Almost 95% of the park is forested, and about 25% of that area is old-growth forest. [10] Other post-hurricanes, including Hurricane Hugo in 1989, have caused similar damage in the Smokies. Flash flooding often occurs after heavy rain.[9]. Expand. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a major North American refuge of temperate zone flora and fauna that survived the Pleistocene glaciations. Hiking aside, there are many ways to experience the Great Smoky Mountains. [61][62], Most of these villages were part of a minor chiefdom centered on a large village known as Chiaha, which was located on an island now submerged by Douglas Lake. Best places to visit in the Smoky Mountains - Lonely Planet If you prefer not to sleep in a tent, the only option inside park boundaries is the LeConte Lodge, a delightfully old-fashioned collection of wooden cottages near the top of Mount LeConte (elevation 6594ft). You can also celebrate the Appalachian myth at the annualMothman Festival, which typically happens on the third weekend in September. Can't wait to read more! Forever left to wander alone through the mountains, the Wampus Cat acts out in anger at being cut off from her former life. The Wampus Cat (a.k.a. All of the attractions within the park are free, including the Mountain Farm Museum, Cades Cove historic buildings and the panoramic overlook at Clingmans Dome, not to mention all of the hiking trails. There is no fee to enter the park, but camping is . The main gateways to Great Smoky Mountains are the Sugarlands Visitor Center, near Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and the Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee, North Carolina. Bears in the park are wild and their behavior can be unpredictable. Backcountry camping is free, although you do need a reservation and a permit. White basswood (Tilia heterophylla), mountain maple (Acer spicatum) and striped maple (Acer pensylvanicum), and yellow buckeye (Aesculus flava) are also present. At this annual festival you can expect educational panels, a Bigfoot calling contest, a costume contest, and Bigfoot-themed dishes. [59], The increasing reliance upon agriculture during the Mississippian period (c.9001600 A.D.) lured Native Americans away from the game-rich forests of the Smokies and into the fertile river valleys on the outer fringe of the range. Unlike other Appalachian monsters, the Moon-Eyed People were considered to be a distinctively separate race of people, rather than supernatural beings. Despite being a story about Cherokee people, the Wampus Cat folktale did not originate with the Cherokee people. From hiking to kayaking, here are the very best activities in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited national park in the. Thus, red spruce is now the dominant species in the range's spruce-fir forest. Their children and grandchildren spread out southward into the Sugarlands and Roaring Fork areas. [28] About 28,600 acres (116km2) of the northern hardwood forest are old-growth. Legend says that the local Native American tribes waited for the full moon to drive the Moon-Eyed People from their underground caves. Carvings on Judaculla Rock in Jackson County, N.C., may never be fully explained. Smoky Mountain Ghost Stories - HeySmoki Weather and an array of habitat conditions supports a wide range of living things. Two couples Roger and Linda Scarberry, and Steve and Mary Mallette reported seeing a large flying humanoid with a 10-foot wingspan and glowing red eyes following their car. From the expected (panoramic trails and viewpoints) to the unexpected, these are the top 10 things to do at Grand Canyon National Park. Understanding where species are in the park is critical to their conservation. Similar reports came in over the next few days, and the sensational story was soon picked up by the local newspaper. Read on to find three of our favorite Smoky Mountain ghost stories. Encompassing over 800 square miles in the Southern Appalachian Mountains, no other area of equal size . Activities are free and open to the public. The glorious sunrises are a great way to start the day in the Smokies KenCanning / Getty Images, First-timer's guide to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. [37] The boars are seen as taking food resources away from bears as well, and the park service has sponsored a program that pays individuals to hunt and kill boars and leave their bodies in locations frequented by bears. Large stands of dead Fraser Firs remain atop Clingmans Dome and on the northwestern slopes of Old Black. Over 1,500 additional flowering plant species have been identified in the park. These are the best hikes to add to your list for 2023. Read on to find three of our favorite Smoky Mountain ghost stories. [45], Timber rattlesnakesone of two venomous snake species in the Smokiesare found at all elevations in the range. 