever town you chose to base yourself, you need to rent a log cabin. The Smokies are popular for their rustic style pine or other cabins that feel so warm and cozy! Many Airbnb cabins are also located close to the Smokies. Or try the Belle Aire Motel for a central location and budget options. The national park and its gateway towns, as well as smaller communities in the area, also have many fall festivals.

There are plenty of leaf-peeping opportunities everywhere and the trails look stunning in fall. Fall is also a good time to spot wildlife. Scenic drives and hiking are two of Glacier National Park To Great Falls Mt favorite ways to explore the fall foliage in the Smokies.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Fall has many spooky attractions Start your trip at the Sugarlands Visitor Center near Gatlinburg If you are visiting from Gatlinburg, Sugarlands Visitor Center is a great place to start your trip. We love checking out the visitor centers at National Parks as they have many informative exhibits and the park rangers are great at recommending age-appropriate activities for our kids.

Also, fall color in the smokies moves from higher elevations in early October to lower ones in early November and the rangers are your best bet to get recommendations for the best fall color viewing areas. Great Smoky Mountains National Park Fall up to Clingmans Dome Tower to get a panoramic view of the fall foliage Clingmans Dome is the highest point in Tennessee as well as in the national park.

The view from the platform is gorgeous. On clear days, you can see up to miles. During fall, you can see the mountains bursting with color along with spruce and fir trees. To reach the trailhead, drive along Clingmans Dome Road till you reach the parking lot.

Even the parking area has gorgeous views. The trail is paved and half a mile long but pretty strenuous as it ascends Great Smoky Mountains National Park Fall in that short distance. You should also plan to go early as the parking lot gets full around noon on busy days. Keep aside an hour or two for Clingmans Dome and bring warm jackets — if you visit mid-October onwards, the temperature can feel like under 40F due to the wind.

Hike up to one of the pretty waterfalls The Smoky Mountains are known for their pretty waterfalls. Hikes to the waterfall are popular spots with tourists on hot summer days as well as colorful fall days.

The flowing water framed by red and orange leaves is one of the iconic pictures of the Smokies. So which waterfall trail do you hike? There are many waterfall hikes inside the Smokies. For an easy hike, try the pretty Grotto Falls 2.

The parking area and trailhead for Laurel Falls get full pretty fast during fall. If you are up for a longer trail, hike the 5-mile round-trip Abrams Fall. Another good option for small kids and families is the less crowded, easy, 1-mile long Cataract Falls trail. The Smoky Mountains elk were all but wiped out due to hunting in the 19th century but later conservation efforts reintroduced the elk to the area about two decades ago.

Since then the original elks…

Alerts In Effect

Planning your trip when the fall color peak can be tricky because you times. Other attractions include Bavarian music and dances to celebrate the festival. If you only do one thing in the park, this national park bucket list activity should be it.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Lodging

The former site of the Smokemont lumber village renders the first opportunity for camping, hiking, and horseback riding through outfits like Smokemont Riding Stables. Surrounding towns, notably Gatlinburg , Pigeon Forge , Sevierville , and Townsend , Tennessee , and Cherokee , Sylva , Maggie Valley , and Bryson City , North Carolina , receive a significant portion of their income from tourism associated with the park. The road continues its ascent to Newfound Gap on the Tennessee-North Carolina border elevation 5, feet , where a viewpoint looks out over much of the Smokies.

National Park

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 Glacier National Park To Great Falls Mt speciesthe haze that gives the Smokies their name filled the mountain valleys in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Lodging morning. Don’t miss Great Smoky Mountain National Park has five visitor centers, ideal starting Great Smoky Mountains National Park Lodging 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 Valleyjust 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. Not all of the burial places in the park are marked, but keep an eye out for periwinkle. According to local author Gail PalmerEuropean settlers planted periwinkle on graves to keep away evil spirits. 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. Beyond the mill, Highway starts its forest-flanked climb into the heart of the mountains. The former site of the Smokemont lumber village renders the first opportunity for camping, hiking, and horseback riding through outfits like Smokemont Riding Stables.

