Salamanders - I never knew that salamanders could reach 2 feet in length! The Hellbender Salamander is not unique to this park, but is in large numbers here. Apparently, the variety and number of salamanders in the park make this a Salamander lover's paradise. There is at least one species that is only found here.
History - The land was originally inhabited by the Cherokee Indians but the US government drove the Indians from this area to Oklahoma in the 1830s. The ranger told us that of the 14,000 Indians that were driven from the land, only about 10,000 actually survived the trip. The trip is known as the "trail of tears". The regional European descendents began moving into the park and cultivated the land until the 1934, when several conservation groups in Tennessee and North Carolina purchased the land and deeded it to the US Government. Unfortunately, 1,200 people were kicked off their property to create the national park.
If you are ever near the area, the park is a great destination. The town of Gatlinburg feels much like a tourist region, but the park has some amazing views and nice waterfalls. I highly recommend the ranger talks. We took a one hour hike with a ranger today and he gave an excellent educational talk/hike. My favorite fun fact of the day was the story behind the "dog hobble bush". In the early 1900s locals used to hunt the black bear with dogs. The black bear would run through thick brush filled with the "dog hobble" bush. The bush's leaves have sharp pointed edges that wouldn't bother the bear, but would cause the dog's to hobble because it would scratch up their nose and face.
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