Great Smoky Mountains National Park contains the most extensive virgin hardwood and red spruce forests in the United States. It lies in the Great Smoky Mountains, on the boundary between North Carolina and Tennessee. Sixteen peaks in the park are more than 6,000 feet (1,800 meters) high. The highest is Clingmans Dome, which towers 6,643 feet (2,025 meters) in southeastern Tennessee. See Great Smoky Mountains ; Clingmans Dome .
There are more than 100 kinds of trees in the park. Spruce, fir, and hemlock cover the highest mountains and slopes. Many kinds of shrubs and flowering plants grow in the park area. The park contains a number of clear, spring-fed streams. Many of the streams have roaring falls and are full of trout. The Appalachian National Scenic Trail winds through the park for over 70 miles (110 kilometers).
Cherokee Indians were the region’s first settlers. The National Park Service maintains several pioneer homes in the park. In 1926, Congress passed a bill to create the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The park area was donated to the U.S. government by North Carolina and Tennessee, and the park was established in 1934. Federal financial aid and private donations, including $5 million from the Laura Spellman Rockefeller Memorial Fund, helped fund the park. President Franklin D. Roosevelt formally dedicated the park in 1940. For the area of the park, see National Park System (table: National parks) .
