Word from the Smokies: New ranger crew works to stop emergencies before they start
It’s not yet 9 a.m. on a weekday, but Alum Cave Trail is already bustling. With parking scarce, hikers might walk nearly a mile to reach the trailhead along Newfound Gap Road.
“I’ve probably already talked to 20 people,” says Joshua Albritton, supervisory preventative search and rescue ranger for Great Smoky Mountains National Park, joining PSAR Ranger Cutter Wheeler at the trailhead around a quarter after nine.
Parking fees generate $10 million
In the first year since Great Smoky Mountains National Park launched the Park it Forward program, the fee has generated over $10 million in revenue, which includes parking tag sales and camping fees.
Word from the Smokies: Park volunteer makes big impact on visitor safety
“I’m just a backwoods guy,” Bill Gober says. “I try to stay out of the limelight.”