Great Smoky Mountains National park - wikipedia Great Smoky Mountains National park Great Smoky Mountains National Park IUCN category II ( national park ) View from Mount Le Conte Location in the United States Location in North Carolina Location in Tennessee Show map of the US Show map of North Carolina Show map of Tennessee Show all Location Swain & Haywood counties in North Carolina ; Sevier, Blount, & Cocke counties in Tennessee, United States Nearest city Cherokee, North Carolina and Gatlinburg, Tennessee Coordinates 35 ° 41 ′ N 83 ° 32 ′ W ﻿ / ﻿ 35.683 ° N 83.533 ° W ﻿ / 35.683 ; - 83.533 Coordinates : 35 ° 41 ′ N 83 ° 32 ′ W ﻿ / ﻿ 35.683 ° N 83.533 ° W ﻿ / 35.683 ; - 83.533 Area 522,419 acres ( 2,114.15 km ) Visitors 11,338,893 ( in 2017 ) Governing body National Park Service Website Official website UNESCO World Heritage Site Criteria Natural : vii, viii, ix, x Reference 259 Inscription 1983 ( 7th Session ) Great Smoky Mountains National Park is an American national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site that straddles the ridgeline of the Great Smoky Mountains, part of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which are a division of the larger Appalachian Mountain chain. The border between Tennessee and North Carolina runs northeast to southwest through the centerline of the park. Great Smoky Mountains is the most visited national park in the United States with over 11.3 million recreational visitors in 2016. The Appalachian Trail passes through the center of the park on its route from Maine to Georgia. The park was chartered by the United States Congress in 1934 and officially dedicated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1940. Map Highlighting the Park 's Boundaries The park encompasses 522,419 acres ( 816.28 sq mi ; 211,415.47 ha ; 2,114.15 km ), making it one of the largest protected areas in the eastern United States. The main park entrances are located along U.S. Highway 441 ( Newfound Gap Road ) at the towns of Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and Cherokee, North Carolina. Great Smoky Mountains was the first national park whose land and other costs were paid for in part with federal funds ; previous parks were funded wholly with state money or private funds. Contents 1 History 2 Geology 3 Natural features 4 Attractions and activities 4.1 Hiking 4.2 Other activities 5 Historic areas within the national park 5.1 Historic districts 5.2 Individual listings 6 Electric vehicles 7 Air pollution 8 See also 9 Notes 10 References 11 External links History Before the arrival of European settlers, the region was part of the homeland of the Cherokees. Frontiers people began settling the land in the 18th and early 19th century. In 1830 President Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act, beginning the process that eventually resulted in the forced removal of all Indian tribes east of the Mississippi River to what is now Oklahoma. Many of the Cherokee left, but some, led by renegade warrior Tsali, hid out in the area that is now the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Some of their descendants now live in the Qualla Boundary to the south of the park. Clearcut logging in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Tennessee, 1936 As white settlers arrived, logging grew as a major industry in the mountains, and a rail line, the Little River Railroad, was constructed in the late - 19th Century to haul timber out of the remote regions of the area. Cut - and - run - style clearcutting was destroying the natural beauty of the area, so visitors and locals banded together to raise money for preservation of the land. The U.S. National Park Service wanted a park in the eastern United States, but did not have much money to establish one. Though Congress had authorized the park in 1926, there was no nucleus of federally owned land around which to build a park. John D. Rockefeller, Jr., contributed $5 million, the U.S. government added $2 million, and private citizens from Tennessee and North Carolina pitched in to assemble the land for the park, piece by piece. Slowly, mountain homesteaders, miners, and loggers were evicted from the land. Farms and timbering