Smoky Mountains: Geographic Overview
As a first time visitor to the entire Southern Appalachian region, I can't write with much authority about the Smoky Mountains, but there is so much to write about that I have to try.
The Smokies consist mainly of a huge east-west (more like ESE-WNW) running ridge, 70 miles in length, with many branching offshoots. This mountain range, though one of the tallest in the East, is not along a major divide. It is bounded at both ends by deep river valleys that bisect the ridge and drain the entire region northwest into the Tennessee River, via the French Broad and Little Tennessee Rivers. The Eastern Continental Divide is roughly 30 miles to the southeast, along the Blue Ridge.
The general profile of the Smokies is dome-shaped. The ridge rises steeply on both ends from river valleys below 2000 feet to peaks at 4-5000 feet in a couple of miles. The ridgeline then rises more gradually its center. The highest point, Clingman's Dome at 6,643 ft, is roughly halfway down. Another highpoint, Mount Guyot at 6,621, is maybe 3/4 of the way to the east end. These huge mountains are round domes that rise gradually from the ridge.
The north side of the ridge contains the steeper terrain. Dramatic rock formations including Chimney Tops and Alum Cave Bluff are located north of Newfound Gap. The northern slopes descend in a more straightforward way to the lowlands on the Tennessee side. Driving away from the park into Tennessee the mountains give way quickly to an extensive rolling lowland in the general environs of Knoxville, TN. The area appears well-populated if somewhat rural. The south slopes descend more gradually in a pattern of broad, branching sub-ridges that go on for miles. Big mountain streams form here and drain into the Tuckasegee and Pigeon Rivers, which carry their waters around again to the north side of the mountains. Past these rivers, other mountains stretch endlessly to the west, south, and to a lesser extent to the east, the direction of Asheville, NC. Illustrating the flow of the rivers around the mountains, Asheville and Knoxville are both on the French Broad River, on opposite sides of the mountains, at elevations of 2,134 and 886 feet respectively.
Old and unglaciated, the peaks of the Smokies tend to be gradual and rounded, even at the top of steep slopes. Year-round views are rare because of the dense omnipresent forest. A major exception is the stretch of ridge around Newfound Gap encompassing Mount LeConte, Chimney Tops and Charlie’s Bunion, where steep slopes of exposed bedrock and rugged rock formations make up some of the park’s most dramatic terrain and offer sweeping views. The most popular day hikes in the National Park are in this area.
More info coming on vegetation and a few specific areas...
The Smokies consist mainly of a huge east-west (more like ESE-WNW) running ridge, 70 miles in length, with many branching offshoots. This mountain range, though one of the tallest in the East, is not along a major divide. It is bounded at both ends by deep river valleys that bisect the ridge and drain the entire region northwest into the Tennessee River, via the French Broad and Little Tennessee Rivers. The Eastern Continental Divide is roughly 30 miles to the southeast, along the Blue Ridge.
The general profile of the Smokies is dome-shaped. The ridge rises steeply on both ends from river valleys below 2000 feet to peaks at 4-5000 feet in a couple of miles. The ridgeline then rises more gradually its center. The highest point, Clingman's Dome at 6,643 ft, is roughly halfway down. Another highpoint, Mount Guyot at 6,621, is maybe 3/4 of the way to the east end. These huge mountains are round domes that rise gradually from the ridge.
The north side of the ridge contains the steeper terrain. Dramatic rock formations including Chimney Tops and Alum Cave Bluff are located north of Newfound Gap. The northern slopes descend in a more straightforward way to the lowlands on the Tennessee side. Driving away from the park into Tennessee the mountains give way quickly to an extensive rolling lowland in the general environs of Knoxville, TN. The area appears well-populated if somewhat rural. The south slopes descend more gradually in a pattern of broad, branching sub-ridges that go on for miles. Big mountain streams form here and drain into the Tuckasegee and Pigeon Rivers, which carry their waters around again to the north side of the mountains. Past these rivers, other mountains stretch endlessly to the west, south, and to a lesser extent to the east, the direction of Asheville, NC. Illustrating the flow of the rivers around the mountains, Asheville and Knoxville are both on the French Broad River, on opposite sides of the mountains, at elevations of 2,134 and 886 feet respectively.
Old and unglaciated, the peaks of the Smokies tend to be gradual and rounded, even at the top of steep slopes. Year-round views are rare because of the dense omnipresent forest. A major exception is the stretch of ridge around Newfound Gap encompassing Mount LeConte, Chimney Tops and Charlie’s Bunion, where steep slopes of exposed bedrock and rugged rock formations make up some of the park’s most dramatic terrain and offer sweeping views. The most popular day hikes in the National Park are in this area.
More info coming on vegetation and a few specific areas...
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