Evening star., 1942-08-23
Wide Variety Of Trees
In Great Smoky Park
Offer Riot Of Color
Autumn Show Begins
In Late September,
Carries Into November

KNOXVILLE, Tenn, Aug. o.
Myriad colored leaves and invig-
Grating mountain air make the
Great Smoky Mountains National
Park and other sections of Ten
nessee especially enticing in the
autumn. The display brings tour
lists to the famous playground in
late September, October and No
vember just to see the mountains
and valleys when they are clad in
their most gorgeous autumn colors.
The unusual display begins on the
high attitudes in midSeptember
when the birch and beech leaves
turn yellow and mingle in beautiful
contrast with the evergreens. The
pageant becomes more vivid and
variegated when frost touches the
leaves of wide variety of trees at
the lower elevations, where the COL
orng is at its best in October and
early November. The parade of
hues then sweeps across the State
from the mountains to the Missis-
sippi River, clothing every hill and
valley in scores of beautiful colors
Nature lovers wonder whether
Tennessee is more beautiful in the
spring with its wild flowers or
autumn with its multi-colored
leaves, and many prefer the latter.
Many Reds, Yellows.
From mid-September through the
next six or eight weeks some of
the most vivid colors will be sup
piled by the changing leaves of the
black gum, sourwood, red maple,
dogwood. sumac, sweet gum, all OF
which are various shades of red
Other trees such as the tulip. pop
lar, birch, hickory, pawpaw, noun
tain holly and others are turning
to various shades of yellow and
gold.
There is a period of six to eight
weeks of beautiful coloration in the
Great Smoky Mountains National
Park due to the fact that there are
30 many species of trees in the park
and amplified by the wide range OF
climate from the chilly heights OF
$500 feet to the pleasant 9O0-fooV
altitude at the base of the noun
tains.
More than 100 out of 152 varieties
OF trees in the park change the
color of their leaves in the fall.
The coniferous trees, of course, re-
tain their dense green color through
out the season and stand In con-
trast to the various other shades In
the forest.
These 152 types of trees, as con-
trasted to rs in all of Europe. is the
greatest variety to be found III any
one section of the Temperate Zone
and gives the Great Smoky Noun
tains National Park the widest va
riety of colors that man has ever
seen in one place. Some persons
regard the park as being at its best
in the autumn as the colors cloak
the mountains completely while the
rhododendron display in June Is
localized in various sections.
Zest for Hiking.
The display of colors starts in
tie high peaks in the park and
parades down the slopes and then
advances across Tennessee hills and
woods to the Mississippi River dur
ing October and November when
the last of the leaves finally f1utter
to the ground.
But it is not the beautiful colors
alone that make the Great Smoky
Mountains SO attractive in the au-
tumn, for it is during that season
that the tang in the air gives added
zest to hiking and other outdoor
pleasures. Hiking in particular is
one of the most popular pursuits IN
autumn, when parties take to the
numerous trails leading to water
falls and up the slopes to the top
of Mount La Conte, that has been
named "the grandstand OF the
Smokes" because Of the wonderful
views.
It is along the trails that mixers
spread and consume their big
lunches and delight at the sight OF
numberless kinds Of colored birds
and scurrying fur-bearing animals
busy at the task of replenishing
their winter food supplies. Toward
the end of the day the mixers re-
turn to their hotels and cabins
hungry and happy and ready for g
night of sound sleep under the SNUG
blankets.