The natural beauty of Tennessee is preserved through a robust system of national and state parks.
* **Great Smoky Mountains National Park**: Straddling the border between Tennessee and North Carolina, this is the most visited national park in the United States, famous for its mist-covered peaks, old-growth forests, and diverse wildlife (including black bears and synchronous fireflies). * **State Parks**: Tennessee boasts over 50 state parks. Notable mentions include Fall Creek Falls (featuring one of the highest waterfalls in the eastern US), Radnor Lake (a tranquil nature preserve in Nashville), and Reelfoot Lake (known for its bald cypress trees and bald eagle populations). * **National Recreation Areas**: Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area offers dramatic gorges and sandstone bluffs.