Seeking a taste of unspoiled wilderness, more than eight million people visit the Great Smoky Mountains National Park each year. Yet few probably realize what makes the park unusual: it was the result of efforts to reclaim wilderness rather than to protect undeveloped land. The Smokies have, in fact, been a human habitat for 8,000 years, and that contact has molded the landscape as surely as natural forces have. In this book, Daniel S. Pierce examines land use in the Smokies over the centuries, describing the pageant of peoples who have inhabited these mountains and then focusing on the twentieth-century movement to create a national park. Drawing on previously unexplored archival materials, Pierce presents the most balanced account available of the development of the park. He tells how park supporters set about raising money to buy the land--often from resistant timber companies--and describes the fierce infighting between wilderness advocates and tourism boosters over the shape the park would take. He also discloses the unfortunate human cost of the park's creation: the displacement of the area's inhabitants. Pierce is especially insightful regarding the often-neglected history of the park since 1945. He looks at the problems caused by roadbuilding, tree blight, and air pollution that becomes trapped in the mountains' natural haze. He also provides astute assessments of the Cades Cove restoration, the Fontana Lake road construction, and other recent developments involving the park. Full of outstanding photographs and boasting a breadth of coverage unmatched in other books of its kind, The Great Smokies will help visitors better appreciate the wilderness experience they have sought. Pierce's account makes us more aware of humanity's long interaction with the land while capturing the spirit of those idealistic environmentalists who realized their vision to protect it. The Author: Daniel S. Pierce teaches in the department of history and the humanities program at the University of North Carolina, Asheville, and is a contributor to The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture.

In the Great Smoky Mountains, moonshine making was a world unto itself. On the one hand, moonshining was about dynamite-totting lookouts, fast cars, snitching, quick cash, hidden stills, "revenuers," and deadly gunplay. On the other, it was a story of earnest farm families living in remote mountain valleys and practicing their traditional craft of moonshining so they could buy shoes for their children. Yet perhaps the most fascinating aspect of this book is the sudden resurgence of making moonshine in the Southern mountains today. Join author and noted historian Dr. Daniel S. Pierce to learn about the traditions, foibles, and dangers of mountain "blockading" from the early 19th century to tomorrow.

In 1974, Paul M. Fink published Backpacking Was the Only Way, a memoir of exploration in the Smoky Mountain backcountry that is long out of print. The basis of the book was a journal kept from 1914 to 1938, combined with evocative photographs that Fink compiled into a manuscript he called Mountain Days. The manuscript is now considered to be a unique and insightful first-person account of the region. Containing rare historical accounts of the manways, camps, and cabins once used by adventurers exploring the mountains before the advent of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, this is the first widely-accessible publication of Mountain Days. This edition features a new foreword by Ken Wise, professor and director of the Great Smoky Mountain Regional Project at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville's John C. Hodges Library. An open access edition of Mountains Days is available from the Hunter Library at Western Carolina University.

Annually millions of people admire the Great Smoky Mountains National Park's primeval beauty - towering peaks, sparkling cascades, virgin forests, and remarkable variety of wildflowers and shrubs. One of the nation's most popular national parks did not just "come to be" a logical and natural development on federally-owned land. Instead, it was the first national park to be acquired from private owners and given by the people to the federal government. Establishment of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park climaxed an unprecedented crusade that is a story of almost fanatic dedication to a cause, as well as one of frustration, despair, political bias, and even physical violence.

Illustrated Guide to Great Smoky Mountains National Park includes information about various sections of the park, history, caves, waterfalls, streams, trails, the Cherokee, museums, synchronous fireflies, railroads, bicycle riding, water-powered mills, cabins, animal life including salamanders, plant life including wildflowers, moonshine, camping, fishing, horseback riding, and other topics illustrated with photographs and poster art.

Hiking Trails of the Great Smoky Mountains is an essential guide to one of America’s most breathtaking and rugged national parks. The second edition of this compellingly readable and useful book is completely updated, giving outdoor enthusiasts the most current information they need to explore this world-renowned wilderness. Included here are facts on more than 125 official trails recognized by the Park Service. Each one has its own setting, purpose, style, and theme, and author Kenneth Wise describes them in rich and vivid detail. For every route, he includes a set of driving directions to the trailhead, major points of interest, a schedule of distances to each one, a comprehensive outline of the trail’s course, specifics about where it begins and ends, references to the U.S. Geological Survey’s quadrangle maps, and, when available, historical anecdotes relating to the trail. His colorful descriptions of the area’s awe-inspiring beauty are sure to captivate even armchair travelers. Organized by sections that roughly correspond to the seventeen major watersheds in the Smokies, Wise starts in Tennessee and moves south into North Carolina, with two major trails—the Lakeshore and the Appalachian—that traverse several watersheds treated independently. Further enhancing the utility of this volume is the inclusion of the Great Smoky Mountains’ official trail map as well as an informative introduction filled with details about the geology, climate, vegetation, wildlife, human history, and environmental concerns of the region. A seasoned outdoorsman with more than thirty years of experience in the area and codirector of the Great Smoky Mountains Regional Project at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Wise brings an exceptional depth of knowledge to this guide. Both experienced hikers and novices will find this newly revised edition an invaluable resource for trekking in the splendor of the Smokies.

