Gatlinburg in Sevier County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)
A Wonder of the World
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Photographed by Bradley Owen, August 10, 2025
1. A Wonder of the World Marker
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is one of the most pristine natural areas in the eastern United States. Breathtaking mountain scenery, rushing mountain streams, and mature hardwood forests that stretch to the horizon are protected for you and millions of others to enjoy.
In the early 1900s, inspired by the beauty of these mountains, a few farsighted people began a movement to set aside this area as a national park. In 1976, members of the world community acknowledged the importance of these unique natural resources by designating the park an International Biosphere Reserve. In 1983, the park garnered further global recognition when it was listed as a World Heritage Site.
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Biodiversity the variety of life on Earth - is disappearing at an unprecedented rate. International Biosphere Reserves are recognized for promoting conservation and sustainable development.
What does Great Smoky Mountains National Park have in common with the Taj Mahal, the Great Wall of China, or the Galapagos Islands? They are World Heritage Sites. Each has been universally recognized for natural and cultural features that people worldwide admire and want to protect.
In the United States a number of national parks including Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, and Everglades have been listed, along
this page online
Erected by National Park Service.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Natural Features. A significant historical year for this entry is 1976.
Location. 35° 42.077′ N, 83° 31.578′ W. Marker is in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, in Sevier County. It is on Parkway (U.S. 441) south of River Road, on the right when traveling south. Marker is located within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Gatlinburg TN 37738, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in East Tennessee and in the Great Smoky Mountains. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in Appalachia, and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the original Cherokee Nation, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, the State of Franklin, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within one mile of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Gladys Trentham Russell (within shouting distance of this marker); Rocky Top (approx. 0.9 miles away); First Methodist Church Gatlinburg (approx. 0.9 miles away); Baskins Creek (approx. one mile away); Village Gate (approx. one mile away); Gatlinburg SkyBridge (approx. one mile away); Noah "Bud" Ogle Farm (approx. 1.1 miles away); Pi Beta Phi Fraternity Centennial Plaza / Pi Beta Phi Fraternity Settlement School (approx. 1.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Gatlinburg.
More about this marker. Photos of a river otter and a mountain stream appear at the center of the marker
Photographed by Bradley Owen, August 10, 2025
2. A Wonder of the World Marker
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, August 4, 2012
3. A Wonder of the World Marker
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, August 4, 2012
4. Marker in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Credits. This page was last revised on August 11, 2025. It was originally submitted on February 19, 2013, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 1,183 times since then and 9 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 11, 2025, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. 3, 4. submitted on February 19, 2013, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.
