- Field Notes and Tips
- Animals of the Great Smoky Mountains
- Flora and Fungi of the Great Smoky Mountains
- Natural Features of the Great Smoky Mountains
- Things to do in the Great Smoky Mountains
- Where to Stay Around the Great Smoky Mountains
- Gear Approved by Naturalist’s Guide
- Map for Great Smoky Mountains National Park
As part of the Appalachian mountains, the Great Smoky Mountains, or the Smokies, are one of America’s oldest mountain ranges forming approximately 200-300 million years ago. The Smokies run along the border of Tennesee and North Carolina in the Southeastern United States.
The 522,427 acres of Great Smoky Mountain National Park is relatively untouched and gives an idea of temperate flora before the influence of humans.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited of the 59 national parks in the United States. In 2016 the park had 11.6 million recreational visitors while the second most visited, Grand Canyon, had 4.6 million visitors. The park is one of the world’s few International Biosphere Reserves and an UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The name “Smoky” comes from the fog that forms over the mountain range. The fog is caused by the mountain vegetation as the plants emit volatile organic compounds into the atmosphere. A fog begins to form due to the high volume of flora and fauna releasing a high concentration of these compounds. Unlike oxygen, these compounds have a high vapor pressure and easily form vapors at normal temperature and pressure which is why we can see it.
Field Notes and Tips
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park does not have a park entrance fee. However, a paid parking pass is required if you plan to visit the park in a car and park for longer than 15 minutes. The pass can be purchased online at Recreation.gov.
Below are some of the most common animals, flora, fauna, and fungi that are found in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Animals of the Great Smoky Mountains
Black bears
Black bears are typically black in color but may also be brown or cinnamon. Male black bears weigh around 250 pounds while adult females are smaller weighing over 100 pounds. Bears may also double their weight by the fall. Bears over 600 pounds have been documented in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Black bears live at all elevations of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. There are an estimated 2,000 black bears at Great Smoky National Park—about two bears per square mile.
Black bears are able to climb trees, swim, and can run 30 mph/ 48 kph. Be sure to practice bear safety while adventuring outdoors.
Salamanders
The Great Smoky Mountains are known as the “Salamander Capital of the World.” The majority of vertebrate (backboned) animals, including humans, in the park on any given day are salamanders. Be on the look out for salamanders such as the marbled or spotted salamander. Hellbenders are the largest salamander species you’ll encounter in the Smokies.
There is also a species of salamander with red cheeks called the red-cheeked salamander whose entire population is mostly found primarily within Great Smoky Mountain National Park.
Black-chinned red salamander is orange, brownish-orange, or bright red with random black spots. 
Red-cheeked salamander, also a Jordan’s salamander, is a solid gray color with red, orange, or yellow patches on the side of the head. 
Blackbelly salamander is a dark brown or black with two rows of small pale spots along each side of the back. The belly is usually black but may have pale flecks in young individuals. 
Jordan’s salamander is a gray color with red, orange, or yellow patches on the side of the head. 
Blue Ridge two-lined salamander is bright yellow, yellow-orange, or orange. There are two black lines along the back with dots or blotches. 
Imitator salamander is dark brown or blackish, sometimes with a pale intermittent stripe down its back and a pale line joining eye to jaw. It often has red or orange cheek patches mimicking the red-cheeked salamander. 
Blue Ridge two-lined salamander is bright yellow, yellow-orange, or orange. There are two black lines along the back with dots or blotches. 
Slimy salamander is a blackish-blue color with scattered silvery-white or gold spots all over their body.
Lightning Bugs
The Smokies are home to a species of lightning bug, or firefly, called the photinus carolinus. During mating season, this species of firefly will flash a special lightning sequence to attract mates. The flashes will eventually sync up to have a synchronously flashing forest. Each year, Great Smoky Mountain National Park holds a lottery for entry into the park for a chance to see the synchronous lightning bugs. The synchronous lightning typically occurs in June. Learn more about the annual firefly viewing at the Great Smoky Mountains.
Birds
Warblers are the most diverse group of birds in the Smokies with over 30 different kinds. The Smokies are also home to the broad winged hawk, chimney swift, ruby-throated hummingbird, Acadian flycatcher, Tennessee warbler, tufted tit mouse, Carolina chickadee, golden crowned kinglet, and the scarlet tanager.