operations were abolished to establish the protected areas of the park. Travel writer Horace Kephart, for whom Mount Kephart was named, and photographers Jim Thompson and George Masa were instrumental in fostering the development of the park. Former Governor Ben W. Hooper of Tennessee was the principal land purchasing agent for the park, which was officially established on 15 June 1934. During the Great Depression, the Civilian Conservation Corps, the Works Progress Administration, and other federal organizations made trails, fire watchtowers, and other infrastructure improvements to the park and Smoky Mountains. It was also a site for filming of parts of Disney 's hit 1950s TV series, Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier. This park was designated an International Biosphere Reserve in 1976, was certified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983, and became a part of the Southern Appalachian Biosphere Reserve in 1988. A 75th anniversary re-dedication ceremony was held on 2 September 2009. Among those in attendance were all four US Senators, the three US Representatives whose districts include the park, the governors of both states, and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. Tennessee native, singer, and actress Dolly Parton also attended and performed. Geology The majority of rocks in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are Late Precambrian rocks that are part of the Ocoee Supergroup. This group consists of metamorphosed sandstones, phyllites, schists, and slate. Early Precambrian rocks are not only the oldest rocks in the park but also the dominant rock type in sites such as the Raven Fork Valley and upper Tuckasegee River between Cherokee and Bryson City. They primarily consist of metamorphic gneiss, granite, and schist. Cambrian sedimentary rocks can be found among the bottom of the Foothills to the northwest and in limestone coves such as Cades Cove. One of the most visited attractions in the mountains is Cades Cove which is a window or an area where older rocks made out of sandstone surround the valley floor of younger rocks made out of limestone. The oldest rocks in the Smokies are the Precambrian gneiss and schists which were formed over a billion years ago from the accumulation of marine sediments and igneous rock. In the Late Precambrian, the primordial ocean expanded and the more recent Ocoee Supergroup rocks formed from the accumulation of eroding land mass onto the continental shelf. In the Paleozoic Era, the ocean deposited a thick layer of marine sediments which left behind sedimentary rock. During the Ordovician Period, the collision of the North American and African tectonic plates initiated the Alleghenian orogeny that created the Appalachian range. During the Mesozoic Era rapid erosion of softer sedimentary rocks re-exposed the older Ocoee Supergroup formations. Natural Features The observation tower at Clingmans Dome, the highest point in the national park Elevations in the park range from about 875 feet ( 267 m ) to 6,643 feet ( 2,025 m ) at the summit of Clingmans Dome. Within the park a total of sixteen mountains reach higher than 5,000 feet ( 1,520 m ). The wide range of elevations mimics the latitudinal changes found throughout the entire eastern United States. Indeed, ascending the mountains is comparable to a trip from Tennessee to Canada. Plants and animals common in the country 's Northeast have found suitable ecological niches in the park 's higher elevations, while southern species find homes in the balmier lower reaches. During the most recent ice age, the northeast - to - southwest orientation of the Appalachian mountains allowed species to migrate southward along the slopes rather than finding the mountains to be a barrier. As climate warms, many northern species are now retreating upward along the slopes and withdrawing northward, while southern species are expanding. The park normally has very high humidity and precipitation, averaging from 55 inches ( 1,400 mm ) per year in the valleys to 85 inches ( 2,200 mm ) per year on the peaks. This is more annual rainfall than anywhere in the United States outside the Pacific Northwest and parts of Alaska