In doing this as a daily routine, I have become familiar with many of the features and idiosyncrasies of the Lakes area. For starters, I have discovered the several trails that can be used to keep the hike around the lake interesting.
Trail hiking variations to get around the Park are numerous. The most basic walk is to stay on the road that goes around the two largest lakes in the park, and make a complete circle, beginning and ending at the main parking area in the Park. The distance to make the complete circle staying on asphalt the entire way is almost exactly 1.5 miles. One day, I took pics on this route and posted them on Facebook - Friends of Sewanee Creek website (See Feb 7, 2017 date).

Geological History: The geological history of GLSRA is a microcosm of the history of the Cumberlands. The Cumberlands themselves were formed by upheaval of plateau lands that were, in an earlier era, bogs and sea shores, thus explaining the finding of seashells in rock formations, and layers of coal in shale rock. Shale rock is replete throughout GLSRA, and seams of coal can easily be found. Where there are deposits of limestone, one would expect to find caves, which are plentiful in Kentucky and Tennessee. I don't know of any caves within the Park, but there may well be. There are caves in close proximity to the Park.

Flora: The main evergreen trees in GLSRA include native Virginia pines and introduced Loblolly pines. There are a few native hemlock trees. Deciduous trees include the oaks (primarily red and white oak species), hickories, beech (retain their leaves through the winter), yellow poplar, red maple, sweet gum (spiky balls hang from the trees like Christmas ornaments), sycamore (smooth balls hang from the trees that explode when hit in the wintertime) and others. Two invasive bush sized plants found throughout the Park are the privet and the autumn olive.
Fauna: Animals that I have come to appreciate within the park include wild ducks and geese. Some are here year around, and others, like the Canada goose, are migrating. The beaver makes its presence known in a major way, building dams and causing the lakes to fill fuller than they were designed to be filled. I occasionally see deer while hiking around the lakes.