Happy 75th Birthday to Great Smoky Mountains National Park!
Lost in the debate over whether or not the government can run anything right is the glaringly obvious: our National Park System is absolutely fantastic. My family and I had the chance to explore many parks in the West last summer, including Grand Canyon, Bandelier, Yellowstone, Zion, Bryce, Devil’s Tower and Mount Rushmore. The natural beauty, cultural and historical preservation, and customer service made the entire trip a great joy.
But back home in East Tennessee we have one of the finest national parks of all: Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Today dignitaries and politicians from both political parties – and both states straddling the Smokies – came to celebrate the Park’s 75th anniversary.
In appropriate fashion, the Smokies’ most famous resident – Dolly Parton – sang a fitting tribute.
Ken Burns calls our national park system “America’s Best Idea.” It’s certainly one of them. When I think of the government doing things right, I think of the national parks, with dedicated rangers who serve millions of people a year.
Happy Birthday to the Smokies!
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6 Responses to “Happy 75th Birthday to Great Smoky Mountains National Park!”
Thanks for posting this, Elrod. I hadn't realized its been 75 years. I was fortunate to spend a couple weeks backpacking in the Smokies on the AT a few years ago; I couldn't agree more with you. The entire area is a wonder for anyone to go see. Plus, if you really want to get into tourist mode, you can always go check out Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and of course, Dollywood. Our national park system is “America's Best Idea”.
One more month, and it's fabulous autumn color, “Unto These Hills” played before hordes of tourists who may visit Jellystone or other tourist sites, before they pass through the park in their RVs over the summit to Dollywood.
If at all possible, go there on a weekday rather than on weekends!
Elrod, hopefully someday, if you haven't already, you'll visit the “cove” forests, not as an ordinary tourist saying “gee, whiz, wow” but because it really is the finest variant of all among the kinds of eastern deciduous forest. The word “biodeversity” is horribly abused by people, but it really is apt here, where you not only have the greatest variety of tree species and growth in ideal conditions, but also varieties of all kinds of species (flowers and animal life as well), including species only found there. (It was a favored jewel of mine during the time I lived in Atlanta, in particular.)
http://www.appalachian.org/
http://www.dlia.org/atbi/grsmnp_habitats/forest…
http://www.tjhsst.edu/~dhyatt/fall/
DLS,
I'm a regular in the park. By that I mean I go into GSMNP at least once a week. The park entrance is about 20 miles from my house.
You are absolutely correct about the biodiversity and about the REAL way to see the park. I often go to the Abrams Creek Campground area – mostly because it's close to Maryville (where I live) and because it's so isolated. There are some fairly ho-hum trails leading out of that area but ho-hum in the Smokies is great most places. More fun is the rushing creek where the kids and I regularly wade.
The only way to see Cades Cove is to bike it. They close the road off on Wednesday and Saturday mornings until 10am. Without the traffic jam of people acting like they've never seen a deer before the Cove is a beautiful spot.
“I go into GSMNP at least once a week.”
“The only way to see Cades Cove is to bike it.”
Now I'll be jealous all this holiday weekend.
I've written before that the eastern deciduous forest (and the four distinct seasons in the eastern USA) could make a naturalist out of anybody, and the southern Appalachians is the forest's apex (literally).
Now if only the American chestnut and elm could be revived (federal research and action suggestion).
(I've visited the West Salem site on road trips and acquired seedlings for my friend to plant in DC.)
http://www2.volstate.edu/jschibig/resurrectingt…
http://www.ppws.vt.edu/griffin/accf.html
http://www.acf.org/
http://www.elmpost.org/chestnut.htm
http://www.elmpost.org/
http://www.americanelm.com/
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