The Cherokee called this terrainShaconage (shah-cone-ah-jey), meaning roughly ‘land of the blue smoke,’ for the heather-coloured fog that hangs over the ancient peaks. The Southern Appalachians are the world’s oldest mountain range, with mile upon mile of cool, clammy deciduous forest.Popular sites include the former hamlet of Cades Cove, the majestic peaks of Mount Le Conte, the dizzying heights of Clingmans Dome and copious waterfalls, coves and trails, as well as almost 2000 black bears.Great Smoky Mountains National Park sits straddling the Tennessee-North Carolina rimamong the majestic southern climax of the Appalachian Highlands. The most visited of our national parks draws more than nine million adventurers and sightseers each year.