The Rockefeller Memorial sits at the border between North Carolina and Tennessee along US Route 441 at Newfound Gap. A grant from the Rockefeller Foundation helped create the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.

The Rockefeller Memorial at Newfound Gap.

The Appalachian Trail passes through the area and can be accessed in several places throughout the Park, including here at the Rockefeller Memorial at Newfound Gap.

Katahdin, Maine is a mere 1,972 miles north from here along the Appalachian Trail.

Looking west from atop the Rockefeller Memorial into Tennessee.

Looking west from atop the Rockefeller Memorial into Tennessee.

The parking area at the Rockefeller Memorial at Newfound Gap.

Looking east into North Carolina from the parking area of the Rockefeller Memorial at Newfound Gap.

This area is known for a natural smoke-like bluish haze that forms after a rainstorm, hence the name "Great Smoky Mountains."

Looking east into North Carolina from the parking area of the Rockefeller Memorial at Newfound Gap.

I departed Newfound Gap and headed south on US Route 441 toward Cherokee, North Carolina and happened upon another overlook. This one told the story of the "transition zone" where the hardwoods end and the Evergreens begin with regard to elevation.

This is the valley as seen from the overlook.

This is the valley as seen from the overlook.

The photo above is from the US National Park Service website and shows President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicating the Great Smoky Mountains National Park from the Rockefeller Memorial at Newfound Gap on September 2, 1940.