Great Smoky Mountains National Park is hosting a stargazing event on Friday, May 31 at the Appalachian Highlands Science Learning Center in North Carolina. Located on Purchase Knob at 5,000 feet in elevation, the learning center provides one of the clearest views of the sky from the Haywood County region of the park. The Astronomy […]
Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced that a 2-year trail rehabilitation project will begin next week on Trillium Gap Trail. Due to the construction process on the narrow trail, a full closure is necessary for the safety of both the crew and visitors. The trail and associated parking lot along Roaring Fork Motor Nature […]
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is pleased to announce the selection of Joy Absher as the 2018 “Employee of the Year” in concert with celebrating Tourism Week with local communities. This marks the 35th anniversary of an important partnership between the park and its neighboring communities which recognizes the outstanding work of park employees in […]
Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials have announced the dates for firefly viewing in Elkmont. Shuttle service to the viewing area will be provided on Thursday, May 30 through Thursday, June 6. All visitors wishing to view the synchronous fireflies at Elkmont must have a parking pass distributed through the lottery system at www.recreation.gov. Every […]
Release Date: March 1, 2019 Great Smoky Mountains National Park rangers are recruiting volunteers to adopt a monitoring plot in areas throughout the park. In an effort to track nature’s calendar, or phenology, volunteers will collect information as part of an important research project tracking seasonal biological data such as plant flowering dates and the presence […]
GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK (June 2014) – From the park’s famous black bears to humble snails, from slimy stream algae to the majestic poplar trees, Discover Life in America will celebrate all life forms that call Great Smoky Mountains National Park home June 19-21. Activities include short, family friendly hikes, lively presentations, hands-on workshops […]
GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK (April 15, 2013) – Instead of marking April 15 as the deadline to file income tax returns, many people near America’s most visited national park celebrated the day because of the reopening of Newfound Gap Road (U.S. 441). The road – which links the Sugarlands Visitor Center in Tennessee with […]
GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK (April 2013) – At age 50, the Sugarlands Visitor Center at Great Smoky Mountains National Park has gotten a major facelift. The Great Smoky Mountains Association and Friends of the Smokies, two private sector organizations, funded the project. Approximately 850,000 visitors a year come through the visitor center, which is […]
Visitation to Great Smoky Mountains National Park rose to 9,685,828 in 2012. That’s a 7.5 percent jump, making 2012 the biggest year since the 10.1 million visitors in 2000, which remains the record. Park management credited mild weather last winter and spring as a big factor. Every month in 2012 had more visitors than the […]
Half of the 10 destinations the Society of American Travel Writers recommends for holiday lights are in the Southeast. SATW members compiled a list of 10 destinations with light-up-the-night displays that might be lesser known than destinations such as Times Square in New York but still very much worth the trip. The five destinations in […]