The Great Smoky Mountains, commonly and affectionately called the Smokies, received its name from the natural blue haze which often hangs over it. The Smokies run north, south straddling Tennessee and North Carolina, and are part of the Appalachian Mountain Range.
The Smokies’ most prominent feature is the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Established in 1930 as a National Park, it is the most popular national park in the United States with over 9 million visitors per year.
The first native peoples arrived in the Tennessee Great Smoky Mountains around 1000 AD. They came from the Iroquoian lands of New England, and later became known as the Cherokee Nation. The Cherokees named the Smokies, “place of blue smoke.” |
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In the late 18th century, the European settlers arrived in large numbers, and the Cherokees were forced to flee to the Blue Ridge Mountains. These primarily Scottish-Irish settlers concentrated their settlements in the fertile lowlands. As logging grew as a major industry, the Smokies’ first railroad was constructed in the late 19th century. Cut and run style clear cutting was destroying the natural beauty, so visitors and locals banded together to raise money for the land’s preservation, resulting with the authorization of the National Park. Today the Great Smoky Mountains is a favorite destination for hiking, fishing, bicycling, horseback riding and much more. Homeowners seeking their mountain getaways are discovering the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee as their retreat from the hustle and bustle of the city, discovering tranquility and peace of mind. |
