The Great Smoky Mountains National Park,in Western North Carolina

The Cherokee Indians lived here first (over 10,000 years ago), then mountain settlers. Today the Smokies, the western section of the Appalachian Mountains, include the most visited U.S. national park. This refuge is home to black bears, deer, wild hogs (invasive animals), elk, wolves, bobcats, 30 species of salamanders, a large variety of birds, plus over 4000 species of plants. Cades Cove offers a look into pioneer life as well as wildlife, where log houses, farm buildings, cemetaries and more are preserved. Overlooking it all is Clingman's Dome, the highest point at 6,643 feet (2,025 meters). Most visitors travel through the park by car on US Hwy 441 with spectacular vistas, but more than 800 miles (1,287 kilometers) of hiking trails wind through the parks interior. The Appalachian Trail - the 2,000 mile hiking trail from Georgia to Maine, traverses throught the park.

A Wondrous Diversity of Life
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a World Heritage Site and renowned for its diversity of plant and animal life. These are the world's oldest mountains - over a billion years old.

Wildlife
Most visitors come to the Smokies hoping to see a bear. Some 1,500 bears live in the park. 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. The park is a sanctuary for a magnificent array of animal and plant life, all protected for future generations to enjoy. On Smoky Mountain Jet Boats Combination Hike and Jet Boat Ride trips we take you to some of the less visited trails in the park and wild hogs, black bears and other wildlife have been seen on our hikes.

Things to Do
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. But hiking is not the only reason for visiting the Smokies. Camping, fishing, picnicking, tubing, wildlife viewing and scenic drives are popular activities.
Smoky Mountain Jet Boats offers combination hike and jet boat ride trips experiencing everything that's special about this area.
Choose from the 45-minute hike, to the 1 1/2 hour hike, to the Extreme Hike (12 miles) from Clingman's Dome. All three options of hikes end up at the lake and the thrilling jet boat ride tops off your experience!

Visit the National Park Website for a few more details http://www.nps.gov/grsm/

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