The U.S. National Park Service preserves and maintains 78 structures within the national park that were once part of the numerous small Appalachian communities scattered throughout the range's river valleys and coves. I had to, he says, and there beside the grapevines was a seven-foot creature. READ MORE:The 20 Best Fall Festivals in Georgia. Why other tree types such as the red spruce fail to encroach into the beech gaps is unknown. Many wildflowers grow in mountains and valleys of the Great Smokies, including bee balm, Solomon's seal, Dutchman's breeches, various trilliums, the Dragon's Advocate and even hardy orchids. What Ghostly Encounters Might You Have in Harpers Ferry or Great Smoky Encompassing over 800 square miles in the Southern Appalachian Mountains, no other area of equal size in a temperate climate can match Great Smoky Mountains National Park in number and variety of animals, plants, fungi, and other organisms. But a major flood in 1916 changed that theory. The park contains five historic districts and nine individual listings on the National Register of Historic Places. [63], By the time the first English explorers arrived in Southern Appalachia in the late 17th century, the Cherokee controlled much of the region, and the Great Smoky Mountains lay at the center of their territory. The allure of the Great Smoky Mountains is certainly no secret, and the park gets quite crowded during the busy summer months (JunAug) and in the autumn when the leaves change color (SepOct). When I move, it moves. In the middle of the night, a brilliant flash of light burst into the cabin and knocked Trulie Jane right out of bed. Appalachian culture is known for superstitions and legends like these. It doesn't take long to see why Great Smoky Mountains is the most visited national park in the United States. First-timer's guide to Great Smoky Mountains National Park Come with a backup destination in mind and park responsibly with all wheels out of the roadway. If you do see a black bear on vacation, consider yourself lucky because it happened by chance! The Smokies are entirely admission-free, thanks to the many area residents who gave up their land and contributed funds to create the park. They allegedly talked for three nights about the past, the present, and the future, explains Fitzhugh. [91] In spite of these difficulties, the Park Commission had completed most major land purchases by 1932. She spent her weekends in high school swimming at the Sinks or camping at Cades Cove. In the evenings, Catawba women went searching for their sons, husbands, brothers and fathers, using torch lights to guide them. The Appalachian ghost story eventually became famous enough to reach General Andrew Jackson. Be sure to let a non-hiking partner know where youre going and when you plan to be back. You can also celebrate the Appalachian myth at the annualMothman Festival, which typically happens on the third weekend in September. Some scholars believe that the danger and isolation of early mountain life gave birth to many of the legends that still exist today, banging around in our brains and compelling us to take an extra look over our shoulder should we find ourselves alone in a dusky forest or a creaky old cabin. They are one of 146 native land snail species in the park. When the Cherokee aligned themselves with the British at the outbreak of the American Revolution in 1776, American forces launched an invasion of Cherokee territory. Within Great Smoky Mountains National Park, there are two options: camping or hiking up to LeConte Lodge. The commission also had to deal with the Tennessee and North Carolina legislatures, which at times were opposed to spending taxpayer money on park efforts. 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. 3 Smoky Mountain Ghost Stories That Will Scare Your Socks Off National and state parks are reopening in the US in phases - heres what we know, 7 reasons staycations are going to be our saviour in 2020, This corner of northeastern Utah is the wilderness only locals know about, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. - 1000 A.D.) sites found within the park contained 2000+-year-old ceramics and evidence of primitive agriculture. Salamanders hear through their feet! Strangeways Brewing, which has locations in Richmond and Fredericksburg, Virginia brews a beer named after the Wampus Cat, the Wampus Cat Triple IPA. Hold your breath when you pass a cemetery, or youll be the next to die. But the harassment wouldnt stop, and John Bell finally confided to one of his neighbors about the strange incidents in his home. She would often focus on Johns daughter Betsy Bell, pulling the sheets off her bed, or even physically harming her with kicks, punches, and scratches. Many claim that the lights seen today are the spirits of the Catawba women, still searching for their loved ones. Imagine youre deep in the woods when you spot a