Great Smoky Mountains National Park, straddling the border of Tennessee and North Carolina, is the most visited national park in the United States, drawing over 12 million recreational visits annually. Established in 1934, the park protects 522,427 acres of old-growth temperate forest — one of the largest blocks of hardwood forest remaining in North America. The park's biodiversity is extraordinary: it is home to over 19,000 documented species and is often called the "Salamander Capital of the World" for its 30-plus salamander species. The Cherokee people inhabited the region for thousands of years before forced removal along the Trail of Tears in 1838; members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians still reside on the adjacent Qualla Boundary. The park was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 and an International Biosphere Reserve in 1976.
📚 Learn More at NPSHistory.com →Great Smoky Mountains NP in TN is one of hundreds of National Park Service sites where interpretive content has been flagged under Secretary's Order 3431. This directive requires parks to review materials that could be considered negative about past or living Americans — a standard that threatens the factual historical record these sites were created to preserve.
Why this matters: Great Smoky Mountains NP is one of 466+ National Park Service sites where historically accurate interpretive content has been flagged under Secretary's Order 3431. Over 300 million people visit national parks each year. For many — especially schoolchildren — these visits are their first and deepest encounter with American history.
Wayside exhibits are worn and illegible.
Long before Great Smoky Mountains NP became a national park, this land was home to Indigenous peoples whose connection to it spans thousands of years. The interpretive materials now being reviewed tell their story — often developed through years of formal tribal consultation, as required by federal law.
Among the content targeted: “blue, like smoke.” — language that the administration has flagged for review under its directive to review historically accurate interpretive materials.
Why this matters: The Indigenous history presented at Great Smoky Mountains NP was developed through formal tribal consultation — a legal requirement under federal law. The language being reviewed was often specifically requested by tribal nations whose ancestors lived on this land for thousands of years. Revising it without renewed consultation would violate both the spirit and the letter of that process.
Title: Blue, Like Smoke
Text: A natural, smokie-like haze inspired Cherokees to describe this area as being shaconage, meaning “blue, like smoke.” Later the haze and mist-like clouds that often rise after a rain prompted the name Great Smoky Mountains. But the haze found here today is far different from that which led to the naming of the Smokies. Today’s haze is not all natural. In recent decades air pollution has greatly increased haze and decreased visibility. And air pollution’s impact goes far beyond obscuring the view. Many plant and animal species in the Smokies suffer from the effects of acid precipitation and high amounts of ground-level ozone. What does the future hold? We don’t know. Modern emission controls on pollution sources and careful placement of new industry can help prevent air quality from worsening. We can all help by conserving electricity, carpooling, recycling, and supporting policies that foster clean air.
Long before Great Smoky Mountains NP became a national park, this land was home to Indigenous peoples whose connection to it spans thousands of years. The interpretive materials now being reviewed tell their story — often developed through years of formal tribal consultation, as required by federal law.
From the internal review records: “Text: We can only wonder what the native Cherokees would have seen from here centuries ago. They probably saw unbroken forest stretching to the Cumberland Mountains on the horizon many, many miles away. But how has that view changed? Today the air almost always contains haze, and the horizon is often hard to find. What has happened? Some of the view-marring haze is natural (largely water vapor) an...”
Why this matters: The Indigenous history presented at Great Smoky Mountains NP was developed through formal tribal consultation — a legal requirement under federal law. The language being reviewed was often specifically requested by tribal nations whose ancestors lived on this land for thousands of years. Revising it without renewed consultation would violate both the spirit and the letter of that process.
Title: What Was It Like?
Text: We can only wonder what the native Cherokees would have seen from here centuries ago. They probably saw unbroken forest stretching to the Cumberland Mountains on the horizon many, many miles away. But how has that view changed? Today the air almost always contains haze, and the horizon is often hard to find. What has happened? Some of the view-marring haze is natural (largely water vapor) and has always been here. But much of today’s haze comes from air pollution, primarily from powerplants burning coal. If those Cherokees centuries ago could step forward in time, what might they think of the view today? )Even on the “clear” day when this photo was taken (on the wayside), a low, brownish haze obscures distant features. In the last half of the 20th century, visual range (the distance it is possible to see) decreased by 40 percent in winter and 80 percent in summer. Most airporne pollutants arrive from the northwest and southwest, and occasionally from the east. Some travel great distances. Weather patterns dictate how sources change over time.
