National Park
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is one of the largest protected land areas covering 520,976 acres; it straddles the ridgeline of the Great Smoky Mountains, which is part of the Blue Ridge Mountains (named for the bluish haze which is actually formed by water vapor which comes from the thick forests and covers the mountains and valleys in the park),and also a division of the larger Appalachian Mountains. Between Tennessee and North Carolina the border runs northeast to southwest through the centerline of the park. From Maine to Georgia, the Appalachian Trail also passes through the park. 
One of the first people to advocate for the establishment of a national park in the Smoky Mountains was W.P. Davis of Knoxville, TN. He and his wife made a tour of western national parks, and as the story goes Mrs. Davis asked her husband why there couldn't be a national park in the Smokies. She was not the only one with that idea. Horace Kephart, who was one of the first to recognize the potential of conserving the natural characteristics of the Smokies, wanted to preserve this beauty as well. Kephart came to live in the Smokies in 1904.
In 1923 a group in Knoxville, called the Great Smoky Mountain Conservation Association, led by Colonel David Chapman, was formed to promote the idea of a national park in the Smoky Mountains. The work of photographer James E. Thompson, whose images allowed many to share the beauty of the Smoky Mountains, also contributed to the success of the national park concept. Because of the successes of all of these individuals, the park was finally and fully authorized in 1934.
The park was immediately successful, and in 1941 set a record for one year visitation of a national park of one million. It has continued to be the most popular park in terms of visitors in the entire national park system; tourism has continued to grow and to this day is still one of the most popular national parks. People come to see the thousands of plants, trees and animals. They also come to hike 850 miles of trails and unpaved roads and 70 miles of the Appalachian Trail.
Before the European settlers moved into the mountains it was home to the Cherokee Indians. However, in 1830 the Indian Removal Act was put into place by President Andrew Jackson to force the Indians east of the Mississippi River to go west. Most went, some took refuge in the Smoky Mountain National Park, and their descendants can now be found in the Qualla Reservation which is located south of the national park.
As the first settlers moved into the area logging became a major industry in the mountains. They had to have a way to move the timber so Little River Railroad came to be. Clear cutting was destroying not only the ecological aspects of the mountain but the natural beauty was also being destroyed. So locals and even visitors joined forces and began trying to raise money for preservation of the mountains. The US Government donated 2 million and John D. Rockefeller, Jr. added 5 million to what the people of Tennessee and North Carolina had raised. Eventually the loggers were pushed out of the mountains and the park became protected land. In 1929 federal organizations, Civilian Conservation Corps and Works Progress Administration began building fire watchtowers, making trails and over all improvements to the park. At one time there were at least 6000 small farms in existence within the area of the park during the early 1900’s. Remnants of these old homesteads can be seen in many areas of the park, including Cades Cove and the Oconaluftee area.
Just to add to the parks points of interests it was designated an International Biosphere Reserve in 1976, certified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 (35.43-35.78 N 83.75-84.00 W, satellite image), became a part of the Southern Appalachian Biosphere Reserve in 1988 and celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2009.