and Hawaii. It is also generally cooler than the lower elevations below, and most of the park has a humid continental climate more comparable to locations much farther north, as opposed to the humid subtropical climate in the lowlands. The park is almost 95 percent forested, and almost 36 percent of it, 187,000 acres ( 76,000 ha ), is estimated by the Park Service to be old growth forest with many trees that predate European settlement of the area. It is one of the largest blocks of deciduous, temperate, old growth forest in North America. Colorful autumn leaves in October 2008 The variety of elevations, the abundant rainfall, and the presence of old growth forests give the park an unusual richness of biota. About 10,000 species of plants and animals are known to live in the park, and estimates as high as an additional 90,000 undocumented species may also be present. Park officials count more than 200 species of birds, 50 species of fish, 39 species of reptiles, and 43 species of amphibians, including many lungless salamanders. The park has a noteworthy black bear population, numbering about 1,500. An experimental re-introduction of elk ( wapiti ) into the park began in 2001. It is also home to species of mammals such as the raccoon, bobcat, two species of fox, river otter, woodchuck, beaver, two species of squirrel, opossum, coyote, white - tailed deer, chipmunk, two species of skunk, and various species of bats. Over 100 species of trees grow in the park. The lower region forests are dominated by deciduous leafy trees. At higher altitudes, deciduous forests give way to coniferous trees like Fraser fir. In addition, the park has over 1,400 flowering plant species and over 4,000 species of non-flowering plants. Attractions and activities The Alum Cave Bluffs trail to the summit of Mount LeConte provides numerous views of the Great Smoky Mountains. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a major tourist attraction in the region. Over 11.3 million recreational visitors ( tourists ) and an additional 11 million non-recreational visitors traveled to, or through, the park in 2016. The recreational figure represents nearly twice as many tourists as the Grand Canyon, which received nearly 6 million visitors the same year. 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 two main visitors ' centers inside the park are Sugarlands Visitors ' Center near the Gatlinburg entrance to the park and Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee, North Carolina at the eastern entrance to the park. These ranger stations provide exhibits on wildlife, geology, and the history of the park. They also sell books, maps, and souvenirs. U.S. Highway 441 ( known in the park as Newfound Gap Road ) bisects the park, providing automobile access to many trailheads and overlooks, most notably that of Newfound Gap. At an elevation of 5,048 feet ( 1,539 m ), it is the lowest gap in the mountains and is situated near the center of the park, on the Tennessee / North Carolina state line, halfway between the border towns of Gatlinburg and Cherokee. It was here that in 1940, from the Rockefeller Memorial, Franklin Delano Roosevelt dedicated the national park. On clear days Newfound Gap offers arguably the most spectacular scenes accessible via highway in the park. The park has a number of historical attractions. The most well - preserved of these ( and most popular ) is Cades Cove, a valley with a number of preserved historic buildings including log cabins, barns, and churches. Cades Cove is the single most frequented destination in the national park. Self - guided automobile and bicycle tours offer the many sightseers a glimpse into the way of life of old - time southern Appalachia. Other historical areas within the park include Roaring Fork, Cataloochee, Elkmont, and the Mountain Farm Museum and Mingus Mill at Oconaluftee. Hiking Main article : Hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park There are 850 miles ( 1,370 km ) of trails and unpaved roads in the park for hiking, including seventy miles of the Appalachian Trail. Mount Le Conte is one of the most frequented destinations in the park. Its elevation is 6,593 feet ( 2,010 m ) -- the third