The Land Of The Smokies

Seeking a taste of unspoiled wilderness, more than eight million people visit the Great Smoky Mountains National Park each year. Yet few probably realize what makes the park unusual: it was the result of efforts to reclaim wilderness rather than to protect undeveloped land. The Smokies have, in fact, been a human habitat for 8,000 years, and that contact has molded the landscape as surely as natural forces have. In this book, Daniel S. Pierce examines land use in the Smokies over the centuries, describing the pageant of peoples who have inhabited these mountains and then focusing on the twentieth-century movement to create a national park. Drawing on previously unexplored archival materials, Pierce presents the most balanced account available of the development of the park. He tells how park supporters set about raising money to buy the land--often from resistant timber companies--and describes the fierce infighting between wilderness advocates and tourism boosters over the shape the park would take. He also discloses the unfortunate human cost of the park's creation: the displacement of the area's inhabitants. Pierce is especially insightful regarding the often-neglected history of the park since 1945. He looks at the problems caused by roadbuilding, tree blight, and air pollution that becomes trapped in the mountains' natural haze. He also provides astute assessments of the Cades Cove restoration, the Fontana Lake road construction, and other recent developments involving the park. Full of outstanding photographs and boasting a breadth of coverage unmatched in other books of its kind, The Great Smokies will help visitors better appreciate the wilderness experience they have sought. Pierce's account makes us more aware of humanity's long interaction with the land while capturing the spirit of those idealistic environmentalists who realized their vision to protect it. The Author: Daniel S. Pierce teaches in the department of history and the humanities program at the University of North Carolina, Asheville, and is a contributor to The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture.

"Most guides to animals in parks are intended primarily as identification aids and include relatively little on the biology of the species. Dodd's book is much more, with detailed information on all aspects of the natural history of these species. Biologists, students, and visitors to Great Smoky Mountains National Park will find this an indispensable guide." --Arthur C. Echternacht Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Tennessee The Amphibians of Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the first book devoted entirely to the natural history of the forty-four species of amphibians known to occur presently or historically in the Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee, in the most-visited national park in the United States. Features - The only comprehensive book on the natural history of the amphibians of Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Beautiful original illustrations of salamander and frog larvae taken from specimens within the park - History of research and management effects on amphibians within the park - Extensive new information on the natural history of amphibians, based on four years of intensive field research - Simplified identification table guide to amphibian larvae - Summary of information on distribution (with range maps) and biogeography - Comprehensive bibliography of the literature on amphibians within the park - Summary of new data on the conservation of southern Appalachian amphibians, particularly with regard to land use, the effects of UV light, and disease C. Kenneth Dodd is a research zoologist with the U.S. Geological Survey at the Florida Integrated Science Center and is president of The Herpetologists' League. He is the author of North American Box Turtles: A Natural History and numerous articles in Journal of Herpetology, Biological Conservation, Herpetologica, and other publications. He lives in Gainesville, Florida.

Map has titles: Great Smoky Mountains trail map; Great Smoky Mountains hiking map.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is among the most visited national parks in the country, and countless attractions around its borders have tried for decades to siphon some of those valuable tourist dollars. From ersatz western towns and concrete dinosaurs to misplaced Florida-type attractions and celebrity theaters, you will find them all preserved in this book. Author Tim Hollis showcases those businesses that no longer exist, from Hill-Billy Village in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg's theme parks on the Tennessee side to the motels of Cherokee and Ghost Town in the Sky on the North Carolina side.

A guide to 20 history-rich trails in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Handy pocket size with rounded corners. Includes maps, elevation profiles, and historic photos.

“A plethora of spectacular new photographs of the natural landscapes, wildlife, and beauty found in this remarkable National Park.” —BeautifulNow The Great Smoky Mountains have inspired, challenged, and entertained millions of visitors for hundreds of years. To preserve the splendor of the mountains and valleys for all to enjoy, Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated this beautiful area as a protected area and National Park in 1940. In this breathtaking book, the husband-and-wife photography team captures a new vision of the Great Smoky Mountains including both popular attractions and spectacular sites off the beaten path. Stunning photos represent all four seasons, including colorful fall foliage, spring’s wildflower riches, intense summer sunsets, and serene winter snowfalls. Majestic views of mountains from Clingman’s Dome to Morton Overlook along Newfound Gap Road will entice new visitors, while regulars will cherish the book as a memory album of their own, enjoying images of Cades Cove, Roaring Fork Motor Trail and the wildlife of the area. This book of new and remarkable photographs is a necessity for everyone who appreciates natural landscapes, wildlife, and beauty in an area rich with history and culture. “Offers readers—make that viewers—page after page of exquisite photographs of the Smokies . . . The photographers visited the Smokies in all four seasons, taking pictures of wildlife, deserted cabins, churches and mills, long panoramic shots of valleys and mountains, close-ups of butterflies, and trillium. Some of the winter photographs—turkeys in the snow, icy stalactites clinging to a rock cliff on Laurel Road, a rusting antique pickup at Ely’s Mill—are especially striking.” —Smoky Mountain Living Magazine

In this expanded edition of his classic Strangers in High Places, Michael Frome continues to capture the attention and admiration of nature lovers, environmentalists, and professionals as he reviews the last quarter-century in and around the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Frome's superbly written account tells the story of the Great Smoky Mountains and their inhabitants--Eastern Cherokee, back-country settlers, lumbermen, moonshiners, bears and boars. Frome chronicles the power struggles, legislation, and land transactions surrounding the creation of the national park and discusses the continuing threats to the park's natural beauty. Frome's recent conversations with residents, new and old, along with a complement of historic and contemporary photographs, confirm the views stated in the book's original 1966 edition. The author brings his knowledge, experience, and insights to bear on "one of God's special places." He suggests alternatives to commercial overdevelopment and the destruction of the Great Smokies' flora and fauna, citing recent cases such as the Tellico Dam project and the continuing pollution of the Pigeon River. Always emphasizing our inevitable relationship with our surroundings, Frome relates the story of the Great Smoky Mountains with respect and affection for the region, its people, and their history. Michael Frome ranks among the foremost American authors on travel and conservation. His interests are closely associated with national parks, national forests, and natural beauty in the United States and other countries. He has been a columnist and correspondent for major newspapers and magazines and a university lecturer. He is author of Conscience of a Conservationist: Selected Essays.