The art for this stamp was created by Dan Cosgrove. It is a digital illustration based on photographs. The stamp design pictures mountain scenery near Newfound Gap between Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and Cherokee, North Carolina. In the foreground is a red-tailed hawk in flight. The American Landmarks Series of Priority and Express Mail stamps began with the issue of the $4.80 Mount Rushmore (US #4268) and $16.50 Hoover Dam (US #4269) stamps in 2008. Since then, two new stamps have been released nearly every year (with a few exceptions). All picture vibrant images of some of the most iconic places in America created by digital artist Dan Cosgrove. Altogether, they resemble a virtual tour of America.
The Great Smoky Mountains are located on the border of Tennessee and North Carolina and run from the Pigeon River to the Little Tennessee River. The range is home to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which was established in 1934 and now hosts over 11 million visitors per year. The Great Smoky Mountains are part of an International Biosphere Reserve and have been designated an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Within the region, there are approximately 187,000 acres of old growth forest, the largest of its kind east of the Mississippi River. It is home to hardwood forests as well as spruce-fir forests, which are ideal habitats for black bears. The Great Smoky Mountains host the densest population of these bears in the eastern US. Interestingly, the forests are also home to the most diverse salamander population outside the tropics.