Images of The Great Smoky Mountains National Park in western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee taken in May 2014.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park certainly lived up to its name, even as the clouds lifted a haze still hung in the air between and over the distant hills and mountains. Scenic views along the Newfound Gap and Laurel Creek Roads showcased the mountains as well as the streams and forests that lay below them. The weather in the park fluctuated with each passing hour and change in elevation. At Clingmans Dome, the highest spot in the park at 6643 feet, the views were spectacular until the fog settled in resulting in eerie silhouettes of the trees in the surrounding area. Wildlife was abundant and I saw two sets of black bears with cubs as well as elk and wild turkeys.