highest summit in the park and, measured from its base to its highest peak, the tallest mountain east of the Mississippi River. Alum Cave Trail is the most heavily used of the five paths en route to the summit. It provides many scenic overlooks and unique natural attractions such as Alum Cave Bluffs and Arch Rock. Hikers may spend a night at the LeConte Lodge, located near the summit, which provides cabins and rooms for rent ( except during the winter season ). Accessible solely by trail, it is the only private lodging available inside the park. The Chimney Tops was a popular destination for hikers until the area was closed due to wildfire damage in 2016. Another popular hiking trail led to the pinnacle of the Chimney Tops, so named because of its unique dual - humped peaktops. This short but strenuous trek rewarded nature enthusiasts with a spectacular panorama of the surrounding mountain peaks. It was the flashpoint for the 2016 wildfires and therefore sustained extensive damage, evident still today in clearly visible burn scars. The trail and the peak have been closed to tourists ever since. Both the Laurel Falls and Clingman 's Dome trails offer relatively easy, short, paved paths to their respective destinations. The Laurel Falls Trail leads to a powerful 80 - foot ( 24 m ) waterfall, and the Clingman 's Dome Trail takes visitors on an uphill climb to a fifty - foot observation deck, which on a clear day offers views for many miles over the Tennessee, North Carolina, and Georgia mountains. In addition to day hiking, the national park offers opportunities for backpacking and camping. Camping is allowed only in designated camping areas and shelters. Most of the park 's trail shelters are located along the Appalachian Trail or a short distance away on side trails. In addition to the Appalachian Trail shelters used mostly for extended backpacking trips there are three shelters in the park that are not located on the Appalachian Trail. The Mt. LeConte Shelter is located a short distance east of LeConte Lodge on The Boulevard Trail. It can accommodate 12 people per night, and is the only backcountry site in the entire park that has a permanent ban on campfires. The Kephart Shelter is located at the terminus of the Kephart Prong Trail which begins upstream of the Collins Creek Picnic Area. The shelter, situated along a tributary of the Oconaluftee River can accommodate 14 people. Laurel Gap Shelter is one of the more remote shelters in the park. Situated in a Beech forest swag between Balsam High Top and Big Cataloochee Mountain, the Laurel Gap Shelter can accommodate up to 14 people per night. This shelter is a popular base camp for peakbaggers exploring the heart of the Smokies wilderness. Designated backcountry campsites are scattered throughout the park. A permit, available at ranger stations and via the Park website, is required for all backcountry camping. Additionally, reservations are required for all of the shelters and backcountry campsites. A maximum stay of one night, in the case of shelters, or three nights, in the case of campsites, may limit the traveler 's itinerary. Other activities After hiking and simple sightseeing, fishing ( especially fly fishing ) is the most popular activity in the national park. The park 's waters have long had a reputation for healthy trout activity as well as challenging fishing terrain. Brook trout are native to the waters, while both brown and rainbow were introduced to the area. Partially due to the fact of recent droughts killing off the native fish, there are strict regulations regarding how fishing may be conducted. Horseback riding ( offered by the national park and on limited trails ), bicycling ( available for rent in Cades Cove ) and water tubing are all also practiced within the park. Cades Cove panorama Historic areas within the National park See also : List of historical structures maintained by the Great Smoky Mountains National Park The Becky Cable house in the Cades Cove Historic District was built in 1879. The park service maintains four historic districts and one archaeological district within park boundaries, as well as nine individual listings on the National Register of Historic