In a few months, the Great Smoky National Park will celebrate its 75^th anniversary.  The Smokies contain over 10,000 species of animal and plant life, which the famous Appalachian Trail runs through.  Located only 40 miles from Knoxville, the Smoky Mountains are a perfect weekend getaway from the bustle of the city and stress of school.  With all the people who gave their time and money to save this wonderful land, it is only fair to experience the truly unique enviroment of the Great Smoky Mountains.       

The Great Smoky Mountains cover more than 800 square miles of land in the Appalachian Mountains, forming a boundary between Tennessee and North Carolina.  Ranging in elevation from 870 to over 6,600 feet, the mountains overflow with thousands of backpacking and hiking trails and a biological diversity unmatched anywhere in the country.  Better yet, it is right in our backyard.  

Surprisingly, it took decades along with thousands of unwavering supporters and millions of dollars to make the Smokies a part of the United States National Park System. 

In the late 1700s, the first European settlers arrived at the Smoky Mountains and discovered the Cherokee Indians had already made their home in the mountains.  Almost all of the Cherokee were forced to leave their land in the 1830s, known as the Trail of Tears.  European settlers quickly designated their property and began hunting, growing food and clearing the land for pastures.  

In the 1900s, the settlers' lives in the mountains once again altered when the lumbering industry found the abundant forests of the Smokies and began destroying the prehistoric tress and wilderness.

Thanks to unyielding advocates, the early 20^th century began the preservation process.  Many people, especially from Knoxville, Tennessee, and Asheville, North Carolina, began pressuring Washington to turn the mountains into a national park.  The most support came from the auto clubs across the country, who desired the ability to drive through the breathtaking scenery. 

President Coolidge signed a bill in 1926, promising the establishment of the Great Smoky Mountain National park when 150,000 acres of land was purchased. The problem, however, was that the government was not permitted to purchase any land for a national park.

Two years later, with the Legislatures of Tennessee and North Carolina's 5 million dollars and the Laura Spellman Rockefeller Memorial Fund's donation of another 5 million dollars, the land was purchased.  Although thousands of land-owners had to abandon their homes, the 20% of remaining uncut forest was saved.

Be on the lookout for weekly highlighted hikes of the Great Smoky Mountains.