The road continues its ascent to Newfound Gap on the Tennessee-North Carolina border elevation 5, feetwhere a viewpoint looks out over much of the Smokies. A stone monument marks the spot where FDR dedicated the park in A side road leads to Clingmans Dome, at 6, feet the highest point in Great Smoky Mountains National Park Lodging park, third highest peak in the eastern United States, and the highest place along the entire length of the Appalachian Trail.

Hike trails, experience scenic drives, & enjoy nature

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. Camping is allowed only in designated camping areas and shelters. It is surrounded by over 1.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Hiking Map

This road has so much to offer — nature walks, hikes, mountain views and historic structures. Eastern Standard Time. If you haven’t hiked much recently, be conservative.

SMOKY MOUNTAINS HIKING TRAILS

Where To Stay When Visiting North Cascades National Park

Roaring Fork is known for its beautiful scenery and historical intrigue, making it a popular site in the park. The 5-mile loop road is a quick trip, but you can expect to spend about two hours on your trip.

This road has so Great Smoky Mountains National Park Hiking Map to offer — nature walks, hikes, mountain views and historic structures. Newfound Gap is also home to the Rockefeller Memorial, a popular destination in the park from where former U. President Franklin D. Roosevelt formally dedicated the park on Sept.

Try to be there at sunrise or sunset; the sight is nothing short of spectacular. Located off Newfound Gap Rd. Both Alum Cave and Boulevard trails showcase stunning panoramic views and intriguing natural features, while Rainbow Falls and Trillium Gap present waterfalls and streams. Alternatively, Glacier National Park To Great Falls Mt Trail is ideal for viewing wildflowers and observing the red, orange and yellow leaf color change in the fall.

After driving 0. After driving another 2. After driving roughly 0. Drive 0. Accessible by foot, bike or car, the pastoral and picturesque area is home to plenty of wildlife to observe and natural scenery that is perfect for photography buffs.

Tell us about your experience on NPS.gov.

Flights To Channel Islands National Park

Each page includes a detailed topographic map which is centered on the trail. The original map, which covered the entire park, has a scale , After driving roughly 0.

Smoky Mountains National Park Trail Map

This is a Great Smoky Mountains trail map 2. This is a Smokemont campground map. You can also browse the best-selling Great Smoky Mountains maps and guidebooks on Amazon.

Waterfalls

PDF files and external links will open in a new window. You can also browse the best-selling Great Smoky Mountains maps Smoky Mountains National Park Trail Map guidebooks on Amazon. Great Smoky Mountains map from the brochures This is the complete Great Smoky Mountains map from the official park brochure, showing each of the visitor areas as well as outlying roads. Click the image to view a full size JPG 1.

The full park map is also available as a high-quality art poster print from the NPMaps Great Smokies store. This is a Great Smoky Mountains regional map, showing roads and highways in the area along with nearby towns. This Great Smoky Mountains map 1. It shows major points of interest and the popular hiking trails. Great Smoky Mountains trail map The below trail map is great for trip planning, since it shows distances, trail shelters, etc.

This is a Great Smoky Mountains trail map 2. It also labels backcountry campsites. The map below includes a cross-section and Glacier National Park To Great Falls Mt identifying the rock types found on this map.

Warning — this is a very large file! This is the legend and cross section kb for the Smokies geologic map above. It labels each of the rock layers and provides a cross-section showing the rock types in profile.

It might be a bit overwhelming, so instead you may want to compare prices and reviews of Smoky Mountains National Park Trail Map highest-rated Gatlinburg lodging on Expedia or Hotels. Or check out options outside of Gatlinburg, such as the highest-rated lodging on Expedia and Hotels. Abrams Creek is located in the far western part of the Great Smoky Mountains. This is a map of Balsam Mountain campground, located in the southeast part of the park and is accessible via the Blue Ridge Parkway.

