In celebration of the National Park Service Centennial, Superintendent Cassius Cash has committed to hike 100 miles in Great Smoky Mountains National Park during 2016 and is challenging the public to do the same. The 100-mile goal is part of the “Smokies Centennial Challenge-Hike 100” program. This program aims to inspire all potential hikers—young and […]
Pigeon Forge salutes hometown superstar Dolly Parton on May 2 PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (April 2014) – Firefighters, fire trucks and Dolly Parton are in the combustible mix on May 2 when Pigeon Forge salutes the world-famous entertainer with the annual Dolly’s Homecoming Parade. The parade, which will travel on the Parkway through the center of […]
The only telethon in the U.S. for a national park is on the calendar for Aug. 19 (Thursday) to raise money for Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It is the 19th Annual Friends Across the Mountains Telethon, a project of Friends of the Smokies, an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that supports America’s most visited national […]
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 […]