3 Smoky Mountain Ghost Stories That Will Scare Your Socks Off Much of the work was completed by the Civilian Conservation Corps throughout the Great Depression, and the national park was officially dedicated in 1940. And while the areas bears and fireflies get most of the publicity, the Cataloochee Valley is a prime spot to see elk, reintroduced to the Smokies back in 2001. [36], European boar, introduced as game animals in the early 20th century, thrive in Southern Appalachia but are considered a nuisance due to their tendency to root up and destroy plants. Kate re-avowed her scorn and disapproval about Betsy Bells upcoming marriage, says Fitzhugh. Many of these mountain folklore sayings were passed down by my great-grandparents, but still live on a century later. The Smokies are also home to an astonishing variety of plant and animal life from lumbering black bears to dazzling displays of synchronous fireflies. The commission also had to deal with the Tennessee and North Carolina legislatures, which at times were opposed to spending taxpayer money on park efforts. Others say that Shults sayed in Greenbrier, but suffered a stroke before he could tell his wife where his fortune was buried. Its just that your imagination and your emotions can fool you.. The northern hardwood understory is home to diverse species such as coneflower, skunk goldenrod, Rugels ragwort, bloodroot, hydrangea, and several species of grasses and ferns. [31], The main difference between the spruce-fir forests of Southern Appalachia and the spruce-fir forests in northern latitudes is the dense broad-leaved understory of the former. [15], The climate of Clingmans Dome is hemiboreal (Kppen Dfb, Trewartha Dcb[16]). Imagine youre deep in the woods when you spot a sudden movement through the trees. [55], Air pollution is contributing to increased Red Spruce tree mortality at higher elevations and oak decline at lower elevations, while invasive hemlock woolly adelgids attack Hemlocks and balsam woolly adelgids attack Fraser firs. The dominant species include yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis), basswood (Tilia americana), yellow buckeye (Aesculus flava), tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera; commonly called "tulip poplar"), silverbells (Halesia carolina), sugar maple (Acer saccharum), cucumber magnolia (Magnolia acuminata), shagbark hickory (Carya ovata), Carolina hemlock (Tsuga caroliniana) and eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis). Great Smoky Mountains National Park - UNESCO World Heritage Centre If I had to pick one Id say that the most commonly held thought is that the monster is a fun and interesting bit of folklore, says Smith. In July 2016 the Charlotte Observer reported that Forest Service officers had reported close-up encounters on the mountain with beach ball sized orbs that floated by and then vanished. Notable splash dam and boom operations included the English Lumber Company on Little River, the Taylor and Crate operations along Hazel Creek, and the ambitious operations of Alexander Arthur on the Pigeon River. In 2004, the remnants of Hurricane Frances caused major flooding, landslides, and high winds, which were soon followed by Hurricane Ivan, making the situation worse. [88], Wilson B. Townsend, the head of Little River Lumber, began advertising Elkmont as a tourist destination in 1909. Some thought they did it for money, but the Bell family never charged a cent to anyone staying over in their home., Though Fitzhugh has considered many theories, he says he cant say one way or another what the Bell Witch truly was. Numerous Archaic period (c.80001000 B.C.) A string of Overhill villages, including Chota and Tanasi, dotted the Little Tennessee valley north of Chilhowee. 