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Guide to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

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  • wcu_great_smoky_mtns-2700.jpg
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  • forms the boundary line between North Carolina and Tennessee and extend centrally in a northeasterly direction through the park from the Little Tennessee River to the Pigeon River. The axis of the park runs nearly east and west. The greatest length is 51.5 miles and the greatest breadth is 18.5 miles. The Balsam Mountains, a cross range, are in the southeastern portion of the park on the North Carolina side and form a junction with the main divide of the Great Smokies, the connection being made by an extended high ridge forming the boundary line of Swain and Haywood counties, North Carolina. Tricorner Knob is at the junction. The Chil- howee Mountains, also a cross range, are in Tennessee at the western end of the park and extend in a northeast and southwest direction. The Great Smokies, which run the entire length of the park, have 24 peaks and one gap 6,000 feet or more high; 28 peaks and six gaps more than a mile high, and 20 peaks and 11 gaps more than 5,000 feet in elevation. Measuring from sea level, the highest mountain in the park is Clingman's Dome, with an elevation of 6,642 feet. It is second to Mount Mitchell, 6,684 feet, which is the highest summit in Eastern America. Andrews Bald, 5,860 feet, is the highest "bald" in the Great Smokies. The highest gap in the park is Deer Creek Gap, which has an elevation of approximately 6,020 feet. The "tallest" mountain in the park is Mount LeConte. In fact, it is considered the "tallest" mountain in the Appalachians. This is in relation to its elevation from base level and not sea level. One of the outstanding features of the park is the fact that its peaks stand so high above their bases. They stand fully as high above the valleys as the peaks in the national parks in the West with a few exceptions. Mount LeConte rises considerably higher above its immediate base than Mount Mitchell, which is outside the 12
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Object’s are ‘parent’ level descriptions to ‘children’ items, (e.g. a book with pages).