Two-thirds or more of the area is forested. About a fifth of the area consists of national parks and forests. The acreage of parkland and forests is much higher in Georgia and in Tennessee. Parts of the area are popular resort and recreation sites. Corn and hay are the chief crops, but small grains, potatoes, and many kinds of fruits and vegetables are also grown.
Tobacco is an important crop in some places.
Most of the farms are part-time enterprises, and the occupants earn a large part of their livelihood elsewhere. The rugged mountains have steep slopes, sharp crests and narrow valleys. Stream dissection is deep and intricate. Major streams and their tributaries flow through gorges and gaps of the mountains. Broad valleys and basins with rolling hills are extensive throughout the area.