More adventures near Asheville, North Carolina. Upon receiving stewardship of the Smokies, the National Park Service found many residents reluctant to abandon their mountain homesteads. Even today, you may encounter groups of mountain folk on the trail, carrying floral arrangements to be placed on the graves of loved ones buried in the park, an annual event for the people who still feel a part of these mountains of their birth. The forest has regrown nicely under the protection of the National Park Service. The area has an abundance of plant life and, not too surprisingly, many varieties of domestic plants.
Hazel Creek can boast of one of the park's few beaver colonies.
There are no beaver dams on the stream, but the busy beaver have downed a large number of trees alongside the stream, which provide badly needed cover for trout. Move on to Hazel Creek Return to Top Fly-Fishing Guide to the Great Smoky Mountains is available from the Adventurous Traveler Bookstore. Click here to visit Menasha Ridge Article copyright Menasha Ridge Press . All rights reserved. Work Outdoors at GORP Jobs Click Here.