| Gatlinburg,
Tennessee is best known as the western entrance to the Great Smokey
Mountains National Park. Gatlinburg is noted for its mountain
handicraft shops, and local points of interest include the Homespun
Valley Mountaineer Village and the Christus Gardens, a series of
dioramas depicting the life of Christ. But most come to see and
enjoy the Great Smokey Mountains.
The Great Smokey
Mountains National Park is 20 miles wide and some 54 miles long. The
park was established in 1934 to preserve the last remaining sizeable
area of southern primeval hardwood forest in the United States. It
covers over 520,000 acres and it contains some of the highest peaks
of the Appalachian Mountains.
Summits and ridges
are crowned with a forest of red spruce and Fraser fir. In the open
areas purple and pink blossoming rhododendron can be seen. Hiking is
the most popular activity, whether a day trip or as part of a hike
up the length of the entire Appalachian Trail. Some of the families
who first settled this area have descendents who live and farm in
much the same way as in years gone by. The area containing those
farms was designated a World Heritage Site in 1983.
Visitors come to
the Smokies, the most popular area administered by the US National
Park Service, to hike, fish, camp, ski, whitewater raft, and enjoy
this well-preserved national treasure. There are world-class spas as
well as theme parks and resorts throughout the area. All of these
draw their inspiration from the abundant natural beauty.
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