Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Quiz
  • 1. What is the primary composition of the Ocoee Supergroup in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
A) Granite and limestone
B) Tectonic plates
C) Metamorphosed sandstones, phyllites, schists, and slate
D) Marine sediments and igneous rock
  • 2. Which type of rocks are the oldest in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
A) Cambrian sedimentary rocks
B) Precambrian gneiss and schists
C) Marine sediments
D) Ocoee Supergroup rocks
  • 3. What geological event created the Appalachian range?
A) The expansion of the primordial ocean
B) The accumulation of eroding land mass onto the continental shelf
C) The collision of the North American and African tectonic plates during the Ordovician period
D) The advance of subarctic glaciers
  • 4. Which area in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is known for its limestone coves?
A) Upper Tuckasegee River
B) Cades Cove
C) The bottom of the foothills to the northwest
D) Raven Fork valley
  • 5. What type of vegetation occupied the valleys and slopes below approximately 4,950 feet during the last Ice Age?
A) Tundra vegetation
B) Deciduous forests
C) Spruce-fir forests
D) Grasslands
  • 6. What geological feature was created by persistent freezing and thawing during the last Ice Age?
A) Large blockfields at the base of large mountain slopes
B) Marine sediments
C) Sedimentary rock layers
D) Tectonic plate boundaries
  • 7. What type of rocks primarily make up the valley floor in Cades Cove?
A) Metamorphic gneiss
B) Older rocks made out of sandstone
C) Younger rocks made out of limestone
D) Granite
  • 8. During which era did the rapid erosion expose older Ocoee Supergroup formations?
A) The Precambrian era
B) The Cenozoic era
C) The Paleozoic era
D) The Mesozoic era
  • 9. What was the primary effect of subarctic glaciers advancing southward across North America around 20,000 years ago?
A) The deposition of marine sediments
B) The creation of limestone coves
C) Colder mean annual temperatures and an increase in precipitation throughout the range
D) The formation of the Appalachian range
  • 10. Which rock types are dominant at sites such as Raven Fork valley and upper Tuckasegee River?
A) Cambrian sedimentary rocks
B) Marine sediments
C) Ocoee Supergroup rocks
D) Metamorphic gneiss, granite, and schist
  • 11. What geological process led to the formation of the Ocoee Supergroup?
A) The collision of tectonic plates
B) The accumulation of eroding land mass onto the continental shelf
C) The deposition of marine sediments
D) The advance of glaciers
  • 12. Which river runs along the southwestern border of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
A) The Little Tennessee River
B) The Pigeon River
C) The Little River
D) The Oconaluftee River
  • 13. What is the tallest single-drop waterfall in the park?
A) Laurel Falls
B) Grotto Falls
C) Abrams Falls
D) Rainbow Falls
  • 14. Which dam does not impound the Little Tennessee River along the park's boundary?
A) Calderwood Dam
B) Chilhowee Dam
C) Fontana Dam
D) Cheoah Dam
  • 15. Which creek is located near Oconaluftee in the park?
A) Eagle Creek
B) Hazel Creek
C) Cosby Creek
D) Raven Fork
  • 16. How many miles of streams are estimated to be within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
A) 4,700 kilometers
B) 3,500 miles
C) 2,900 miles
D) 5,000 miles
  • 17. Which waterfall is located at the base of Mt. Guyot?
A) Ramsey Cascades
B) Grotto Falls
C) Rainbow Falls
D) Laurel Falls
  • 18. Which of the following is not a major stream in the park?
A) Hazel Creek
B) Raven Fork
C) Eagle Creek
D) Oconaluftee River
  • 19. What is the height of Ramsey Cascades waterfall?
A) 110 feet
B) 80 feet
C) 90 feet
D) 100 feet
  • 20. Which historic district is not listed in the park?
A) Cades Cove Historic District
B) Roaring Fork Historic District
C) Mingus Mill Historic District
D) Elkmont Historic District
  • 21. Which river separates the Great Smoky Mountains from the Bald Mountains?
A) The Little River
B) The Little Tennessee River
C) The Pigeon River
D) The Oconaluftee River
  • 22. Which creek is near Cosby in the park?
A) Hazel Creek
B) Cosby Creek
C) Raven Fork
D) Eagle Creek
  • 23. How many prominent waterfalls are located within the park?
A) 50
B) 75
C) 150
D) More than 100
  • 24. Which of the following is an individual listing on the National Register of Historic Places in the park?
