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Making America's Best Idea Even Better
Great Smoky Mountains National ParkWild Turkeys are plentiful in the park.
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Multimedia Presentations
Video Podcasts
 
An elk cow leads her calf through a field in front of Palmer Chapel in Cataloochee Valley.

Elk Reintroduction
During September and October, Cataloochee Valley echoes with the bugles of bull elk calling for females and challenging other males for dominance. Hear what a bugle sounds like and learn more about the park's elk herds. 

 
A Laricobius nigrinus predator beetle feeds on hemlock woolly adelgid eggs.

Hemlock Woolly Adelgid
Majestic hemlock trees are dying in the park due to a destructive, non-native insect. Join Rangers in Great Smoky Mountains National Park as they release biocontrol beetles that are predators of the hemlock woolly adelgid.

 
Trout lilies bloom in early spring in the park.

Spring Wildflowers 
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is world renowned for its spring wildflowers. Take a video tour of two popular wildflower viewing trails to see what's blooming in the park in early Spring. This video is closed captioned.

 
Junior Ranger programs offer kids a chance to learn about the park's natural and cultural history.
Junior Ranger Blacksmithing
Want to know what Junior Ranger programs are like? Join Ranger Brad and his blacksmith apprentices as they make dinner bells in the blacksmith shop at the Mountain Farm Museum.
 
The Great Smoky Mountains Association, a non-profit partner of the park, also offers free podcasts from the Smokies, including stories, songs, and the Newfound Gap Self-guiding Auto Tour. Visit their website for audio podcasts or video blogs.
The park is named for the misty clouds that hang over the mountains.  

Did You Know?
The wispy, smoke-like fog that hangs over the Smoky Mountains comes from rain and evaporation from trees. On the high peaks of the Smokies, an average of 85 inches of rain falls each year, qualifying these upper elevation areas as temperate rain forests.

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Last Updated: June 22, 2009 at 16:56 EST