Gallery - Smokies - Natural Wonders
GREAT SMOKY MOUTAINS
NATURAL WONDERS
Stretching across 800 square miles of some of the oldest mountains in the world, GSMNP holds a bewildering amount of life. Below, five examples of natural wonder on display.
WHERE TO SEE: GREGORY BALD, BALSAM MOUNTAIN ROAD
FLAME AZALEAS
Pioneer botanist William Bartram, who traveled widely in Southern Appalachia, discovered the flame azalea in 1775. In the book that became known as Bartram’s Travels, here’s how he described it.
The epithet fiery, I annex to this most celebrated species of Azalea, as being expressive of the appearance of it in flower, which are in general of the colour of the finest red lead, orange and bright gold, as well as yellow and cream colour; these various splendid colours are not only in separate plants, but frequently all the varieties and shades are seen in separate branches on the same plant, and the clusters of the blossoms cover the shrubs in such incredible profusion on the hill sides, that suddenly opening to view from dark shades, we are alarmed with the apprehension of the hills being set on fire. This is certainly the most gay and brilliant flowering shrub yet known: they grow in little copses or clumps, in open forests as well as dark groves, with other shrubs, and about the bases of hills, especially where brooks and rivulets wind about them; the bushes seldom rise above six or seven feet in height, and generally but three, four and five, but branch and spread their tops greatly; the young leaves are but very small whilst the shrubs are in bloom, from which circumstance the plant exhibits a greater shew of splendour.
CURIOSITY
WHY ARE BALDS… BALD? Found in the Smokies and elsewhere in southern Appalachia, balds are treeless peaks and ridges covered mainly in wild grasses. Think moonscape draped in shaggy green. They lie below the tree line in otherwise forested areas, so the absence of trees is an ecological mystery. Three hypotheses? Agriculture: Records are scarce, but some indicate that white settlers’ domestic animals grazed upon at least a few Smokies balds. Climate: Long ago, during what’s known as the Pleistocene era, glaciers and other climatic extremes may have displaced hardier woody vegetation. Megafauna: The grazing of giant herbivores—mammoth, mastodon, ground sloth—may have helped keep these areas treeless during the Pleistocene era.
WHERE TO SEE: ELKMONT
SYNChronous fireflies
At least 19 types of fireflies are found in the Smokies, but just one flashes in synchrony: Photinus carolinus is the only known species in the world that performs this light show. The bioluminescence is part of the fireflies’ mating display. Are all the males giving one another a fair shot? Does this simultaneous light-flirting make it easier to find a mate? The short answer: No one yet knows for sure. When the mass flashing reaches its peak–usually between late May and late June–Elkmont hosts a three-night viewing party, although lucky campers may spot groups flashing in sync elsewhere in the park. Because flashlights and other human interaction can harm fireflies, visitation is restricted to a lottery. While the park’s populations seem to be doing fine, the Park Service carefully manages the event to keep it that way. (Pro tip: Red flashlights help cut down on white light disturbance.) “The first time I saw the synchronous fireflies, everyone became instinctively quiet as we waited for the first flashes,” says Becky Nichols, the park’s aquatic entomologist and resident firefly expert. “Eventually, the entire hillside was pulsing with light.”
WHERE TO SEE: ALBRIGHT GROVE
OLD GROWTH TREES
It’s humbling to stand among trees that lived through eras we can only imagine–towering sentinels that have stood on this continent since before Europeans arrived on American shores. And it’s a rare and special experience on the East Coast: The massive tulip trees, sugar maples and hemlocks of Albright Grove represent some of the last remaining old-growth forest in the Appalachians. A small spur trail leads to a tulip poplar 25 feet in diameter. decidedly unpolished and barely a thousand feet (as the seagull flies) from Blackbeard Creek.
FOREST TYPES OF NOTE
SPRUCE-FIR
Comparable to the boreal forests of Canada and northern Maine, these evergreens grow on the Smokies’ highest peaks, above 4,500 feet.
