Great Smoky Mountains NP (1) vs. Dry Tortugas NP (16) Preview

When grouped with the other national parks in the first seed, the Great Smoky Mountains are simultaneously the John Lennon and the Ringo Starr of the gang. The park holds the gold medal for visitors per year at 11.4 million, and for good reason too. It is a mecca for fishing, hiking, scenic drives, and historical monuments. It’s absolutely massive, spanning 522,419 acres in total. It is the most ecologically diverse national park (according to the National Park Service) And it *debatably* enjoys a competitive advantage against other parks east of the Mississippi River in regard to natural beauty. For these reasons it can be argued that Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the king of kings in our park system.

Despite all of this — and as much as it is weird to say — the park is also somewhat unknown to those unfamiliar with the most famous national parks. Especially to folks on the West Coast — where Yosemite, Yellowstone, and the Grand Canyon are household names — the Great Smoky Mountains can seem far away and relatively less monumental. Afterall, it is the 19th park to be established and in a time when Americans didn’t think the Eastern United States had much to offer in environmental charm. It is hard to say whether or not the Great Smoky Mountains would be a defacto first seed if it didn’t have the visitorship that it does today, but the park is clearly a force to be reckoned with. 

Does this mean that GSMNP is destined to roll through Dry Tortuga National Park? 

No. And I can absolutely see an upset in the works. 

Originally named “Las Tortugas” (the turtles) by Juan Ponce de León in 1513, the area which would become Dry Tortuga National Park is rich in history, ecology, and peculiarity. Before becoming a national park in 1992 it was a national monument established in 1935; before becoming a national monument it was ‘Fort Jefferson’, a military prison during the American Civil War. This collection of islands (seven to be exact) is home to hundreds of species of marine ecology, including its namesake, the turtle. The only way to access the park is by seaplane or boat, making it one of the most difficult parks to visit. One of my favorite Youtubers ranked it as his favorite park after visiting all 62. This park might seem like another interesting tropical park that exists on the periphery, but it is for that exact reason why it could be a dark horse pick to take down a park as important as Great Smoky Mountain National Park.