sudden movement through the trees. There are plenty of accommodation options outside the park, too. The Maryville-Alcoa. She even forced Betsy to break off her engagement with Joshua Gardner before eventually disappearing for good. There are 2,900 miles of streams in the Smokies but only about 800 miles contain fish. [10] Other post-hurricanes, including Hurricane Hugo in 1989, have caused similar damage in the Smokies. Less than a year after Mavis died, Basil married Trulie Jane Lawson, a young woman who also lived in Cades Cove. Between the two is the scenic Newfound Gap Road, which winds for 29 miles, neatly bisecting the park on the only pavement traversing the Smokies. Great Smoky Mountains National Park contains some of the largest tracts of wilderness in the East and is a critical sanctuary for a wide variety of animals. Theorists have also turned to other supernatural explanations, including aliens, Wendigos, Bigfoot, and portals to other dimensions. Pinterest. Treat bear encounters with extreme caution! Other popular access points are the Cataloochee Valley on the east side of the park, and Cades Cove in the west. Here's our pick of the best. One such account came from volunteer firefighters Captain Paul Yoder and Benjamin Enochs. Great Smoky Mountains National Park Legend says that the local Native American tribes waited for the full moon to drive the Moon-Eyed People from their underground caves. [65] The Cherokee called Gregory Bald Tsitsuyi , or "rabbit place," and believed the mountain to be the domain of the Great Rabbit. Your heart pounds in your chest and you realize, jarringly, that the sounds of the forest have died. While the rise in temperatures between 12,500 and 6,000 years ago allowed the hardwoods to return, the spruce-fir forest has managed to survive on the harsh mountain tops, typically above 5,500 feet (1,700m). When you're exploring the wilderness, it's better to be safe than to be a statistic! Nevertheless, the soldiers sighting of a booger gave the town its memorable name. Everyone has their own opinion, about the statue, says Stalcup. Never feed animals by hand, dispose of trash properly in approved receptacles, and use bear canisters or bear lockers to keep your snacks from attracting critters to your campsite. Whether our collective imaginations are running wild or were really sensing something otherworldly, stories of ghosts, UFOs, terrifying man-sized animals, and other hair-raising tales abound in these Blue Ridge Mountains. He always took different routes when visiting the mine, and he never even told his wife the details of his operation. Others refuted the sightings, believing that residents of Point Pleasant were actually seeing a sandhill crane that had wandered out of its normal migration route. [33], Other mammals in the Great Smokies include the white-tailed deer, the population of which drastically expanded with the creation of the national park. If you see a white horse, youll have good luck. Whether a small, blue-eyed race of sun-blind white men once inhabited the Blue Ridge long before the Europeans are known to have discovered America remains unknown, but the legend continues to live on. The real story behind the tale of the Bell Witch has never been uncovered. If you hear things that go bump in the night and you swear you dont have a pipe rattling or anything like that, you think its a spirit, he says. There are over 800 miles of trails, ranging from easy rambles along scenic boulder-filled streams to challenging all-day hikes. Along with the Biosphere reserve, the Great Smokies have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. If youre flying in, the closest airport to the park is Knoxvilles McGhee Tyson Airport (about a 70-minute drive to the one of the parks main gateways near Gatlinburg). [72], Cades Cove was settled largely by families who had purchased lots from land speculator William "Fighting Billy" Tipton. The name was also used for a mythical creature in J.K. Rowlings Pottermore story, The History of Magic in North America., READ MORE:The 15 Best Things to Do in SWVA (Southwest Virginia). Ridge upon ridge of forest straddles the border between North Carolina and Tennessee in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. From black bears to salamanders, old-growth forests to spring wildflowers, log cabins to gristmills. Species common in the northern states find suitable habitats at the higher elevations. [37] The boars are seen as taking food resources away from bears as well, and the park service has sponsored a program that pays individuals to hunt and kill boars and leave their bodies in locations frequented by bears. To learn more about this Appalachian scary story, visit the Flatwoods Monster Museum in Sutton WV. Throughout her life, Mavis was always wary of staying out in the rain and she never slept in a metal bed, fearing that it would act as a lightning rod. Biologists estimate that 1,500 American Black Bears live in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Though scientists have not been able to determine what causes the lights, ball lightning and naturally occurring mountain gases are two widely accepted theories. 