37738, Download the official NPS app before your next visit. The name likely derives from the word catawampus, a mountain folklore saying that describes a boogeyman, or something that has gone badly. [63], By the time the first English explorers arrived in Southern Appalachia in the late 17th century, the Cherokee controlled much of the region, and the Great Smoky Mountains lay at the center of their territory. John and Lucy Bell were farmers who settled in Adams, Tennessee around 1803. Biologists estimate that 1,500 American Black Bears live in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The Little Tennessee River passes through five impediments along the range's southwestern boundary, namely Tellico Lake, Chilhowee Lake, Calderwood Lake, Cheoah Lake, and Fontana Lake. [85], The second-largest operation was the Ritter Lumber Company, which logged the Hazel Creek watershed between 1907 and 1928. Canoe and fish the park's waterways. Hang a mirror by the door to protect against evil. World renowned for its diversity of plant and animal life, the beauty of its ancient mountains, and the quality of its remnants of Southern Appalachian mountain culture, this is America's most visited national park. Its not surprising that a 480-million-year-old mountain range would inspire legends of unexplained animals darting through the darkened forest or strange and ghostly apparitions appearing in the night sky. In one of the Cherokee legends from the Great Smoky Mountains, the Great Rabbit commits a scheme to steal the best coat in all of the animal kingdom. For over a year, the Bells remained silent about the strange events taking place in their home, worried about what the members of their church might think. If you drop a knife, a man is coming to visit. Enjoy wildlife viewing, historic homes and churches, and beautiful mountain scenery while biking or walking the 11-mile loop. Trailheads for some of the most popular hikes and some of the park's key historic sights are found along this two-lane road. While reported sightings of the colorful lights are known for their inconsistency, the lights are typically seen at night, especially after a rainfall. You stand frozen in place, eyes locked to that shadowy spot in the woods, waiting for the animal to move. In the Late Precambrian period, this ocean expanded, and the more recent Ocoee Supergroup rocks formed from accumulations of the eroding land mass onto the ocean's continental shelf. There are many communities in the Smoky Mountains with strange names, but none of them rival Boogertown. [80] Another incident was George Kirk's raid on Cataloochee, in which Kirk killed or wounded 15 Union soldiers recovering at a makeshift hospital. The Ocoee Supergroup consists primarily of slightly metamorphosed sandstones, phyllites, schists, and slate. READ MORE: The 7 Best Caves & Caverns in North Carolina. There are a number of stories that supposedly explain the origins of the name Boogertown. Within a few years, the Wonderland Hotel and the Appalachian Club had been established to cater to elite Knoxvillians seeking summer mountain getaways. Other nearby airports include Asheville, NC (an 80-minute drive), Charlotte-Douglas International Airport (a 3-hour drive), and Chattanooga (a 2.75 hour drive). Over 19,000 species have been documented in the park, including more than 100 species of native trees, over 1,500 flowering plant species, more than 200 species of birds, and over 9,000 different species of insects. The story goes onto to say that all over the mountainside, little critters came together to hold council and decide who's coat was most impressive. READ MORE: The 10 Most Haunted Places in Georgia to Visit. Many claim that the lights seen today are the spirits of the Catawba women, still searching for their loved ones. [43] Peregrine falcon sightings are also not uncommon, and a peregrine falcon eyrie is known to have existed near Alum Cave Bluffs throughout the 1930s. Generally, the communities on the Tennessee side of the Smokies supported the Union, while communities on the North Carolina side supported the Confederates. Is it a bear? Gatlinburg, Formed in 1993, the friends group assists the National Park Service in its mission to preserve and protect the Great Smoky Mountains National Park by raising funds and public awareness, and providing volunteers for needed projects. Its not that youre crazy. Animals - Great Smoky Mountains National Park (U.S. National Park Service) It didnt make a sound. It wasnt long before Trulie Jane talked Basil into buying a metal bed for their cabin. The orange- to sometimes red-flowered and deciduous flame azalea closely follows along with the Catawbas. The Great Smoky Mountains are famous for their ghost stories! The understories of the cove hardwood forest contain dozens of species of shrubs and vines. An attempt to reintroduce the red wolf in the early 1990s ultimately failed. The forests of the Smokies are typically divided into three zones: Appalachian baldspatches of land where trees are unexpectedly absent or sparseare interspersed through the mid-to-upper elevations in the range.
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