Long before Great Smoky Mountains NP became a national park, this land was home to Indigenous peoples whose connection to it spans thousands of years. The interpretive materials now being reviewed tell their story — often developed through years of formal tribal consultation, as required by federal law.
From the internal review records: “Text: Rainbow and brown trout, stonerollers, hogsuckers, sculpins, river chubs, and other fish live here in the lower reaches of the Oconaluftee River. But these are just a few of over 85 species found in the Smokies. The park’s streams offer multiple mixes of oxygen, temperature, flow rate, and water purity, making for diverse aquatic life. But logging before the park’s creation, the introduction...”
Why this matters: The Indigenous history presented at Great Smoky Mountains NP was developed through formal tribal consultation — a legal requirement under federal law. The language being reviewed was often specifically requested by tribal nations whose ancestors lived on this land for thousands of years. Revising it without renewed consultation would violate both the spirit and the letter of that process.
Title: Fish Tales
Text: Rainbow and brown trout, stonerollers, hogsuckers, sculpins, river chubs, and other fish live here in the lower reaches of the Oconaluftee River. But these are just a few of over 85 species found in the Smokies. The park’s streams offer multiple mixes of oxygen, temperature, flow rate, and water purity, making for diverse aquatic life. But logging before the park’s creation, the introduction of nonnative species – like rainbow and brown trout – and acid precipitation have taken their toll on native species like brook trout. Today the park’s fisheries biologists strive to keep fish populations healthy and to restore native fish species to their original waters. Gaining Ground – Fishing for native brook trout was not allowed in the park for nearly 30 years. This small trout was squeezed from its historic range, and its number have strastically reduced because of competition from rainbow trout in lower elevations and high stream acidity from acid precipitation in higher elevations. To restore brookie numbers to their former range, biologists are removing rainbow trout from certain river stretches. Brook trout are gaining ground, so much so that now nearly all ...
Great Smoky Mountains NP in TN preserves a piece of American history that the public has trusted the National Park Service to protect and interpret. The interpretive materials at this site have been developed over years by historians, subject-matter experts, and park staff — and are now being reviewed under Secretary's Order 3431.
From the internal review records: “Text: ...Because mountains tend to trap air currents, the effect of pollution on visibility and plant life is greater in the Smokies than in some other areas. Air pollution comes from sources both far and near. Pollutants – and the problems they bring – tale many forms. Today, many of the Smokies’ plant and animal species suffer from pollution-induced impacts such as acid precipitation and high oz...”
Why this matters: The environmental changes documented at Great Smoky Mountains NP are based on decades of scientific observation and measurement. Visitors can see these changes with their own eyes. Removing references to documented science from interpretive materials doesn't reverse the changes — it only leaves visitors without the information they need to understand what they're witnessing.
Title: Land of Blue Smoke
Text: ...Because mountains tend to trap air currents, the effect of pollution on visibility and plant life is greater in the Smokies than in some other areas. Air pollution comes from sources both far and near. Pollutants – and the problems they bring – tale many forms. Today, many of the Smokies’ plant and animal species suffer from pollution-induced impacts such as acid precipitation and high ozone. (On a hazy summer afternoon, views in the Smokies may drop to a few miles or less. The diminished view largely results from air pollution. Visibility on a clear day approaches 90 miles.
Great Smoky Mountains NP in TN preserves a piece of American history that the public has trusted the National Park Service to protect and interpret. The exhibit panels at this site have been developed over years by historians, subject-matter experts, and park staff — and are now being reviewed under Secretary's Order 3431.
From the internal review records: “Ozone at ground-level is a gaseous pollutant threatening human health and vegetation. Unlike natural ozone in the stratoshpere (6-30 miles above the earth's surface), which protects life from the sun's harmful radiation, ground-level ozone is human-caused. Ozone pollutiion is a gas that forms when nitrogen oxides and colatile organic compounds react in sunlight and is higher during spring and summ...”
Why this matters: The environmental changes documented at Great Smoky Mountains NP are based on decades of scientific observation and measurement. Visitors can see these changes with their own eyes. Removing references to documented science from interpretive materials doesn't reverse the changes — it only leaves visitors without the information they need to understand what they're witnessing.
