Great Smoky Mountains National Park
America’s most frequented national park, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, stands as a majestic natural divide between North Carolina and Tennessee. This sanctuary safeguards a rich tapestry of Southern Appalachian history and culture. Globally recognized for its exceptional biodiversity, stunning ancient mountain landscapes, and well-preserved remnants of Southern Appalachian heritage, the park offers a wealth of opportunities for exploration, from hiking and touring to fishing, camping, and countless other outdoor pursuits.
The story of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is one etched in time, spanning millennia, from the era of prehistoric Paleo-Indians to the arrival of early European settlers in the 1800s, and the subsequent generations of loggers and Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) workers in the 20th century.
A core mission of the park is to protect the historic structures, landscapes, and artifacts that vividly recount the diverse stories of the people who once called these mountains their home. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park serves as a living museum, preserving the heritage of those who shaped its identity.
The human presence in these mountains dates back to prehistoric times. However, it was only in the 20th century that human activities began to exert a profound influence on the natural order of things. When the first European settlers ventured into the Great Smoky Mountains in the late 1700s, they encountered the land of the Cherokee Indians.
The Cherokee tribe, one of the most culturally advanced on the continent, had established permanent towns, cultivated fields, sophisticated political systems, and a network of extensive trails. Tragically, most of the Cherokee were forcibly removed to Oklahoma in the 1830s in a harrowing event known as the Trail of Tears. The few who managed to remain are the ancestors of the Cherokee who still reside near the park today.
Life for the early European settlers was challenging, marked by a primitive existence. However, by the 1900s, the distinction between the mountain people and their counterparts in other rural areas had diminished. Earlier settlers relied on the land for sustenance, hunting wildlife, using timber for construction, growing food, and grazing livestock in cleared areas. Over time, many forested areas were transformed into fields and pastures. People engaged in farming, attended church, took their grain to the mill, and maintained community ties in a traditional rural manner.
The agricultural way of life in the Great Smoky Mountains underwent a significant transformation with the advent of lumbering in the early 1900s. Within two decades, the largely self-sufficient economy of the mountain people was almost entirely supplanted by a dependence on manufactured goods, store-bought food, and cash. Logging boom towns sprang up seemingly overnight at locations that still bear their names, such as Elkmont, Smokemont, Proctor, and Tremont.
Loggers were rapidly depleting the vast, ancient forests that remained in these mountains. It became increasingly clear that unless the course of events was swiftly altered, the region’s unique character and wilderness resources would be irrevocably lost. Intervention came in 1934 with the establishment of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, saving the forest – at least the 20% that remained uncut within the park’s boundaries.
The path to becoming a National Park was not an easy one for the Great Smoky Mountains. Joining the National Park System required significant financial resources and the dedicated efforts of countless individuals. Establishing most of the older parks in the western United States, such as Yellowstone, was a relatively straightforward process as Congress simply designated lands already owned by the government – often areas with minimal human settlement. However, acquiring parkland in the Great Smoky Mountains presented a different challenge. The land that eventually became the park was owned by numerous small farmers and a handful of large timber and paper companies. The farmers were reluctant to leave their family homesteads, while the corporations were unwilling to relinquish vast timber forests, extensive railroad tracks, logging equipment, and employee housing.
The initial idea of creating a National Park in these mountains emerged in the late 1890s. A few forward-thinking individuals began advocating for a public land preserve in the cool, healthful air of the southern Appalachians. A bill was even introduced in the North Carolina Legislature to this effect but ultimately failed. By the early 20th century, there was growing pressure from both the North and South for a public preserve, but disagreements arose over whether it should be designated as a National Park or a national forest.
The movement to establish a National Park gained momentum in the mid-1920s, with dedicated supporters primarily based in Knoxville, Tennessee, and Asheville, North Carolina.
In May 1926, President Calvin Coolidge signed a bill authorizing the establishment of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Shenandoah National Park. This legislation empowered the Department of the Interior to assume responsibility for the administration and protection of a park in the Smokies once 150,000 acres of land had been acquired.
Since the government was not permitted to directly purchase land for National Park use, the former political advocates transitioned into fundraisers. In the late 1920s, the Tennessee and North Carolina Legislatures each allocated $2 million for land acquisitions. Additional funds were raised through individual contributions, private groups, and even schoolchildren.
By 1928, a total of $5 million had been raised. However, the cost of land had doubled, causing the fundraising campaign to stall. The situation was salvaged by a $5 million donation from the Laura Spellman Rockefeller Memorial Fund, which ensured the purchase of the remaining land.
Even with the necessary funds, acquiring the land proved to be a complex undertaking. Thousands of small farms, large tracts, and various other parcels had to be surveyed, appraised, negotiated, and, in some cases, condemned in court.
More than 1,200 landowners were required to leave their land following the park’s establishment. They left behind numerous farm buildings, mills, schools, and churches. Over 70 of these structures have since been preserved, making the Great Smoky Mountains National Park home to the most extensive collection of historic log buildings in the eastern United States.
By 1934, the states of Tennessee and North Carolina had transferred deeds for 300,000 acres to the federal government. Congress subsequently authorized the full development of public facilities. Much of the early development of facilities and restoration of early settlers’ buildings was carried out by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). President Franklin Roosevelt formally dedicated the park in September 1940.
Today, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts. It boasts over 800 miles of maintained trails for hikers, as well as numerous campgrounds, fishing opportunities, and horseback riding trails. Wildlife viewing and scenic auto tours are also popular activities. For those interested in history, the park houses one of the finest collections of log buildings in the eastern United States, including nearly 80 historic structures – houses, barns, outbuildings, churches, schools, and grist mills – that have been preserved or rehabilitated. Self-guiding auto tour booklets are available at each site to enrich the visitor experience.
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. However, some secondary roads, campgrounds, and other visitor facilities may be closed during the winter months.
More Information:
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
107 Park Headquarters Road
Gatlinburg, Tennessee 37738
865-436-1200