SMOKY MOUNTAIN ANNIVERSARY

It’s been called 500,000 acres of paradise.  The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is celebrating its 75th anniversary.

There is a distinct rhythm to the region, a song that has drifted over the mountains and across the valleys, cascaded down brooks and streams in Great Smoky Mountains National Park for 75 years. 

Superintendent of Great Smoky Mountains National Park Dale Ditmanson said, “I’m hoping our 75th anniversary will be one of those reasons that people may come back this year, when maybe they haven’t for two or three years. Let’s come back and see, and enjoy the Smokies again.“

There is so much to enjoy, and for many it starts by getting wet. 

“The water is a magnet,“ said one visitor, which pulls in swimmers or those who prefer to ride the rapids on a tube.  Others challenge the currents for the next big catch.

If you want to spend the night, there are more than 1,000 campsites.

If you just want to drive through, there are miles of scenic roadways, breath-taking views with a photo opportunity around most every bend.

The Great Smoky Mountain National Park is the busiest of all the national parks, with more than 9 million visitors each year, but crowds aren’t really a problem.  With almost 800 miles of hiking trails in this dense forest, you can go for hours in parts of the park without seeing anyone.

But then most aren’t looking for fellow hikers.

Wildlife, including bears, is just part of what has pulled people to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park for the last 75 years.

“If you come to the Smokies, and you’re embraced by these forest, and you hear this water, and you start learning the stories of the mountain people, I’ll guarantee you, you’re gonna come back again,“
said Ditmanson.

A guarantee that will no doubt last at least another 75 years or longer.