Tag Archives: Great Smoky Mountains

In honor of the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, Great Smoky Mountains Association has released a list of the 100 most influential individuals in Great Smoky Mountains National Park history, including many who have had a direct impact on Friends of the Smokies. The list was published in a special issue of Great Smoky Mountains Association’s award-winning Smokies Life Magazine, ...

Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced that parking passes for shuttle transportation to view the synchronous fireflies at Elkmont will be distributed this year via a lottery system. Since 2006, access to the Elkmont area has been limited to shuttle-service during the eight days of predicted peak activity in order to reduce traffic congestion and provide a safe viewing ...

Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials will reopen the Whiteoak Sink area with limited access effective April 1 through May 15, 2016 to limit human disturbance in critical bat habitat and help hikers avoid interactions with bats. Park biologists will continue monitoring bat populations near the site as they emerge from winter hibernacula to collect population, ecological and behavioral data ...

Park rangers say a man suffered a medical emergency Wednesday in the backcountry of Great Smoky Mountains National Park and was evacuated by helicopter. According to Dana Soehn, spokesperson for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the park’s Emergency Communication Center received a call at 2:14 p.m. on March 30, 2016 from a hiker who said his hiking partner, 66-year-old ...

There is still time to register for the Spring 2016 Smoky Mountain Trout Tournament and compete for over $10,000 in cash and prizes. The 18th Annual Smoky Mountain Trout Tournament will be held over two days, Saturday, April 2 and Sunday, April 3, 2016. Tournament registration is open to everyone possessing the appropriate fishing license and permits. There are divisions ...

Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced plans to open Clingmans Dome Road this weekend beginning Saturday, March 26, 2016 as weather permits. Due to mild temperatures this week, park crews have been able to prepare the road and facilities for the seasonal spring opening ahead of schedule allowing additional opportunities for visitors to reach the popular destination. Accessible by ...

In a year that saw visitation to Great Smoky Mountains National Park exceed 10 million for only the fifth time in history, Great Smoky Mountains Association – which generates its support for the Smokies primarily through visitor center sales – was able to contribute just shy of $1.5 million to park programs and services in 2015. “This was a year ...

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, in cooperation with the Smoky Mountains Astronomical Society, will offer a 3-hour stargazing program in Cades Cove on Saturday, April 2, 2016 beginning at 7:30 p.m. Experienced astronomers and numerous telescopes will be on hand to provide a discovery of the spring sky’s position of stars, galaxies, and constellations, including the Milky Way. In case ...

UPDATE: The Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Appalachian Piedmont Zone fire staff have rescheduled a prescribed burn for March 30th, 2016. Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Appalachian Piedmont Zone fire management staff plan to conduct a prescribed burn on approximately 888-acres of forested area northwest of Cades Cove beginning on Wednesday, March 23, 2016. The Stony-Arbutus Ridge fire ...

Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Great Smoky Mountains Association (GSMA) were jointly awarded the Public Lands Partner Award, a prestigious national award, during the recent Public Lands Alliance annual convention and trade show in Spokane, WA. Park Superintendent Cassius Cash and GSMA Executive Director Laurel Rematore were awarded the Public Lands Partner Award, which recognizes an exemplary partnership for ...