Are you thinking of taking a vacation in Maggie Valley, or the surrounding area? It’s certainly a beautiful place, steeped in history. You can spend time walking around the antiques stores, or set off to see the sights along the Blue Ridge Parkway. In the evenings you can relax, and watch the stars twinkling in the sky.
Five Amazing Creatures That Live In The Great Smoky Mountains – Photo credit – WikiCommons
During the winter months, winter activities in Maggie Valley tend to take over. People come to the area to ski and snow board. But it’s also worth visiting the Great Smoky Mountains National Park while you are in Maggie Valley. This applies no matter when you visit. The park is home to around 65 species of mammal, 67 species of fish and over 200 different types of bird. Here are five of the amazing creatures that you are likely to see.
White-tailed deer
These deer are the smallest of the deer breeds that are found in North America. If you visit the Park in summer, when the weather is warm, you should see the white-tailed deer in the meadow areas. This is where they prefer to be when the weather is warm. The situation changes in the winter when the deer prefer the protection from the elements that the coniferous forest provides.
American Black Bear
The most famous of the residents in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the American Black Bear. They are a common site in various areas, and tend to like the forest environment best. You may be surprised to hear that these bears are adept at climbing trees, so you may even see one above ground. Do not be confused by the name either because the bears can actually be brown or cinnamon in color. There are even rare instances of white bears.
Canada Warbler
The Canada Warbler is one of the many different birds that can be found in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It does not remain in the park for very long. It arrives to breed in late spring and heads back to South America in early fall, where it spends the winter. While it’s in the park, the Canada Warbler is an active and colorful bird to look out for.
Rainbow trout
Take a look in the waters of the Park and you may see a colorful rainbow trout swimming by. Rainbow trout are famed for their coloring; hence the name. They are also powerful swimmers, and can quite easily move upstream, quickly and expertly.
Chipmunk
There are actually 25 different species of chipmunk and they are all equally cute. You will no doubt recognise the familiar cheek pouches, that are so often emphasised in cartoon versions of these creatures. These small mammals also have prominent eyes and ears. You are most likely to see chipmunks during the daytime as this is when they are active.
The next time you are in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, you should have a better idea of what creatures you may encounter. Do not forget to do some more research and get to know more of the mammals, birds and fish that live in the Park.