Places. Notable structures not listed include the Mountain Farm Museum buildings at Oconaluftee and buildings in the Cataloochee area. The Mingus Mill ( in Oconaluftee ) and Smoky Mountain Hiking Club cabin in Greenbrier have been deemed eligible for listing. Historic districts Cades Cove Historic District Elkmont Historic District Oconaluftee Archaeological District Noah Ogle Place Roaring Fork Historic District Individual listings The John Ownby Cabin in The Sugarlands valley was built in 1860. Alex Cole Cabin Clingmans Dome Observation Tower Hall Cabin ( in Hazel Creek area ) John Messer Barn John Ownby Cabin Oconaluftee Baptist Church ( also called Smokemont Baptist Church ) Tyson McCarter Place Mayna Treanor Avent Studio Little Greenbrier School Walker Sisters Place Electric vehicles The National Park Service ( NPS ) announced in late 2001 that it would use electric vehicles ( EVs ) provided by the Tennessee Valley Authority ( TVA ) for a research project in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to evaluate the vehicles ' performance in mountainous terrain. The NPS said the EVs will be on loan from TVA for two years and will be used by park service staff at Cades Cove and the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont to determine the benefits provided by these vehicles versus standard gasoline - fueled vehicles. Air pollution Great Smoky Mountains National Park is considered the most polluted national park according to a 2004 report by the National Parks Conservation Association. From 1999 to 2003, the park recorded approximately 150 unhealthy air days, the equivalent of about one month of unhealthy air days per year. In 2013, Colorado State University reported that, due to the passing of the United States Clean Air Act in 1970 and the subsequent implementation of the Acid Rain Program there was a `` significant improvement '' to the air quality in the Great Smoky Mountains from 1990 to 2010. See also Great Smoky Mountains Association Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center Wildflowers of the Great Smoky Mountains List of birds of Great Smoky Mountains National Park List of national parks of the United States Notes ^ Jump up to : `` Listing of acreage as of December 31, 2011 ''. Land Resource Division, National Park Service. Retrieved 7 March 2012. ^ Jump up to : `` NPS Annual Recreation Visits Report ''. National Park Service. Retrieved 26 February 2018. Jump up ^ GSMNP main page - National Park Service Jump up ^ GSMNP stories - National Park Service ^ Jump up to : The National Parks : America 's Best Idea. Ken Burns, broadcast on PBS. Jump up ^ `` Images of the Great Smoky Mountains ''. dlc.lib.utk.edu. Retrieved 26 June 2018. Jump up ^ `` Ben W. Hooper ''. tennesseeencyclopedia.net. Retrieved 13 August 2012. Jump up ^ MAB Biosphere Reserves Directory - UNESCO Jump up ^ `` Wide - ranging celebration to honor 75th anniversary of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park ''. Retrieved 13 September 2016. Jump up ^ Moore, Harry ( 1988 ). A Roadside Guide to the Geology of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Knoxville, Tennessee : University of Tennessee Press. p. 32. Jump up ^ Houk, Rose, 1993, Great Smoky Mountains : A Natural History Guide, Mariner Books, pp 10 - 17, ISBN 978 - 0395599204 Jump up ^ `` Natural Features & Ecosystems ''. US National Park Service. Retrieved 20 July 2007. Jump up ^ Becky Johnson. `` A sanctuary for scientists : Smokies ' slopes seen as frontier in global warming research ''. Smoky Mountain News. Retrieved 27 January 2011. Jump up ^ `` Climate Change in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park '' ( PDF ). Macalester College. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 1 April 2012. Retrieved 27 January 2011. Jump up ^ Mary Byrd Davis ( 23 January 2008 ). `` Old Growth in the East : A Survey. North Carolina '' ( PDF ). Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 17 February 2012. Jump up ^ `` Black Bears - Great Smoky Mountains National Park ''. National Park Service. Jump up ^ `` Park Statistics - Great Smoky Mountains National Park ( U.S. National Park Service ) ''. nps.gov. National Park Service. Retrieved 8 February 2017. ' More than 11.3 million recreational visits in 2016. ( This figure does not include the approximately 11 million travelers on the Gatlingburg - Pigeon Forge Spur. ) ' < note that the Grand Canyon figure given in this source dates to 2013 - use current report links for later figures > Jump up ^ GSMNP Just for Fun, National Park Service Jump up ^ `` NPS Launches Program to Study EVs in Park. ( National Park Service using electric vehicles ) ( Brief Article ) ''. 13 December 2001. Retrieved 29 November 2016. Jump up ^ Feanny, Camille ( 24 June 2004 ). `` Smokies top list of most polluted parks ''. CNN. Retrieved 28 December 2009. Jump up ^ `` New Report Ranks Five Most - Polluted National Parks ''. National Parks Conservation Association. 24 June 2004. Archived from the original on 25 July 2011. Retrieved 14 June 2010. Jump up ^ Wenzler, Mark ( 12 March 2013 ). `` New Report : Air Quality in the Smokies Is Headed in the Right Direction National Parks Conservation Association ''. Retrieved 5 July 2016. Jump up ^ Dimas, Jennifer ( 7 March 2013 ). `` Reducing Pollution at National Parks : Colorado State University Scientists Demonstrate Significant Improvements in Air Quality, Visibility - News & Information - Colorado State University ''. Archived from the original on 24 May 2013. Retrieved 5 July 2016. CS1 maint : Unfit url ( link ) References Saferstein, Mark. 2004. Great Smoky Mountains. 22nd ed. American Parks Network. Tilden, Freeman. 1970. The National Parks `` Old - Time Smoky Mountain Music : 34 Historic Songs, Ballads, and Instrumentals Recorded in the Great Smoky Mountains by ' Song Catcher ' Joseph S. Hall '' ( CD released by the Great Smoky Mountains Association, 2010 ). Pierce, Daniel S. The Great Smokies : From Natural Habitat to National Park. Knoxville : University of Tennessee Press, 2000. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Official website of the National Park Service Species Mapper Great Smoky Mountains National Park at NASA Earth Observatory Official Nonprofit Expert Nature Hikes Guide to records ( general administrative files ) from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Great Smoky Mountains Association -- Nonprofit Partner of the Park, videos, photos, maps, and more National parks of the United States Acadia American Samoa Arches Badlands Big Bend Biscayne Black Canyon of the Gunnison Bryce Canyon Canyonlands Capitol Reef Carlsbad Caverns Channel Islands Congaree Crater Lake Cuyahoga Valley Death Valley Denali Dry Tortugas Everglades Gates of the Arctic Gateway Arch Glacier Glacier Bay Grand Canyon Grand Teton Great Basin Great Sand Dunes Great Smoky Mountains Guadalupe Mountains Haleakalā Hawaiʻi Volcanoes Hot Springs Isle Royale Joshua Tree Katmai Kenai Fjords Kings Canyon Kobuk Valley Lake Clark Lassen Volcanic Mammoth Cave Mesa Verde Mount Rainier North Cascades Olympic Petrified Forest Pinnacles Redwood Rocky Mountain Saguaro Sequoia Shenandoah Theodore Roosevelt Virgin Islands Voyageurs Wind Cave Wrangell -- St. Elias Yellowstone Yosemite Zion List of national parks of the United States ( by elevation ) Protected areas of North Carolina Federal National Parks Great Smoky Mountains National Historic Sites Carl Sandburg Home Fort Raleigh National Memorials Wright Brothers National Military Parks Guilford Courthouse National Battlefields Moores Creek National Parkways Blue Ridge Parkway ( Crabtree Falls Craggy Gardens Cumberland Knob Doughton Park E.B. Jeffress Park Julian Price Memorial Park Linville Falls Moses H. Cone Memorial Park Mount Pisgah Waterrock Knob ) National Trails Appalachian Trail Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail National Seashores Cape Hatteras Cape Lookout National Marine Sanctuary Monitor National Estuarine Research Reserve Currituck Banks Rachel Carson Masonboro Island Zeke 's Island National Forests Cherokee Croatan Nantahala Pisgah Uwharrie National Wildlife Refuges Alligator River Cedar Island Currituck Mackay Island Mattamuskeet Pea Island Pee Dee Pocosin Lakes Roanoke River Swanquarter Wilderness Areas Birkhead Mountains Catfish Lake South Ellicott Rock Joyce Kilmer - Slickrock Linville Gorge Middle Prong Pocosin Pond Pine Sheep