A) Smoky Mountain Hiking Club cabin
B) Mountain Farm Museum
C) Alex Cole Cabin
D) Mingus Mill
  • 25. Which creek is located near Gatlinburg in the park?
A) Cosby Creek
B) Roaring Fork
C) Raven Fork
D) Eagle Creek
  • 26. What is the height of Rainbow Falls?
A) 70 feet
B) 80 feet
C) 100 feet
D) 90 feet
  • 27. Which structure in Oconaluftee has been deemed eligible for listing but is not listed?
A) Oconaluftee Baptist Church
B) Mingus Mill
C) Mountain Farm Museum
D) Smoky Mountain Hiking Club cabin
  • 28. Which of the following waterfalls is not mentioned as popular in the park?
A) Grotto Falls
B) Hen Wallow Falls
C) Laurel Falls
D) Abrams Falls
  • 29. Which historic district includes buildings in the Cataloochee area?
A) Elkmont Historic District
B) No specific district is mentioned for Cataloochee buildings
C) Roaring Fork Historic District
D) Cades Cove Historic District
  • 30. Which creek has its source in the park and is one of the three prongs?
A) Cosby Creek
B) Little Pigeon River
C) Oconaluftee River
D) Raven Fork
  • 31. Which creek is located in the southwest of the park?
A) Hazel Creek
B) Raven Fork
C) Roaring Fork
D) Cosby Creek
  • 32. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is part of which mountain range?
A) The Sierra Nevada
B) The Cascade Range
C) The Rocky Mountains
D) The Blue Ridge Mountains
  • 33. What is the highest mountain in Tennessee located within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
A) Kuwohi
B) Mount Le Conte
C) Mount Guyot
D) Clingmans Dome
  • 34. How many 'Southern Sixers' are located within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
A) 10
B) 6
C) 12
D) 16
  • 35. Which mountain is the second highest in the park?
A) Kuwohi
B) Clingmans Dome
C) Mount Guyot
D) Mount Le Conte
  • 36. Which valley is the largest and most prominent in the park?
A) Ocanaluftee
B) Greenbrier
C) Cades Cove
D) The Sugarlands
  • 37. Which mountain rises 5,301 feet (1,616 m) from its base to its summit?
A) Kuwohi
B) Clingmans Dome
C) Mount Guyot
D) Mount Le Conte
  • 38. Which mountains are located to the east of the Great Smoky Mountains?
A) The Bald Mountains
B) The Plott Balsams
C) The Unicoi Mountains
D) The Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians
  • 39. When was the Great Smoky Mountains National Park officially dedicated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt?
A) 1988
B) 1940
C) 1934
D) 1983
  • 40. Which major trail passes through the center of Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
A) Appalachian Trail
B) Continental Divide Trail
C) Pacific Crest Trail
D) Natchez Trace
  • 41. What designation was given to the park by UNESCO in 1983?
A) World Heritage Site
B) International Biosphere Reserve
C) Global Geopark
D) Natural World Heritage Site
  • 42. How many acres does Great Smoky Mountains National Park cover?
A) 700,000 acres
B) 522,419 acres
C) 600,000 acres
D) 500,000 acres
  • 43. Which highway serves as the main entrance to the park from Gatlinburg, Tennessee?
A) U.S. Highway 441 (Newfound Gap Road)
B) U.S. Highway 19
C) State Route 73
D) Interstate 40
  • 44. What type of forest is part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
A) Boreal forest
B) Appalachian temperate rainforest
C) Tropical rainforest
D) Desert forest
  • 45. Which year did Great Smoky Mountains become the most visited national park in the United States?
A) 2025
B) 2023
C) 2019
D) 2020
  • 46. What is one of the main attractions located near Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
A) Dollywood
B) Universal Studios
C) Graceland
D) Six Flags Over Texas
  • 47. What is the plant hardiness zone at Kuwohi Visitor Center in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
A) 6a
B) 4c
C) 5b
D) 7b
  • 48. What is the average annual extreme minimum temperature at Kuwohi Visitor Center in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
A) -10 °F (-23 °C)
B) 20 °F (-6 °C)
C) 32 °F (0 °C)
D) -14.3 °F (-25.7 °C)
  • 49. What natural phenomenon is responsible for large amounts of precipitation in the Smoky Mountains?
