| Gregory Bald |
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| CATEGORIES ABOUT GREGORY BALD | |
| great smoky mountains national park | |
| mountains of tennessee | |
| mountains of north carolina | |
| blount county, tennessee | |
| swain county, north carolina | |
| appalachian culture | |
Gregory Bald is a mountain on the western fringe of the Great Smoky Mountains . It has an elevation of 4,949 feet (1,508 meters) above sea level. The mountain's majestic summit makes it a popular hiking destination. Gregory Bald is located along the Tennessee-North Carolina border, between Blount County and Swain County . It rises appx. 3,000 feet above its northern base in Cades Cove , and appx. 3,300 feet above its southern base at Fontana Lake. The mountain is located entirely within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park . Gregory Bald is a type of mountain known as a Grassy Bald . Unlike most summits in the Appalachians , which are heavily-forested or culminate in jagged peaks, grassy balds are covered by a thick layer of wild grass. Trees and other foliage are sparse. How and why a summit develops into a grassy bald is unknown. While there is evidence that Gregory Bald was a natural grassy bald, the National Park Service must currently work to prevent the summit from becoming forested.Durwood Dunn, ''Cades Cove: The Life and Death of an Appalachian Community'' (Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 1988), 33. GEOLOGY Gregory Bald is composed of a .Harry Moore, ''A Roadside Guide to the Geology of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park'' (Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 1988), 26-27. HISTORY The Cherokee name for Gregory Bald was "Tsistu'yi," or "Rabbit Place." According to tribal lore, the chief of all rabbits— known simply as the Great Rabbit— lived at the summit.James Mooney, ''Myths of the Cherokee and Sacred Formulas of the Cherokee'' (Nashville: Charles Elder, 1972), 407. The rabbit, considered by the Cherokee to be sly and mischievous, was a key figure in tribal legends, showing the importance the tribe placed upon the mountain.James Mooney, ''Myths of the Cherokee and Sacred Formulas of the Cherokee'' (Nashville: Charles Elder, 1972), 231. The mountain was listed by during the U.S. Civil War , was murdered by Confederate guerillas in 1863.Durwood Dunn, ''Cades Cove: The Life and Death of an Appalachian Community'' (Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 1988), 136. ACCESS The summit of Gregory Bald can be reached via several well-maintained hiking trails. From Cades Cove , the summit can be reached via the Gregory Ridge Trail (5.5 miles). This trail begins at the end of Forge Creek Road, which is a gravel road on the Cades Cove Loop just past the Cable Mill area. From Fontana, the summit is reached via the Appalachian Trail and a two-mile connector trail (7.3 miles). From Twentymile, the summit is reached via the Wolf Ridge Trail (7.3 miles). From the summit, one can see Cades Cove and Rich Mountain to the north, and the Nantahala and Yellow Creek Mountains to the south. Visible to the east is the crest of the Smokies, including Thunderhead Mountain and Clingman's Dome . Fontana Lake and Shuckstack are discernible to the southeast. REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS
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