Ridge Shining Rock Southern Nantahala Swanquarter Wilderness Study Areas Craggy Mountain Harper Creek Lost Cove Overflow Snowbird Wild and Scenic Rivers Chattooga River Horsepasture River Lumber River New River Wilson Creek State State Parks Carolina Beach Carvers Creek Chimney Rock Cliffs of the Neuse Crowders Mountain Dismal Swamp Elk Knob Eno River Fort Macon Goose Creek Gorges Grandfather Mountain Hammocks Beach Hanging Rock Haw River Jockey 's Ridge Jones Lake Lake James Lake Norman Lake Waccamaw Lumber River Mayo River Medoc Mountain Merchants Millpond Morrow Mountain Mount Mitchell New River Pettigrew Pilot Mountain Raven Rock Singletary Lake South Mountains Stone Mountain William B. Umstead State Recreation Areas Falls Lake Fort Fisher Jordan Lake Kerr Lake State Natural Areas Hemlock Bluffs Masonboro Island Mount Jefferson Occoneechee Mountain Theodore Roosevelt Weymouth Woods See also List of North Carolina State Natural Areas State Lakes Bay Tree Lake Jones Lake Lake Phelps Salters Lake Singletary Lake Lake Waccamaw White Lake State Trails Deep River French Broad River Mountains - to - Sea Yadkin River State Rivers Horsepasture River Linville River Lumber River New River State Forests Bladen Lakes DuPont Clemmons Holmes Jordan Lake Mountain Island Rendezvous Mountain Turnbull Creek Tuttle State Historic Sites Alamance Battleground Charles B. Aycock Birthplace Historic Bath Bennett Place Bentonville Battleground Brunswick Town / Fort Anderson C.S.S. Neuse and Governor Caswell Memorial Charlotte Hawkins Brown Memorial Duke Homestead Historic Edenton Fort Dobbs Fort Fisher Historic Halifax Horne Creek Living Historical Farm House in the Horseshoe North Carolina Transportation Museum President James K. Polk Historic Site Reed Gold Mine Somerset Place Stagville State Capitol Town Creek Indian Mound Tryon Palace Historic Sites & Gardens Zebulon B. Vance Birthplace Thomas Wolfe Memorial NC Coastal Reserve Kitty Hawk Woods Emily and Richardson Preyer Buckridge Buxton Woods Permuda Island Bald Head Woods Bird Island Other Nature centers List of nature centers in North Carolina Protected areas of Tennessee Federal National Parks Great Smoky Mountains National Park National Historical Parks & Sites Andrew Johnson National Historic Site Cumberland Gap National Historical Park Manhattan Project National Historical Park National Military Parks Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park Fort Donelson National Battlefield Fort Donelson National Cemetery Shiloh National Cemetery Shiloh National Military Park Stones River National Battlefield Stones River National Cemetery National Recreation Areas Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area National Trails System Appalachian National Scenic Trail Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail Trail of Tears National Historic Trail National Forests Cherokee National Forest National Wildlife Refuges Chickasaw Cross Creeks Hatchie Lake Isom Lower Hatchie Reelfoot Tennessee Wilderness Areas Bald River Gorge Big Frog Big Laurel Branch Citico Creek Cohutta Gee Creek Joyce Kilmer - Slickrock Little Frog Mountain Pond Mountain Sampson Mountain Unaka Mountain Other Protected Areas Foothills Parkway Gatlinburg Bypass Natchez Trace Parkway Obed Wild and Scenic River State East Tennessee State Parks Big Ridge Booker T. Washington Cove Lake Cumberland Mountain David Crockett Birthplace Fall Creek Falls Fort Loudoun Frozen Head Harrison Bay Hiwassee / Ocoee Indian Mountain Justin P. Wilson Cumberland Trail Norris Dam Panther Creek Red Clay Roan Mountain Rocky Fork Seven Islands Sycamore Shoals Warriors ' Path Middle Tennessee State Parks Bicentennial Capitol Mall Bledsoe Creek Burgess Falls Cedars Of Lebanon Cordell Hull Birthplace Cummins Falls David Crockett Dunbar Cave Edgar Evins Fall Creek Falls Harpeth River Henry Horton Johnsonville Long Hunter Montgomery Bell Mousetail Landing Old Stone Fort Pickett Port Royal Rock Island Sgt. Alvin C. York South Cumberland Standing Stone Tims Ford West Tennessee State Parks Big Cypress Tree Big Hill Pond Chickasaw Fort Pillow Meeman - Shelby Forest Nathan Bedford Forrest Natchez Trace Paris Landing Pickwick Landing Pinson Mounds Reelfoot