Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Great Smoky Mountains National Park — page 1
TOWERING MOUNTAINS and glassy lakes Churning rivers and dense forests Lush prairies and baking deserts The open spaces and natural wonders of the United States once seemed as limitless as they were diverse But as human expansion and development increased in the 1800s forests and prairies were replaced by settlements and agricultural lands Waterways were diverted wildlife was over-hunted and the earth was scarred by mining Fortunately many Americans fought to preserve some of the country’s vanishing wilderness In 1872 Yellowstone National Park was established becoming the first true national park in the world and paving 6