Common species: Fraser fir, red spruce
Trails: Spruce-Fir Nature Trail, Appalachian Trail from Newfound Gap to Clingmans Dome
NORTHERN HARDWOOD
Known for their vivid autumn displays, these are the highest-elevation deciduous forests in the eastern U.S., found from 3,500 to 5,000 feet.
Common species: American beech, yellow birch, maples
Trail: Sugarland Mountain Trail
COVE HARDWOOD
Coves—sheltered valleys with rich soil—host the park’s most diverse forests, where old-growth groves overlooked by loggers can still be found, at elevations up to 4,500 feet.
Common species: Carolina silverbell, basswood, dogwood
Trails: Cove Hardwood Nature Trail, Ramsey Cascades Trail
HEMLOCK
Hemlock trees grow along streams and shady slopes at low elevations, up to 4,000 feet.
Common species: mostly hemlock, rhododendron understory
Trails: Alum Cave Bluffs Trail, Grotto Falls Trail
PINE-AND-OAK
This forest type dominates dry, exposed slopes, particularly on the park’s west side, at elevations up to 4,500 feet.
Common species: scarlet oak, pitch pine, hickory
Trails: Cades Cove Nature Trail, Laurel Falls Nature Trail
WHERE TO SEE: CATALOOCHEE VALLEY
ELK OF CATALOOCHEE
“Prior to European settlement, elk were native and abundant all through the eastern United States, including southern Appalachia. As the Europeans arrived and increased in numbers, they brought with them all the destructive practices you think of with the buffalo: over-hunting, habitat loss, competition with livestock. The last elk was killed in North Carolina in the late 1790s. In 2001, the park introduced 25 elk to Cataloochee Valley, followed by another 27 the next year. Today we estimate the population to be in the range of 175 to 200 elk across western North Carolina. The rut in September and October is the most fun time to view them. The 900-pound bulls put on a show –they thrash up the ground, stretch out their necks, and make a high-pitched squeal, or bugle, that can be heard up to a mile away – all while trying to keep the females grouped up in a tight harem away from other bulls. The best viewing time is a couple of hours before sunset. The rut is also one of the riskiest times: Bulls are running on pure testosterone.”
—Joe Yarkovich, NPS wildlife biologist
WHERE TO SEE: VARIED LOCATIONS
LICHEN
At least 920 species of lichen grow in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. In 2018, lichenologists Erin Tripp and James Lendemer named five lichen new to science in honor of Park Service staff members. Here, Lendemer describes them.
Keith’s Mustache Twirl (Heterodermia langdoniana)
Grows in gray rosettes on rocks and the bases of trees, especially at low elevations along Fontana Lake. Viewed under a hand lens, its lobes resemble twirled mustache ends. Named for Keith Langdon, retired inventory and monitoring coordinator.
Darling Dumplings (Lecanora darlingiae)
Grayish-yellow crust that grows on birches and maples in the magnificent high elevation forests that grace the crest of the Smokies. Named for Emily Darling, former resource educator.
Susan’s Sacs (Lecanora sachsiana)
Tiny reddish-brown dots that grow on big, old trees in mature forests. The “sacs” are spore-producing bags. Named for Susan Sachs, education branch chief.
Becky’s Lucky Dust (Leprocaulon nicholsiae)
Dust-like lichen that forms large yellowish-green colonies on protected rocks. Grows abundantly along Laurel Creek Road. Named for Becky Nichols, entomologist.
Paul’s Super Lichen (Pertusaria superiana)
Resembles little eyes that watch passersby from the bases of trees. Gray in color, except for the pupil-like discs, which are darker and blue. Named for Paul Super, research coordinator.
PHOTO CREDITS, top to bottom. Will Swan; Firefly Conservation & Research; Great Smoky Mountains National Park Library and The American Chestnut Foundation.
ILLUSTRATION by Rachel Briggs
RELATED POSTS
Taylor Bruce