• Approximately 1,500 black bears live in the national park.

    Great Smoky Mountains

    National Park NC,TN

Distance Learning Opportunities

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Can't bring your class to the park for a visit? Explore the Great Smoky Mountains and other national parks through the following online videos, podcasts, games and activities:

Take an electronic field-trip to the park! 
Search for life in the Great Smoky Mountains with seven modules that include downloadable activities, videos, and interactive games. The biodiversity of Great Smoky Mountains National Park makes it a living laboratory filled with a variety of slippery salamanders and creepy crawlies. There is no lab coat required to study the abundant wildlife here. All you need is keen observation skills and an excitement for exploration. The 1 hour "field trip" that accompanies the seven modules was filmed in November 2009. See the bear that made a surprise visit onto the set.

Dispatches From the Field
This web series focuses on research in the Smokies and includes background information on focal studies including archeology, air pollution, water quality, exotic species and many more. New dispatches are added frequently and often contain short video

Watch Videos and Download Podcasts
Great Smoky Mountains National Park has developed a series of video podcasts on a variety of engaging subjects.
Click here to view our video podcast productions.

Our partner, the Great Smoky Mountains Association, develops and frequently adds new content on a variety of topics. Watch the elk in rut in Cataloochee Valley, see bears from a safe distance and view researchers tagging Monarch butterflies.
Click here to view Great Smoky Mountains Association audio podcasts and video blogs.

Become A WebRanger!
The National Park Service's online Junior Ranger program is for kids of all ages. With more than 50 online games, your students can have fun learning about our national parks, monuments, and historic sites.

  • Appalachian Highlands Science Learning Center Appalachian Highlands Science Learning Center

    Promoting research and science education Read More

  • Salamander Capital of the World! Salamander Capital of the World!

    At least thirty species of salamanders live in the park. Read More

Did You Know?

Marbled salamanders are one of 30 salamander species native to the park.

There are at least 30 different species of salamanders in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This gives the Smokies the distinction of having the most diverse salamander population anywhere in the world and has earned the park the nickname “Salamander Capital of the World.”