Geology & Landforms
The Great Smoky Mountains are home to many famous waterfalls including Abrams Falls, Grotto Falls, Laurel Falls, Rainbow falls, and Mingo Falls. Additionally Fontana Lake, a man-made lake created 100 years ago still stands along with the 480 foot tall Fontana Dam which is the largest dam east of the Rockies. The Great Smokies are a great place for waterfalls because of the high elevation and abundance of water. Also, this National park is home to over 1600 flowering plant species including the Lady slipper, the white Trillium, and the Rosebay Rhododendron bushes. Flowers like these bloom from mid-April to mid-May and give a vibrant glow to the valleys of the mountains.
The Great Smokies has a range of mountains that stretch over 36 miles with it's highest mountain being Mount Guyot reaching 6,621 feet. Mount LeConte, Mount Buckley, Mount Love, and Mount Chapman all follow closely behind all with elevations of higher than 6,400 feet. These famous peaks were formed through two colliding plates located at the end of the Appalachian mountain range, and were formed 200-300 million years ago making The Great Smoky Mountains some of the oldest mountains in the western hemisphere
PEAKS OF 6000 FEET
1. Clingman’s Dome 6643 ft
2. Mount Guyot 6621 ft
3. Mount LeConte 6593 ft
4. Mount Chapman 6417 ft
5. Old Black, 6370
6. Luftee Knob, 6234
7. Mount Kephart 6217 ft
8. Mount Collins 6188
9. Mark’s Knob 6169 ft
10. Big Catalooche, 6155
11. Tricorner Knob/Mt. Yonaguska 6120 ft
12. Mount Sequoyah 6003 ft7.
1. Clingman’s Dome 6643 ft
2. Mount Guyot 6621 ft
3. Mount LeConte 6593 ft
4. Mount Chapman 6417 ft
5. Old Black, 6370
6. Luftee Knob, 6234
7. Mount Kephart 6217 ft
8. Mount Collins 6188
9. Mark’s Knob 6169 ft
10. Big Catalooche, 6155
11. Tricorner Knob/Mt. Yonaguska 6120 ft
12. Mount Sequoyah 6003 ft7.
In this park the most common rocks are sedimentary including limestone, sandstone, and shale. After examining the rocks and minerals of the Great Smokies, scientists have determined that they were formed during the Precambrian time which was almost 600 million years ago. The Arch Rock is a popular geologic attraction found on the Alum Cave Trail, and was formed by eroded rock. The Great Smokies are mainly made of gneiss and schist. Varieties of gneiss include biotite, muscovite, quartz, and feldspar