Tag Archives: Gatlinburg

Great Smoky Mountains National Park is pleased to announce that Steve Spanyer was chosen as the 2019 Employee of the Year. Recognition of the Employee of the Year has been a tradition in the Smokies since 1984. Although the format of this recognition has changed over time, the park is pleased to continue to acknowledge one employee each year who’s ...

State legislators approved two Sales Tax Holiday weekends for 2020, one for clothing, computers and school supplies, and another weekend for restaurant sales. The Tennessee General Assembly has approved two sales tax holiday weekends to help Tennesseans save money and support the economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The first tax-free holiday weekend focuses on clothing and other back-to-school items. It ...

Sevier County Mayor Larry Waters signed an executive order Tuesday mandating that residents, employees and visitors wear a face covering in public. At a press conference in downtown Sevierville, next to the famous Dolly Parton statue adorned with her own mask, local officials joined Mayor Waters as he announced he was issuing a countywide order requiring the use of face ...

Park officials say a man drowned in the Oconaluftee River in Great Smoky Mountains National Park while trying to rescue a younger family member. Park Rangers responded to a drowning in progress call just before 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 27, 2020 behind the Mountain Farm Museum in Cherokee, N.C. Witnesses said that 32-year-old Bulmaro Morales, of Dudley, N.C., heroically ...

Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced that some campgrounds, visitor centers, and additional roads will be accessible to visitors as part of the current phase in the park’s plan to restore public access across the park. Beginning on Monday, June 8, the following areas will be accessible:  Cades Cove and Smokemont CampgroundsAnthony Creek Horse CampSugarlands, Oconaluftee, Cades Cove, and ...

Gatlinburg has always been a favorite destination for celebrating Independence Day and this year is no exception. The family favorite River Raft Regatta and the Fireworks Display will go on as planned along with other patriotic pop events throughout the day. The Midnight Parade was cancelled due social distancing guidelines.  “Gatlinburg wants to be sure that we continue as many ...

The Tennessee Army National Guard used a hoist to rescue the pilot of a small plane that crashed in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Friday morning. Great Smoky Mountains National Park rangers responded to a report of a small plane crash approximately 6 miles west of Clingmans Dome at approximately 11:00 a.m. on Friday, April 10, 2020. The single ...

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation announced that all 56 Tennessee state parks and state-owned natural areas are closed to the public. The closure will last at least through April 14 in support of Gov. Bill Lee’s Executive order requiring all citizens to stay at home. This is a complete closure of facilities and access to all Tennessee State ...

Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced that all park areas, except the Foothills Parkway and Spur, will remain closed until further notice due to the COVID-19 pandemic. All access to the park, including trails and roads, were originally closed on March 24 through April 6, in alignment with efforts to control the spread of COVID-19 across the region. The ...

City and county officials released a statement today asking businesses in the tourism sector to stop marketing vacations to the area in an effort to reduce the spread of the coronavirus. A Message From the Mayors of Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Pittman Center, Sevier County and Sevierville read: “We are requesting that businesses in the leisure travel/tourism sector please stop soliciting ...