Rhododendron
The hillsides, valleys and peaks of the Smoky Mountains are covered with color in the late spring and early summer. As you drive across the mountains on Newfound Gap Road you will notice that the brilliant swatches of white and pink seem to be almost endless. The main source of these colors are the vast […]
Blue Valley Experimental Forest
The Blue Valley Experimental Forest was established in 1964. The purpose behind this forest was to study the habitat and growth of the white pine that dominates the some of the mountain sides in the southern Appalachians. Part of the reason this exact piece of land was chosen was due to the amount of decomposed […]
Waterfall Slideshow
Wildlife in the Smokies
From tiny bugs to the mighty elk, the animals in the Smokies come in all shapes and all sizes. The diversity extends to all manner of critters. The protection that these animals are afforded inside the national park allow you to get closer than you will be able to in most places around the country. […]
Wildlife Slideshow
Hemlock Trees
The hemlock is one of the iconic trees that you see in the Smokies. Covering the sides of the Smoky Mountains on both side of the state line, the hemlock forest are evergreens that keep their color and vibrancy throughout the year. Unfortunately the hemlocks in the Smokies are under an invasion from the Hemlock […]
Ginseng
Classification: Plantae – Angiosperms – Eudictos – Asterids – Apiales – Araliaceae – Aralioideae – Panax It is funny the plants that they have found in the Smokies over the years. The climate, the elevation the forest canopy and other factors have produced a biosphere that includes some very unusual plants and animals. One of […]
Non-Native Animals in the Smokies
Though the Park Service does try its hardest to keep animals and plants that are not native to the Smokies from harming the ecosystem for the GSMNP, over the years there have been several animals and insects that have been introduced into the environment. Wild Boar – In the early part of the 20th century, […]
Non-Native Plants in the GSMNP
Much like the non-native animals that have made their homes in the Smokies, there are many non-native plants that are now trying to thrive and in some cases take over forest lands in and around the GSMNP. The trouble with these types of plants is that they are coming into a system that has been […]
Synchronous Fireflies
Classification: Animalia – Anthropoda – insect – Coleoptera – Polyphaga – Elateriformia – Elateroidea – Lampyridae Around June of each year, an insectile phenomenon occurs. The fireflies in the Elkmont area begin to blink. Now, of course, you expect fireflies to blink but in this part of the Smokies – they blink in synchronization with […]