Give back to public lands
Celebrate the millions of acres of public lands covering Western North Carolina during National Public Lands Day Saturday, Sept. 23.
Rich Mountain Road reopens after bear scratch
After a monthlong closure enacted when a bear scratched a park visitor, Rich Mountain Road in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has reopened.
Word from the Smokies: Blue Ridge artist Tray Wellington builds bridges with bluegrass
Late last month, I was lucky enough to catch a special musical performance in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Smokies, Parkway visitors spend the most in the NPS, study finds
According to the recently released results of the National Park Service’s newest peer-reviewed visitor spending analysis, in 2022 North Carolina was yet again home to the nation’s two top parks for visitor spending — the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Update on GSMNP trail, road closures
Maintenance crews will implement temporary, single-lane closures along the northbound and southbound Spur through Aug. 17 and again Aug. 21-24.
Park adds new members to management team
Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials welcomed two new members to the Park Management Team.
Bear scratches Smokies visitor, causing road closure
Rich Mountain Road in the Cades Cove area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is closed to all traffic until further notice after a bear scratched a visitor over the weekend.
Four months of fees: Smokies reports high revenues, compliance following parking fee implementation
When new fees went into effect in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park March 1, park managers were expecting limited revenues and limited compliance during their inaugural year enforcing the Smokies’ first-ever parking fee. But four months in, both metrics are coming in higher than anticipated.
Smokies to reconstruct Lakeview Drive
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is using nearly $19 million in funding from the Great American Outdoors Act to reconstruct Lakeview Drive in Bryson City and repair Heintooga Ridge Road on the Haywood/Swain county line this summer.
Walker Sisters Cabin reopens
After being closed since late 2021 for renovations, the Walker Sisters Cabin in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is once again open to the public.