Title: The Air We Breathe
Text: Clean air is essential to sustain plant and animal life, including park visitors like you.
Ozone at ground-level is a gaseous pollutant threatening human health and vegetation. Unlike natural ozone in the stratoshpere (6-30 miles above the earth's surface), which protects life from the sun's harmful radiation, ground-level ozone is human-caused. Ozone pollutiion is a gas that forms when nitrogen oxides and colatile organic compounds react in sunlight and is higher during spring and summer. Folssil fuel-fired power plants, motor vehicles, and industry are the primary sources of these pollutants. park ozone levels, especially at higher elevations, can reach unhealthy levels for senesitive humans and park vegetation. Thirty species of plants have shown visible leaf injury from ozone pollution.
Title: The View We See
Text: Haze is primarily produced from tiny sulfate particles, limiting viewing distances while dulling colors and textures of scenic features. Carbon and nitrogen particles are other air pollutants that add to the haze. The burning of fossil fuels by power generation, industrial processes, and motor vehicles are the source of these pollut...
The story of Great Smoky Mountains NP is inseparable from the lives of the people who were enslaved here — including West Africa. For generations, their stories went untold. The interpretive materials now targeted for review were created to ensure these voices would finally be heard.
From the internal review records: “(A Sacred Ancestral Connection: Across time, many different peoples have used coins as a connection to their past ancestors and culture. Although the ancestors of the people buried here were removed from their African homelands, they held on to many traditions. Some African cultures believe that a spririt would wander if their loved ones did not leave graveside items that represented the dead. The...”
Why this matters: The history of slavery at Great Smoky Mountains NP was suppressed for generations. The materials now being targeted represent decades of work by historians, descendants of enslaved people, and community advocates to ensure these stories are finally told. Removing them would re-erase history that has only recently been acknowledged.
Title: Leave No Stone Unturned
Text: They were bear and boar hunters, livestock tenders, blacksmiths, and mountain guides. Notably, they were also enslaved people descended from those who were captured and sold from their homelands of West Africa. In 2018, the park started bringing visibility to the story of these early African Americans in the Smokies by researching the history of the Enloe slave cemetery, established by the Enloe family - farmers, loggers and enslavers who settled in the Oconaluftee area in the early 19th century.
By using ground-penetrating radar (GPR), historical documents, and local accounts, the park learned that the small head and footstones in the cemetery represents the 1860s burials of at least half a dozen enslaved people. Beyond the harsh circumstances of enslavement, these people also would have celebrated birthdays, shared their family's stories, and raised their children in these very mountains hundreds of years ago. (A Sacred Ancestral Connection: Across time, many different peoples have used coins as a connection to their past ancestors and culture. Although the ancestors of the people buried here were removed from their African homelands, they h...
Great Smoky Mountains NP stands as one of America's most significant Civil War sites. The events that unfolded here shaped the nation's future — and the interpretive materials that tell this story have been developed over decades by historians and park staff committed to factual accuracy.
The administration has flagged for review content that includes the language: “Muster Filed”, and “I remember asking the girl on guard what she would do if a stranger should demand her horn…Her reply was that she should tell him to go t ‘Hell!”.
Why this matters: Great Smoky Mountains NP commemorates events that shaped the course of American history. The interpretation here has been developed by professional historians over decades and reflects scholarly consensus. For the thousands of students who visit each year, this is often their first direct encounter with the realities of the Civil War — including its root cause in slavery.
Title: Working and Serving
Text: East Tennesseans voted by more than two-to-one against secession in the lead up to the Civil War. During the conflict, Confederate guerillas sometimes raided the homes of Union-supporting Cove citizens. Russell Gregory, then an older man, organized and drilled elders, women and children to defend against these attacks. This Home Guard joind the Union officially in Feb. 1865, assembling in the “Muster Filed” just east of here. A Union soldier’s account recalls a young girl on duty to warn the valley of any raider’s approach. “I remember asking the girl on guard what she would do if a stranger should demand her horn…Her reply was that she should tell him to go t ‘Hell!” And from my knowledge of her as a sentinel on duty, I am very sure that she would have done so.”
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