Image: Wikimedia
The Great Smoky Mountains have 30 types of salamanders, some found nowhere else, making them a special home for these creatures.
Image: Wikimedia
The Smoky Mountains are among the tallest in the East, with Clingmans Dome standing at 6,643 feet, the third highest peak.
Image: Wikimedia
Fontana Lake, over 10,000 acres, borders the park. Fontana Dam, built in 1944, is the tallest dam in the eastern U.S.
Image: Wikimedia
The highest point of the Appalachian Trail is in the Smoky Mountains, along its long 2,200-mile path through the East.
Image: Wikimedia
The Smoky Mountains have about 20,000 known species, with many more still undiscovered, making it a wildlife hotspot.
Image: Wikimedia
The Smokies have many types of forests, from tall hardwoods to high spruce-fir woods, creating a rich variety of trees.
Image: Wikimedia
The Smoky Mountains get lots of rain, helping forests grow and creating many beautiful waterfalls in the region.
Image: Wikimedia
The park is home to many black bears. Cades Cove is one of the best spots to see them, especially at dawn or dusk.
Image: Wikimedia
The Smoky Mountains get their name from a white-blue haze that can be seen from places like Clingmans Dome and Charlies Bunion.
Image: Wikimedia
The park was created in 1940 to save forests from being cut down. Before that, logging was quickly spreading in the area.
Image: Wikimedia