A) El Niño
B) Orographic lift
C) La Niña
D) Monsoon winds
  • 50. Which area was significantly affected by mountain waves during the 2016 Great Smoky Mountains wildfires?
A) Asheville
B) Gatlinburg
C) Chattanooga
D) Knoxville
  • 51. What was the status of Great Smoky Mountains National Park according to a 2004 report by the National Parks Conservation Association?
A) One of the least polluted national parks
B) The most polluted national park
C) Moderately polluted
D) Unpolluted
  • 52. What is a contributing factor to flash flooding in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
A) Heavy rain after orographic lift
B) Drought conditions
C) Earthquakes
D) Strong winds
  • 53. What is the elevation of Newfound Gap above mean sea level?
A) 7,000 ft (2,134 m)
B) 3,000 ft (914 m)
C) 5,048 ft (1,539 m)
D) 6,500 ft (1,981 m)
  • 54. What is a common weather phenomenon that can lead to tornadoes in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
A) Cold fronts
B) Strong thunderstorms
C) Heatwaves
D) Light drizzle
  • 55. What percentage of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is covered by forests?
A) Approximately 95 percent.
B) Less than 10 percent.
C) About 50 percent.
D) Nearly 75 percent.
  • 56. Which type of trees dominate the lower region forests in the park?
A) Deciduous leafy trees.
B) Bamboo and tropical plants.
C) Coniferous trees like pine and spruce.
D) Cactus and desert shrubs.
  • 57. What is significant about the old-growth forest in the park?
A) It consists entirely of non-native species.
B) It covers less than 5 percent of the park.
C) It was planted by early settlers.
D) It includes many trees that predate European settlement.
  • 58. Which of the following is not a type of bald found in the park?
A) Grassy balds.
B) Mixed oak-pine forests.
C) Desert balds.
D) Heath balds.
  • 59. How many species of native trees are found in the park?
A) 500 species.
B) 50 species.
C) 101 species.
D) 200 species.
  • 60. How many species of non-vascular plants are found in the park?
A) Less than 100 species.
B) More than 1,000 species.
C) Exactly 300 species.
D) Over 490 species.
  • 61. What is the dominant tree species found in both cove and northern hardwood forests?
A) Mountain maple (Acer spicatum)
B) Cucumber magnolia (Magnolia acuminata)
C) Silverbells (Halesia carolina)
D) Yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis)
  • 62. Which species is not typically found in the understory of cove hardwood forests?
A) Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida)
B) Mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia)
C) Coneflower
D) Eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis)
  • 63. Which species is found in the understory of northern hardwood forests but not mentioned for cove hardwood forests?
A) Eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis)
B) Mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia)
C) Rugels ragwort
D) Smooth hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens)
  • 64. Which tree species is common to both cove and northern hardwood forests but not dominant in either?
A) American beech (Fagus grandifolia)
B) Silverbells (Halesia carolina)
C) White basswood (Tilia heterophylla)
D) Yellow buckeye (Aesculus flava)
  • 65. Which species is not mentioned as part of the cove hardwood forest understory?
A) Mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia)
B) Eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis)
C) Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida)
D) Bloodroot
  • 66. What is the primary reason other tree types fail to encroach into beech gaps?
A) Lack of sunlight
B) Unknown
C) Soil acidity
D) High winds
  • 67. What is the Southern Appalachian spruce-fir forest also known as?
A) temperate rainforest
B) "boreal" or "Canadian" forest
C) alpine tundra
D) deciduous forest
  • 68. Which species is now dominant in the spruce-fir forest range?
A) Fraser fir
B) red spruce
C) white pine
D) hemlock
  • 69. Which plant is NOT part of the dense broad-leaved understory in the Southern Appalachian spruce-fir forest?
A) mountain ash
B) catawba rhododendron
C) thornless blackberry
D) hobblebush
  • 70. What type of plants dominate the herbaceous and litter layers in the spruce-fir forest?
A) Sun-loving flowering plants.
B) Shade-tolerant plants such as ferns.
C) Grasses and sedges.
D) Aquatic plants.
  • 71. Which tree species is commonly found in the Montane alluvial forests?
A) Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis)
B) Maple
C) Pine
D) Cedar
  • 72. Which species of rhododendron blooms with purple flowers in May and June?
A) Mountain laurel
B) Catawba rhododendron
C) Flame azalea
D) Rosebay rhododendron
  • 73. Which wildflower blooms in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park from June to July?
