Rocky Top, a knob on the western part of the mountain's summit ridge, shares its name with a popular Tennessee state song.

[6] Thunderhead sandstone is part of the Ocoee Supergroup, which was formed from ancient ocean sediments between 500 million and one billion years ago.

The mountain was formed about 200 million years ago during the Appalachian orogeny, when the collision of the North American and African plates thrust the rock upward.

As preservationist groups began buying land in the Smokies in the early 20th century, Thunderhead became a favorite hiking destination for park visitors.

John W. Oliver, the great-grandson of the first European settlers in Cades Cove, started offering guided hikes to the mountain in 1924.

While the main summit of Thunderhead is covered in foliage, Rocky Top offers a 360-degree view of the western Smokies.