Lake T.O. Fuller State Forests Bledsoe Cedars of Lebanon Chickasaw Chuck Swan Franklin John Tully Lewis Lone Mountain Martha Sundquist Natchez Trace Pickett Prentice Cooper Scott Standing Stone Stewart State Natural Areas Auntney Hollow Barnett 's Woods Bays Mountain Beaman Park Big Bone Cave Campbell Bend Barrens Carroll Cabin Barrens Glade Mr. and Mrs. Harry Lee Carter Chimneys Colditz Cove Couchville Cedar Glade Crowder Cemetery Barrens Devils Backbone Dry Branch Duck River Complex Elsie Quarterman Cedar Glade Falling Water Falls Fate Sanders Barrens Flat Rock Cedar Glade & Barrens Gattinger 's Cedar Glade & Barrens Ghost River Grundy Forest Hampton Creek Cove Hawkins Cove Hicks Gap Hill Forest Honey Creek House Mountain Hubbard 's Cave John & Hester Lane Cedar Glades John Noel at Bon Aqua Langford Branch Laurel - Snow Lost Creek Lucius Burch Jr. Forest Manus Road Cedar Glade May Prairie North Chickamauga Creek Gorge Overbridge Old Forest Ozone Falls Piney Falls Pogue Creek Powell River Radnor Lake Riverwoods Roundtop Mountain Rugby Savage Gulf Sequatchie Cave Short Mountain Short Springs Sneed Road Cedar Glade Stillhouse Hollow Falls Stinging Fork Falls Stones River Cedar Glade & Barrens Sunk Lake Sunnybell Cedar Glade Taylor Hollow Twin Arches Vesta Cedar Glade Vine Cedar Glade Virgin Falls Walker Branch Walls of Jericho Walterhill Floodplain Washmorgan Hollow Watauga River Bluffs William B. Clark William R. Davenport Refuge Wilson School Road Window Cliffs Other Catoosa Wildlife Management Area Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation ( web ) - Tennessee Department of Agriculture ( web ) World Heritage Sites in the United States Northeast Independence Hall Statue of Liberty Midwest Cahokia South Everglades Great Smoky Mountains Mammoth Cave Monticello and the University of Virginia Poverty Point San Antonio Missions West Carlsbad Caverns Chaco Culture National Historical Park Grand Canyon National Park Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park Kluane - Wrangell -- St. Elias - Glacier Bay - Tatshenshini - Alsek Mesa Verde Olympic National Park Pueblo de Taos Papahānaumokuākea Redwood Waterton - Glacier International Peace Park Yellowstone National Park Yosemite National Park Territories La Fortaleza and San Juan National Historic Site Shared with Canada GND : 4477623 - 8 LCCN : sh2005004887 SUDOC : 070451710 VIAF : 136349242 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Great_Smoky_Mountains_National_Park&oldid=849894795 '' Categories : IUCN Category II Great Smoky Mountains National Park Great Smoky Mountains Biosphere reserves of the United States Blue Ridge National Heritage Area Civilian Conservation Corps in North Carolina Civilian Conservation Corps in Tennessee National parks in North Carolina National parks in Tennessee National parks of the Appalachians North Carolina outdoor recreation Old growth forests Protected areas established in 1934 Protected areas of Blount County, Tennessee Protected areas of Cocke County, Tennessee Protected areas of Haywood County, North Carolina Protected areas of Sevier County, Tennessee Protected areas of Swain County, North Carolina Southern Sixers Works Progress Administration in North Carolina Works Progress Administration in Tennessee World Heritage Sites in the United States Gatlinburg, Tennessee Geological type localities 1934 establishments in North Carolina 1934 establishments in Tennessee East Tennessee Western North Carolina Hidden categories : CS1 maint : Unfit url Use dmy dates from June 2017 Coordinates on Wikidata Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Pages with maps Talk Contents About Wikipedia Wikivoyage Asturianu Català Cebuano Čeština Dansk Deutsch Español فارسی Français Galego 한국어 Հայերեն Hrvatski Italiano עברית ქართული Қазақша Latviešu Lietuvių മലയാളം Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Polski Português Română Русский Simple English Slovenčina Suomi Svenska Türkçe Українська Tiếng Việt Winaray 粵語 中文 29 more Edit links This page was last edited on 12 July 2018, at 03 : 59 ( UTC ). 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Question: when did the smoky mountains became a national park
Answer: 15 June 1934