“A plethora of spectacular new photographs of the natural landscapes, wildlife, and beauty found in this remarkable National Park.” —BeautifulNow The Great Smoky Mountains have inspired, challenged, and entertained millions of visitors for hundreds of years. To preserve the splendor of the mountains and valleys for all to enjoy, Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated this beautiful area as a protected area and National Park in 1940. In this breathtaking book, the husband-and-wife photography team captures a new vision of the Great Smoky Mountains including both popular attractions and spectacular sites off the beaten path. Stunning photos represent all four seasons, including colorful fall foliage, spring’s wildflower riches, intense summer sunsets, and serene winter snowfalls. Majestic views of mountains from Clingman’s Dome to Morton Overlook along Newfound Gap Road will entice new visitors, while regulars will cherish the book as a memory album of their own, enjoying images of Cades Cove, Roaring Fork Motor Trail and the wildlife of the area. This book of new and remarkable photographs is a necessity for everyone who appreciates natural landscapes, wildlife, and beauty in an area rich with history and culture. “Offers readers—make that viewers—page after page of exquisite photographs of the Smokies . . . The photographers visited the Smokies in all four seasons, taking pictures of wildlife, deserted cabins, churches and mills, long panoramic shots of valleys and mountains, close-ups of butterflies, and trillium. Some of the winter photographs—turkeys in the snow, icy stalactites clinging to a rock cliff on Laurel Road, a rusting antique pickup at Ely’s Mill—are especially striking.” —Smoky Mountain Living Magazine

The Smoky Mountains Book One takes the reader on an adventure exploring park trails and off-trail within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Written by an avid hiker and local mountain historian Mike Maples. Book One covers mostly the northern section of the park, from the Sugarland Visitor Center to Cosby. A hiking guide and history book of those who once lived here and called the Smokies their home. Book contains historical information, maps, old and new photos, along with passed down old mountain folks stories. A must have hiking guide for those who love to explore the backwoods of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

In this expanded edition of his classic Strangers in High Places, Michael Frome continues to capture the attention and admiration of nature lovers, environmentalists, and professionals as he reviews the last quarter-century in and around the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Frome's superbly written account tells the story of the Great Smoky Mountains and their inhabitants--Eastern Cherokee, back-country settlers, lumbermen, moonshiners, bears and boars. Frome chronicles the power struggles, legislation, and land transactions surrounding the creation of the national park and discusses the continuing threats to the park's natural beauty. Frome's recent conversations with residents, new and old, along with a complement of historic and contemporary photographs, confirm the views stated in the book's original 1966 edition. The author brings his knowledge, experience, and insights to bear on "one of God's special places." He suggests alternatives to commercial overdevelopment and the destruction of the Great Smokies' flora and fauna, citing recent cases such as the Tellico Dam project and the continuing pollution of the Pigeon River. Always emphasizing our inevitable relationship with our surroundings, Frome relates the story of the Great Smoky Mountains with respect and affection for the region, its people, and their history. Michael Frome ranks among the foremost American authors on travel and conservation. His interests are closely associated with national parks, national forests, and natural beauty in the United States and other countries. He has been a columnist and correspondent for major newspapers and magazines and a university lecturer. He is author of Conscience of a Conservationist: Selected Essays.

In 1986 the largest criminal smuggling enterprise of the 20th century was exposed after the arrest of one small town sheriff for Trafficking. This event led to the largest incarceration of Law Enforcement Officials in the history America and would expose a southern based secret society who's origins predate the Civil War. A story based on true events set in the Appalachia Mountains of Tennessee and Kentucky. An intertwined tale of Marijuana, Moonshine and Cocaine where the players are none other than those who are sworn to be protecting us from such threat, the Police. Be there when several East Tennessee Sheriff's make deals with Pablo Escobar to land planes in their county for the purpose of transporting cocaine through out the United States to various Cartels and Mafia's. Murder, corruption, fast cars and faster women make up this Hillbilly tale of Cops, Judges, Bikers and Farmers. The telling of history in a manner which makes it enjoyable, sometimes down-right funny, from the position of one man who was there. Drama, Action, Humor, Humility, and Heritage all rolled into one book. You can almost smell the Cornbread baking while you read.