From the big animals like bears, deer, and elk, down to microscopic organisms, the Smokies have the most biological diversity of any area in the world's temperate zone. Most visitors come to the Smokies hoping to see a bear. Biological diversity is the hallmark of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which encompasses over 800 square miles in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. This area is world renowned for its wide range of plant. Camping, fishing, picnicking, wildlife viewing and auto touring are popular activities. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park has an abundance of rich scenery, wildlife and diversity. But hiking is not the only reason for visiting the Smokies. Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a hiker's paradise with over 800 miles of maintained trails ranging from short leg-stretchers to strenuous treks that may require backcountry camping. World renowned for its diversity of plant and animal life, the beauty of its ancient mountains, and the quality of its remnants of Southern Appalachian mountain culture, this is America's most visited national park.

Ridge upon ridge of forest straddles the border between North Carolina and Tennessee in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park located just beyond the southernmost end of the Blue Ridge Parkway in the states of North Carolina and Tennessee. Great Smoky Mountain National Park Overview Land and Ecology Activities Camping and Lodging Weather Pets Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Hosting over 9 million visitors annually, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is Americas most visited national park.

Smoky mountain national park