Tag Archives: hiking

Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced that the Clingmans Dome Observation Tower has been reopened to the public. The rehabilitation work has been suspended for the winter and is expected to resume this Spring. The remaining work is expected to take approximately two weeks and will necessitate another short-term closure to complete. Visitors can enjoy views from the tower ...

Great Smoky Mountains National Park invites visitors to join a park ranger for a guided hike on Friday, November 24 or a service opportunity on Saturday, November 25, 2017. Hikes will be offered near the Oconaluftee Visitor Center and Elkmont Campground, providing an outstanding opportunity for people of all ages to #OptOutside and enjoy the park. Rangers and park volunteers ...

Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials will open the Chimney Tops Trail to a newly developed observation point this week. The entire trail has been closed to the public since the Chimney Tops 2 Fire event occurred in late November 2016. “We are excited to complete the work on the Chimney Tops Trail in time for the fall color season ...

Great Smoky Mountains National Park is hosting a volunteer trail maintenance workday on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2017 in celebration of the 24th annual National Public Lands Day. Participants are invited to participate on a trail rehabilitation project along the Clingmans Dome Bypass Trail from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Volunteers will perform trail maintenance including installation of drainage features, rehabilitation ...

Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced that the Clingmans Dome Observation Tower will be closed beginning Wednesday, August 23 through the remainder of the 2017 season to complete rehabilitation work thanks to funding received from a Partners in Preservation (PIP) grant. The $ 250,000 grant was awarded last summer to the Friends of the Smokies on behalf of the ...

UPDATED Tuesday, August 22 – After eleven days missing, 18-year-old Austin Bohanan walked out of the remote backcountry area near Panther Creek in Great Smoky Mountains National Park at about 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Bohanan was last seen Friday, August 11 while hiking off-trail in a remote area of the park and was reported missing on Sunday, August 13. Search ...

A man suffered a medical emergency and died while hiking Alum Cave Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on Saturday. Park Rangers responded to a report of man in cardiac distress on Alum Cave Trail just before 10 a.m. on July 15, 2017. A hiker identified as 47-year-old Phillip Basset Davenport, from Nashville, was hiking down the Alum ...

Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials are pleased to announce that several of our dedicated Volunteers in Park (VIP) received regional recognition for their outstanding service. Volunteers Raymond Palmer, Frank March, Daniel Metcalf, and the Centennial Volunteer Ambassador group were selected as recipients of Southeast Regional Service Awards for their exemplary service from over 42,000 volunteers who donated their time, ...

Great Smoky Mountains National Park announced a half-day closure of Cades Cove Loop Road on Thursday, June 29, 2017 due to a critical maintenance issue. The half-day closure will begin at sunrise and remain in effect till noon. No other work is planned at this time. Motorists, cyclists and pedestrians should expect the road to be closed to all use ...

A man has died after falling from the top of the Ramsey Cascades Waterfall, the tallest waterfall in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. On Sunday, May 28, 2017, Great Smoky Mountains National Park Rangers received a report that a 37-year-old male fell from the top of the 100-foot tall Ramsey Cascades waterfall late that afternoon. The man, who was hiking ...