The Great Smoky Mountains (GSM) National Park covers approximately 543,400 acres (220,000 ha) of western North Carolina and southeastern Tennessee, making the park the single largest wilderness area in the eastern United States. The mountains received their name from the Cherokee for the smoke-like clouds which frequently shroud their peaks and the grey-green haze of the wooded slopes. In early fall, this grey-green haze becomes a blaze of autumnal colors. The GSM are known for their large stands of some of the world's best remaining examples of temperate deciduous forest, and for their "balds" or treeless mountain tops. The park's size, scenic beauty, and geographical proximity to large population centers are features that contribute to attracting more visitors annually than any other national park (including the somewhat better-known Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Grand Canyon National Parks).

The GSM are situated in what had been one of the...