The Smokies, among the oldest mountains in the world, formed 200-300 million years ago when drifting continents collided. As the continents collided, extreme pressures were generated deforming the once horizontal sedimentary rocks into folded structures. This collection of folded and faulted rocks extends over 2,000 miles from Maine to Georgia, thus forming the Appalachian Mountains. 

The landscape of the Smokies has undergone major changes throughout the ages. The rocks in this area are mostly a sedimentary type, formed by accumulations of soil, silt, sand, and gravel deposited into a huge shallow sea. Over millions of years, more and more sediments were deposited, becoming layers of hard rock some nine miles or more thick. 

Some 100 species of native trees find homes in the Smokies, more than in any other North American National Park. Almost 95% of the park is forested, and about 25% of that area is one of the largest deciduous, temperate, old-growth forest remaining in North America.

Over 1,600 additional flowering plant species, and at least 4,000 species of non-flowering plants have been identified in the park. The park is the center of diversity for lungless salamanders and is home to more than 200 species of birds, 66 types of mammals, 50 native fish species, 39 varieties of reptiles, and 43 species of amphibians. Mollusks, millipedes, and mushrooms reach record diversity here.

The Smokies are among the tallest mountains in the Appalachian chain. Elevations range from about 875 feet to 6,643 feet, with sixteen peaks rising more than 5,000 feet. The tallest mountain in the East, but not the highest, Mount Le Conte towers to 6,593 feet. Clingmans Dome, the park's highest summit, is the third tallest peak east of the Mississippi River.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is one of the most pristine natural areas in the East. A tour through the park offers visitors breathtaking mountain scenery, including panoramic views, tumbling streams, and mature hardwood forests stretching to the horizon