Sparks Lane in Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee

© Richard Bernabe/Shutterstoc

The road not taken. Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee, USA

As National Park Week unfurls its green banners in the US, let's take a stroll down Sparks Lane, a gem situated within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee. Established in 1934, the park encompasses over 2,114 square kilometres of wilderness. The forests, which cover most of the park, are home to 1,500 species of flowering plants, 952 algae, 65 species of mammals and over 240 species of birds, making it an International Biosphere Reserve.

Cades Cove—seen in today's photo—is a valley within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park renowned for its stunning scenery and historic structures, including log cabins, barns and churches. While exploring the park, you can also visit historical areas like Roaring Fork, Cataloochee and Elkmont. If you wish to watch fireflies, then Elkmont is the place for you and if you are a geologist, there's something for you too: this park is home to late Precambrian rocks. So, set your spirit of adventure free and explore the timeless treasure: national parks!