THE AUDUBON BULLETIN 19 
Our Newest Great National Park 
In the Oldest Mountains in North America 
By OrpHeuS MOYER SCHANTZ 
While the Great Smoky Mountain National Park has not yet been 
officially advertised, its popularity was shown during the last summer by 
an estimated attendance of 154,000 visitors from almost every state in 
the Union and from many foreign countries. “The larger number of 
visitors were tourists seeking something new to explore; a smaller number 
were those interested in the scientific possibilities of this little known 
out-of-door biological laboratory. 
Its accessibility and its nearness to the center of population of the 
United States—western Indiana—assure for it within a very short time 
as great or even greater attendance than any of the great National Parks. 
While it seems almost incredible that a region of such fascinating 
interest and scenic beauty, in almost every way that makes for National 
Park qualifications, should have escaped commercial devastation for so 
many years, its isolation was all that saved it. However, the lack of 
navigable highways more than anything else explains why the incomparable 
Smoky Mountain range is less known to America’s traveling public than 
are the mountains of Europe. 
Without highways, the most attractive sections of the country might 
remain indefinitely backward and unknown. ‘The story of how the first pio- 
neers came into the mountains, of their gradual slipping into illiteracy 
because of isolation and poverty, their retention, almost unchanged for 
more than 200 years, of the language, customs, folk lore and ballad sing- 
ing, all dating back to Elizabethan England, is one of the most fascinating 
stories of our country and is one that will appeal more and more to the 
visitor in the Smoky Mountain National Park region. 
In May, 1918, the writer made his first visit to the Smokies, going 
from Chicago to Knoxville in a modern Pullman car; from there to Sevier- 
ville, the county seat of the great county which contains most of the 
higher peaks in the New Park. 
From Knoxville to Sevierville the journey was made by lumber rail- 
way, then from there the next seven miles by Ford car, and the last seven 
by horse and buggy with the mail man. “Today one may make the journey 
in comfort, by rail or auto or bus, over as fine highways as are found any- 
where. 
Spring in the Smokies is a revelation to those only familiar with 
Spring in the North. 
Geologically, the Smokies are said to be the oldest mountains in Amer- 
ica, if not in the world. One must accumulate a new nomenclature in 