1. As for temperatures, the average temperature difference between the mountains (Newfound Gap around 5,000 feet (1,500m) MSL and the valleys (Park Headquarters around 1,600 feet (490m) MSL in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is between 10 and 13 F (6 and 7 C) with highs and between 3 and 6 F (2 and 3 C) with lows. The museum is home to a statue that was found at the confluence of the Valley and Hiwassee Rivers in the early 1800s. The cove hardwood forests of the Smokies are mostly second-growth, although some 72,000 acres (290km2) are still old-growth. Ridge upon ridge of forest straddles the border between North Carolina and Tennessee in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The festival features guest speakers, live bands, vendors, cosplay, and even a 5K run. Most of the forest is a mature second-growth hardwood forest. An attempt to reintroduce the red wolf in the early 1990s ultimately failed. One reason is because they are standing, not sitting or kneeling. Environmental factors such as air quality,water quality, and non-native species are monitored and fires are used as a tool to maintain healthy ecosystems. The Smokies, along with the Unicois, provided the main bulwark dividing the Overhill Cherokee villages in modern Tennessee from the Cherokee Middle towns in modern North Carolina. It didnt make a sound. Having to decide whether its real or fake takes all the fun out of it.. In 2006, the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center opened in Townsend, Tennessee, with the mission of preserving various aspects of the region's culture. When they arrived at the site of the lights crash, they saw a pulsing red light and a 10-foot-tall creature with twisted hands and a glowing green face that seemed to levitate off the ground. When I asked my Tennessee-based family about the most common Appalachian superstitions, I was shocked by how many we still practice today. The name "Smoky" comes from the natural fog that often hangs over the range and presents as large smoke plumes from a distance. Never leave a rocking chair rocking, or you will invite spirits. [3], In the Smokies, the northern hardwood canopies are dominated by yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis) and American beech (Fagus grandifolia). The fact that the UFO sightings, men in black presence, and the Silver Bridge disaster all happened during the Mothman sightings intrigues many people, says Wamsley. Because of their prominence, the Smokies receive a heavy annual amount of precipitation. The bright light made them weak, forcing them to flee into other parts of Appalachia for good. Here are the best places to climb. For an inexpensive vacation, the Smokies are hard to beat. The range is sometimes called the Smoky Mountains and the name is commonly shortened to the Smokies. But be forewarned. [51] The legendary hellbender inhabits the range's swifter streams. The Dyrt campers recommend Gee Creek campground, a primitive campground located on the Hiwassee and Ocoee Rivers. Or you happen to catch something out of the corner of your eye and you swear its a ghost. The largest stream entirely within the park is Abrams Creek, which rises in Cades Cove and empties into the Chilhowee Lake impoundment of the Little Tennessee River near Chilhowee Dam. Formed in 1993, the friends group assists the National Park Service in its mission to preserve and protect the Great Smoky Mountains National Park by raising funds and public awareness, and providing volunteers for needed projects. [76] Religion was a central theme in the lives of the early residents of the Smokies, and community life was typically centered on churches. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. For backcountry sites that are accessible only via hiking trail, you can make reservations through the parks backcountry permit office either in person or online. [1], The Great Smokies are part of an International Biosphere Reserve. The highest point on the entire 2,200 mile span of the AT is the parks own Clingmans Dome the top of Old Smoky made famous by singers like the Weavers and Hank Williams. Born and raised in town, Wamsley was only five years old when the Mothman showed up and began terrorizing his neighbors. Stroll down the Townsend Riverwalk Trail, which is a paved route with five miles of walking and biking trails on each side of Highway 321. Prior to the 20th century, Bigfoot was known by names like Sasquatch (a Salish word meaning wild-men) or Yeti (in Himalayan folklore). About 10,600 acres (43km2) of the spruce-fir forest are old-growth.

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