I had never smelt the mountains before. When I was planning my trip everyone who had been there before said, “Oh, that smell! You’ll never forget it!”. I always knew it would be an unforgettable trip I just never thought I would crave the mountains afterwards. I can still feel the cool, crisp air that I inhaled when I walked to the porch to watch the sunrise. I can still taste the freshly brewed coffee, doused in chocolate creamer, as I brought myself to rest on the porch swing. I can still see the sun, crimson and slowly climbing over the mountain tops and peeking through the iconic “smoke”. I can still smell the freshness of the mountains. Indescribable – like another trip is already in the books.
The Smoky Mountains are a smaller range associated with the Appalachian Mountains. Located on the United States’ east coast, the range resides between Tennessee and North Carolina – mostly along their shared border. Much of the mountains are protected by the National Park Service to preserve …show more content…
The very first park, Yellowstone, was signed in to law in 1872. Though not for lack of effort. According to the National Park Service the idea of preserving these mountains began in the late 1890’s. During a time where over-harvesting resources was common it was difficult to convince certain stakeholders that this area needed to be preserved. Instead of seeing the beauty of the mountains many people saw lumber, furs, and cash. In order for the Smoky Mountains National Park to be finalized all 150,000 acres of land needed to be purchased and the government was not able to do so. Money was found by legislature for Tennessee and North Carolina, and many supportive individuals who wanted to see this land preserved. That group alone contributed $2 million and then the Rockefellers donated $5 million. This ensured the purchase of the Smoky Mountains for the National