Great Smoky Mountains NP Tennessee

: Entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

: Newfound Gap is the lowest drivable pass through the Smoky Mnts. Nat. Park

: In1872, Arnold Henry Guyot, a Swiss Geographer’s work revealed Newfound Gap as the lowest pass & displaced nearby Indian Gap Road

: When the lower, easier crossing was discovered, it became known as the “newfound” gap

: Starting from either Cherokee, North Carolina or Gatlinburg, Tennessee, the drive climbs 3,000 feet, through cove hardwood, pine-oak, and northern hardwood forest before getting to the evergreen spruce-fir forest.

: The Gap has an elevation of 5,046 feet.

: At nearly a mile high, Newfound Gap is much cooler than the surrounding lowlands and receives much more snow.

: Temperatures at the gap may be 10 degrees or more cooler than the lowlands & precipitation falling as rain in Gatlinburg or Cherokee may be snow at Newfound Gap.

: Newfound Gap Overlook View

: Newfound Gap Overlook View

: All of these scenic photos were taken from the large Overlook parking area.

: Streams & Rivers in the Smoky Mountains

: Streams & Rivers in the Smoky Mountains

: Streams & Rivers in the Smoky Mountains

: Streams & Rivers in the Smoky Mountains

: Streams & Rivers in the Smoky Mountains

: Streams & Rivers in the Smoky Mountains

: Meigs Falls on Little River

: Large waterfalls attract the crowds, but smaller cascades & falls can be found on many rivers and streams

: Meigs is sometimes called “Place of a Thousand Drips” – During wet periods, it is dramatic as the flow of water splits into numerous small channels cascading around rocks and creating “a thousand drips.”

: Juney Whank Falls is divided into an upper and lower section & can be viewed from the footbridge crossing it at the Falls

: Together they drop 90 feet from top to bottom. The trail to the waterfall is 0.8 miles roundtrip and is considered moderate in difficulty.

: The Gatlinburg Tram, one of America’s largest Aerial Tramways, gives you a magnificent panorama of Gatlinburg & the Smokies.

: It takes you on a breathtaking 2.1 mile ride to the top of Mt. Harrison. At the top is a Ski Resort & Amusement Park.

: The 120 passenger cars & ride to the top provide an experience for all ages.

: As you travel on your upward trek, one can see the many homes nestled in the mountatinside.

: Clingmans DomeTrail view in the Smokies. The trail is short, 1/2 mile, but almost straight-up & difficult for anyone with health problems.

: Berries for the Bears along the trail

: A 54 foot observation tower is at the top.

: Clingmans Dome is located along the state-line ridge, half in North Carolina and half in Tennessee.

: At 6,643 feet, it is Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s highest point

: It is also the highest point in Tennessee & the second highest east of the Mississippi

: On clear, pollution-free days, views expand over 100 miles and into seven states.

: Some days air pollution limits average viewing distances to only 22 miles.

: The Vistas from the top of Clingmans are spectacular. Throughout the time we were at the Tower, the clouds rolled in & out lending to beautiful blue as well as dark overcast skys.

: As you circle the top of the Observation Tower, you can see the weather change & the clouds moving in.

: By the time we started down from the Tower, clouds were over much of the area.

: Sinks Falls is more of a big cascade than a waterfall.

: Cades Cove has been preserved by the Great Smoky Mtn. Nat. Park to look much the way it looked in the 1800′s.

: The Valley of Cades Cove is surrounded by a “Loop” road & visitors can drive & see the remaining original structures. The departure point for the hike to Abrams Falls lies in Cades Cove.

: To the center of the loop are many acres of grass and wildflower fields which were once cleared by frontiersmen for growing wheat, corn and grazing cattle.

: It became a small mountain community surrounding the valley as European descent frontiersmen came to make it their home.

: John & Lurany Oliver were the first to come to Cades Cove & this cabin is known as the Oliver Cabin. It actually was the honeymoon house built for their son when he married. The original Oliver Cabin was behind it.

: Abrams Creek & Waterfall is named for the Cherokee chief of a village on the Little Tennessee near the mouth of what is now Abrams Creek.

: The 2.5 trail to the Falls begins to climb gradually, reaching a height above the stream & then descends again to follow the river.

: As you navigate up & down the Trail, along the flat stretches you encounter smaller cascades & waterfalls

: Smaller waterfall as you hike.

: The trail climbs once again to the top of Arbutus Ridge, descending again to the Creek, switching back once again over a side creek on a log bridge.

: One of the two wooden “log” bridges crossing Abrams Creek

: Smaller waterfall as you hike the trail.

: Smaller waterfall as you hike the trail.

: Flowers along the trail.

: A pretty cascade along the trail.

: Exposed large tree roots were in abundance as you climbed up the trail and one had to navigate them to continue on.

: The trail makes a final climb above Abrams Creek. It curves right at a point where you can hear the falls below you, then descends steeply to another log bridge over Wilson Branch.

: At the falls, the relatively peaceful Creek suddenly becomes a narrow chute on the right side, and a violent but beautiful twenty-foot plunge over the ledge

: Abrams Falls

: Fisherman at Abrams Falls

: Abrams Falls was worth the 5 mile round trip hike!!!

: Trail leading to Laurel Falls – Large tree roots made it a little tricky hiking

: Laurel Falls Trail – Large Mushroom (I think it’s a mushroom!) on a tree

: Flowers along Laurel Falls Trail

: Laurel Falls

: Laurel Falls

: Grotto Falls

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