This is a Big Creek campground map. Big Creek is a very small isolated campground in the northeast corner of the park. This is a Cades Cove campground map. This is the second largest campground in the park and is near you guessed it! Cades Cove. This is a Cataloochee campground map. Cataloochee is in the far eastern part of Great Smoky Mountains, up a narrow winding road.

This is a Cosby campground map. Cosby is one of the larger campgrounds and is in the northeastern corner of the park. This is a Deep Creek campground map. This is an Elkmont campground map. Elkmont is the largest campground in the park and is west of Glacier National Park To Great Falls Mt Sugarlands Visitor Center.

This is a Look Rock campground map. Look Rock is located along the foothills parkway, and is west of the park proper. This is a Smokemont campground map. Great Smokies map prints and gifts Printed high-resolution Great Smokies map posters and other products are available at the Great Smokies Maps store.

Need to Know

Great Smokies map prints and gifts Printed high-resolution Great Smokies map posters and other products are available at the Great Smokies Maps store. Guests may set up the furniture in any configuration that will suit their needs. Little progress, however, was made on the trail over the next several years.

Smoky Mountain National Park Nc

Deep Creek area loop hikes include Juney Whank Falls 0. Old-growth forests? As a rule of thumb, hikers in the Smokies travel about 1. Additional water safety information.

Enjoy the North Carolina Side of the Park

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Fall

Start by deciding on what you would like to see. Old-growth forests? Endless views? Then decide how far you would like to hike. If Glacier National Park To Great Falls Mt Smoky Mountain National Park Nc hiked much recently, be conservative.

Smoky Mountain National Park Nc miles roundtrip is a good maximum distance for novices. Hiking with children? Kid-friendly hikes are an excellent way to learn and enjoy the outdoors. Thinking about a multi-day backpacking trip? Reservations and permits are required for all overnight stays in the park’s backcountry. When choosing your route, check the Backcountry section of the Temporary Road and Facilities Closures page to determine if the trail you are considering is open and that there are no warnings or special notices posted for it.

Be sure to allow plenty of time to complete your hike before dark. As a rule of thumb, hikers in the Smokies travel about 1. Many people travel slower. Sunset times vary from just after p. Important hiking safety tips. Download a copy of the park’s trail map or purchase one from the Great Smoky Mountains Association which also sells a wide variety of hiking books, maps, and guides to help choose a hiking route and plan your backcountry trip.

Visit Smoky Mountain National Park Nc Association’s online bookstore or phone The Great Smoky Mountains Association is a nonprofit organization that supports educational and scientific programs in the park.

You may also call the Backcountry Information Office at for information to plan your hiking or backpacking trip. The office is open daily from a. Eastern Standard Time.

Reward yourself for getting Glacier National Park To Great Falls Mt on the park’s trails.

The Hike the Smokies and Hike the Smokies–For Families programs offer you a chance to earn mileage pins and stickers! Beware of parking lot thieves who break into cars parked at trailheads to steal purses, cameras, and electronic equipment. The best defense is to lock your car and take your valuables with you, or leave them at home. Be aware that thieves may be in the parking area watching as you slip your wallet into the glove box or “hide” your laptop under a blanket. Pepper Spray Bear pepper spray may be carried by hikers within Great Smoky Mountains National Park for the strict purpose of protection against bodily harm from aggressive wildlife.

It should not be applied to people, tents, packs, other equipment or surrounding area as a repellent. Bear pepper spray is a chemical formula designed specifically to deter aggressive or attacking bears. It must be commercially manufactured and labeled as “Bear Pepper Spray” and be registered with the Environmental Protection Agency and individual states.

