Tag Archives: hiking

Searchers are looking for a man with dementia who went missing from a resort along the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on Saturday. Park officials say 58 year-old Kevin Mark Lynch was last seen along the boundary of the park at The Swag resort in Waynesville, N.C. at 3:20 p.m. on Saturday, July 27, 2019. Lynch has ...

Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced that Look Rock Picnic Area will reopen to the public on Friday, July 26, 2019. Park crews recently completed the first phase of a rehabilitation project allowing the site to reopen after being closed in 2013. “We’re glad that people will once again have the opportunity to enjoy a picnic as part of ...

Officials say the human remains found in Great Smoky Mountains National Park earlier this week have been identified. The Knox Country Regional Forensic Center positively identified the remains as 64-year-old David J. Carver, of Blount County, Tenn., through comparison of medical records. David J. Carver, 64 On Monday, July 8, 2019, an off-trail hiker found Carver’s body in an area ...

Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced that Trillium Gap Trail will be temporarily closed through Thursday, July 11, due to hazardous trail conditions. The area received heavy rainfall over the last couple of weeks causing extremely slippery, muddy conditions on the trail surface undergoing rehabilitation. “The safety of our visitors and staff is our highest priority,” said Park Trails ...

Congressman Tim Burchett (TN-02) and R&R Fly Fishing Co-owners Ian & Charity Rutter visited Great Smoky Mountains National Park along the Laurel Falls trail to observe dilapidated infrastructure sites and take part in fly fishing along the Little Greenbrier River. The park currently faces $151 million in deferred maintenance projects that negatively impact visitors’ ability to enjoy the Smokies. In ...

Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials finalized the 2019 spring opening schedule for park facilities. Most campgrounds, picnic areas, and roads opened Friday, April 19, in time for Easter weekend. However, winds and rainy weather forced some closures. The remainder of the facilities will open between now and Memorial Day weekend in preparation for the busy summer season. “Our staff ...

A man illegally hunting ginseng last year in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park died as a result of methamphetamine overdose, not a bear attack. 30-year-old William Lee Hill, Jr., of Louisville, Tenn., and his companion Joshua Morgan split up shortly after they allegedly entered the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to illegally harvest ginseng in the area off Rich ...

During the partial shutdown of the federal government due to the lapse of appropriations, Great Smoky Mountains National Park will remain as accessible as possible while still following all applicable laws and procedures. Roads and trails that are seasonally open will remain accessible to visitors, but emergency and rescue services will be limited. The park will not be operating campgrounds, ...

Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced the reopening of Bull Head Trail and Sugarland Mountain Trail on Friday, October 26, 2018, after extensive work to repair damage from the Chimney Tops 2 Fire. Both of these trails extend from the highest peaks in the park to the lower elevations, providing incredible opportunities for hikers to enjoy fall colors over ...

Search crews located the body of Mitzie Sue “Susan” Clements in Great Smoky Mountains National Park late Tuesday afternoon. Her body was found off-trail, in a rugged, heavily wooded area of the Huggins Creek drainage, approximately two miles from Clingmans Dome parking area and 3/4 mile south of the Appalachian Trail. Clingmans Dome Road remains closed to allow staff time ...