Approved by Naturalist’s Guide
Merlin Bird ID App
Identify the birds your see or hear with Merlin Bird ID–we call it the Shazam for bird calls.
Other Animals
Other animals found in the Smoky Mountains are bobcats, bats, carolina flying squirrel, snakes, and elk. Copperhead and timber rattle snakes are the two venomous snake species found in the Smokies. Elk were reintroduced in 2001 and there are now around 200 elk in the Smoky Mountains.
Flora and Fungi of the Great Smoky Mountains
Great Smoky Mountains National Park has over 1,500 kinds of flowering plants more than in any other North American national park. Mountain laurel, rhododendron and flame azaleas are favorites to spot. Mountain laurel has pink and white flowers and bloom in early May through June. Catawba rhododendron, which lives primarily at elevations above 3,500’, reaches it peak of bloom in June. Rosebay rhododendron is in bloom at the lower elevations in June and at mid-elevations during July. Flame azaleas bloom at the low and mid-elevations in April and May.
Common trees, shrubs, and vines to look for include Fraser fir, red maple, yellow birch, blue beech, mockernut hickory, white ash, tuliptree, pitch pine, black cherry, white oak, moosewood, mountain maple, heart’s-a-busting, wild hydrangeas, mountain holly, buffalo-nut, and greenbrier.
Mushrooms found at Great Smoky Mountain National Park include species of amanita like amanita flavoconia and amanita fulva. Clitocybes, puffballs, russula, and species of ramaria have also been spotted.
Approved by Naturalist’s Guide
Seek by iNaturalist App
Seek uses image recognition technology to identify wildlife, plants, and fungi.
Natural Features of the Great Smoky Mountains
Elevations in Great Smoky Mountain National Park range from approximately 875 feet at the mouth of Abrams Creek to 6,643 feet at Clingmans Dome. Sixteen mountains peaks exceed 6,000 feet in elevation.
Clingmans Dome, Mount Guyot, and Mount Le Conte are the thre highest peaks.
Most of the rocks in Great Smoky Mountains National Park are sedimentary and were formed by accumulations of clay, silt, sand, gravel, and minor amounts of calcium carbonate in flat-lying layers.
In the Smokies high country, over 85″ of rain falls on average each year. During wet years, peaks like Mt. Le Conte and Clingmans Dome receive over eight feet of rain. There are 730 miles of fish-bearing streams and another 1,300 miles of tributaries.
Things to do in the Great Smoky Mountains
There are over 850 miles of hiking trails to explore. 70 miles of the Appalachian Trail run through Smoky Mountain National Park.
Other activities include fishing, camping, white water rafting, ziplining, winter sports, bicycling, birdwatching, stargazing, horseback riding, and trail running. An accessible way to see potential wildlife is by driving the Roaring Fork Motor Trail. The park also covers 522,427 acres with 238 miles of paved road and 146 miles of unpaved road.
Approved by Naturalist’s Guide
All Trails App
All Trails has over 400K trail maps that are curated by experts and reviewed by users.
Where to Stay Around the Great Smoky Mountains
The Great Smoky Mountains has 1,000 developed frontcountry campsites and over 100 backcountry campsites. There are also group campgrounds and horse camps. Cabins near Gatlinburg also offer close proximity to Great Smoky Mountains National Park and can be rented via VRBO or AirBnB.
Approved by Naturalist’s Guide
LeConte Lodge
LeConte Lodge is accessible only by foot via 5 to 8 mile hiking trails. The primitive lodge is atop Mount Le Conte, and is generally open from Spring to Fall. Reservations book fast but last minute cancellations are posted on Twitter.
Approved by Naturalist’s Guide
Roaring Fork Cabin
Close to downtown Gatlinburg and trailheads, this cabin features a queen bedroom and upstairs loft bedroom.
Gear Approved by Naturalist’s Guide
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Keep Nature Wild Crew Socks$17.50 -
Phone Tripod with Remote$23.99 -
Naturalist’s Guide Hummingbird Hat$35.00