Day Hikes of the Smokies covers 34 of the best day hikes in the park, plus all of the self-guiding nature trails. Includes shaded relief maps for each hike plus accurate elevation profile charts. Visit Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s official online store for other books, maps, and guides to the park. Operated by the nonprofit Great Smoky Mountains Association, proceeds generated by purchases at the store are donated to educational, scientific, and historical projects in the park. Smoky Mountain National Park Nc updated: July 17,

Top National Park Experiences

In addition to answering your backpacking questions, the experienced backpackers in the Backcountry Information Office can provide you with tips to make your trip safe and enjoyable. Eastern Standard Time. This beautiful mountain range reaches towering heights of nearly seven-thousand feet, but is famous for its magical, smoky haze. Why not spend a day touring Cades Cove and exploring the history and beauty of this pioneer community?

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Plants

Major species include red, scarlet, black and chestnut oaks, along with table mountain, pitch, and white pines. In February , the Park reintroduced elk back to the area as an experimental release effort. You can see where to find many of these flowers on the Species Mapper.

A Wondrous Diversity of Life

Trillium grandiflorum blooms snowy white, but the flowers turn pink as they fade with age. You can see where to find many of these flowers on the Species Mapper. A group of flowers known as spring ephemerals begins the yearly show.

Ephemerals are so named because they appear above ground only in late winter and early spring, then flower, fruit, and die back within a short two month period.

They emerge from February through April, and are gone dormant by May or June. This remarkable group of plants is adapted to the rhythm of the overstory trees. Ephemerals appear before deciduous trees leaf out, when full sunlight is streaming to the forest floor.

This is also a time when soil moisture is high and soil nutrients are plentiful due to the decomposition of tree leaves that fell the previous autumn. The ephemerals exploit these Glacier National Park To Great Falls Mt flower, fruit, and their above-ground parts decay before summer gets into full swing.

The peak of spring wildflower blooming usually occurs in mid- to late-April at lower elevations in the park, and a few weeks later on the highest peaks. Spring ephemerals include flowers such as trillium the park has 10 different specieslady slipper orchids, showy orchis, crested dwarf iris, fire pink, columbine, bleeding heart, phacelia, jack-in-the-pulpit, little brown jugs, and violets, to name just a Great Smoky Mountains National Park Plants.

Suggested wildflower walks Each spring, the park hosts the Spring Wildflower Pilgrimagea week-long festival of programs and guided walks and hikes that explore the wondrous diversity of Great Smoky Mountains National Park Plants in the park.

Purple umbels of sweet Joe-Pye-weed stretch towards the sky and can reach heights of ten feet. Trees and shrubs bloom throughout the year too. From February through April the flowers of red maples paint the mountains with a wash of brilliant red. Showy trees such as serviceberry, silverbell, flowering dogwood, redbud, Fraser magnolia, and tuliptree soon follow. Later in summer sourwood, a tree prized for the honey that bees produce from its small bell-shaped, white flowers, begins to bloom. The year ends with the yellow flowers of witch-hazel, which blooms from October through January.

Closer to the ground on shrubs, the small, bight yellow blossoms of spicebush begin to bloom in February Great Smoky Mountains National Park Plants are soon joined by sweetshrub, dog-hobble, and flame azalea. The park is famous for its displays mountain laurel, rhododendron and flame azaleas. The lovely pink and white Glacier National Park To Great Falls Mt of mountain laurel bloom in early May through June.

Rosebay rhododendron is in bloom at the lower elevations in June and at mid-elevations during July. Flame azaleas bloom at the low and mid-elevations in April and May. On Gregory Bald the colorful display peaks in late June or early July.

On Andrews Bald the peak is usually in early July. Learn about the threats facing wildflowers and how you can do your part to protect them.

Forest Types in the Great Smoky Mountains

It is popular not only because of the beautiful flowers that it produces but also because of the fast growing nature of the tree itself. The trouble with these types of plants is that they are coming into a system that has been protected since the creation of the park. You can buy firewood at the campground stores or you can use wood that has fallen naturally in the park but bringing in any outside firewood is prohibited.