A) Dutchman's breeches
B) Rosebay rhododendron
C) Solomon's seal
D) Bee balm
  • 74. Which species of bat is endangered and found within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
A) Indiana bat
B) Little brown bat
C) Eastern pipistrelle
D) Big brown bat
  • 75. Which animal is most abundant in the Cataloochee area of the park?
A) American black bear
B) Elk
C) White-tailed deer
D) Raccoon
  • 76. Which state animal is plentiful in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
A) Bobcats
B) White-tailed deer
C) Elk
D) Raccoons
  • 77. Which mammal is the only marsupial found in North America and present in the park?
A) Tree kangaroo
B) Virginia opossum
C) Kangaroo rat
D) Bandicoot
  • 78. How many bird species are known to use the Great Smoky Mountains National Park as a breeding ground?
A) Nearly 120
B) About 90
C) Less than 50
D) Over 200
  • 79. Which bird species is found throughout the lower elevations and cove hardwood forests?
A) Peregrine falcon
B) Red-eyed vireo
C) Raven
D) Bald eagle
  • 80. Which bird species are more typical of cooler climates in the park?
A) Black-capped chickadee
B) Wild turkey
C) Tufted titmouse
D) Ruby-throated hummingbird
  • 81. Which bird species have been sighted at all elevations in the park?
A) Northern parula
B) Red-tailed hawks
C) Wood thrush
D) Ruby-throated hummingbird
  • 82. Which owl species are found in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
A) Barn owl
B) Barred owl
C) Snowy owl
D) Great horned owl
  • 83. Which unique salamander is found only in the Smokies?
A) Red-cheeked salamander
B) Shovelnose salamander
C) Blackbelly salamander
D) Eastern red-spotted newt
  • 84. How many snake species from the family Colubridae are found in the park?
A) 15
B) 21
C) 10
D) 30
  • 85. Which venomous snakes are found at all elevations in the Smokies?
A) Black rat snake
B) Copperhead
C) Timber rattlesnake
D) Corn snake
  • 86. Which trout species is native to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
A) Atlantic salmon
B) Rainbow trout
C) Brown trout
D) Brook trout
  • 87. Which insect is known for its synchronized flashing light displays in mid-June?
A) Photinus carolinus firefly
B) Dragonfly
C) Honeybee
D) Monarch butterfly
  • 88. Which of these is not an insect group found abundantly in the park?
A) Spiders
B) Bees
C) Moths
D) Butterflies
  • 89. How many trail shelters are located along the Appalachian Trail within the park?
A) 15
B) 8
C) 12
D) 10
  • 90. What does the Mt. LeConte Shelter accommodate?
A) 24 people per night
B) 12 people per night
C) 5 people per night
D) 50 people per night
  • 91. What is the most popular activity after hiking and simple sightseeing in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
A) Bicycling
B) Horseback riding
C) Fishing, especially fly fishing
D) Water tubing
  • 92. How long had Native Americans likely been hunting in the Great Smoky Mountains before European contact?
A) 14,000 years
B) 10,000 years
C) 5,000 years
D) 8,000 years
  • 93. What was the Cherokee name for the Great Smoky Mountains?
A) Shaconage
B) Tsitsuyi
C) Atagahi
D) Kuwohi
  • 94. Which Cherokee village was located at the confluence of Abrams Creek and the Little Tennessee?
A) Oconaluftee
B) Chilhowee
C) Kittowa
D) Tallassee
  • 95. Which Cherokee town is considered their oldest according to legend?
A) Kittowa
B) Tanasi
C) Tallassee
D) Chota
  • 96. Who were the European settlers primarily in conflict with upon arriving in Western North Carolina and East Tennessee?
A) The Spanish
B) The French
C) The British
D) The Cherokee
  • 97. Which general burned the Middle towns including Kittuwa during the American Revolution?
A) General Andrew Jackson
B) General George Washington
C) General Griffith Rutherford
D) General John Sevier
  • 98. By what year had the Cherokee ceded control of the Smokies to the U.S. government?
A) 1776
B) 1805
C) 1821
D) 1838
  • 99. Who helped some Cherokees retain their land on the Qualla Boundary?
A) Griffith Rutherford
B) Andrew Jackson
C) William Holland Thomas
D) John Sevier
  • 100. In which decade did permanent settlers begin arriving in the Smokies?
A) 1850s
B) 1770s
C) 1810s
D) 1790s
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