Sometimes, you have to pay to play. But that mantra had a mixed reaction Wednesday with the announcement by the National Park Service that those who camp in the Smokies backcountry will pay $4 a night. >> Read Complete Article
The observation tower at Look Rock on the Foothills Parkway closed for construction on Monday, February 27Â and is scheduled to reopen March 23. Officials at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park said a new police radio repeater will be installed by the Blount County Sheriff’s Office. The upgrade will improve communication for the sheriff
Located near the Southeastern section of the park, Cataloochee Valley was once the biggest and most prosperous community in the area that now comprises the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. In the early years of the 1900’s there were roughly 1,200 residents and around 200 buildings scattered throughout the valley. The name Cataloochee is derived
The Volunteers-in-Parks program at the Smokies is recruiting for volunteers at Oconaluftee and Clingmans Dome for the busy April-November season. >> Read Complete Article
If things go as 805 Parkway Partners hope, downtown could become home to another chairlift. The proposed site plan, presented at Tuesday’s City Commission workshop to discuss the request for right-of-way usage, includes a restaurant, parking lot and chairlift up the mountainside, to a two-story structure consisting of a restaurant and gift shop. >> Read
Unto These Hills is the second oldest outdoor historical drama in the United States, opening on July 1, 1950Â in Cherokee, North Carolina. Since then over six million visitors have been delighted by Unto These Hills. Only The Lost Colony outdoor drama in Manteo, North Carolina has run longer. The drama tells the story of
Camping in the Smoky Mountains has always been a favorite activity for visitors to the park. Whether you like roughing it in the backcountry or you prefer the amenities a large campground provides the Great Smokies has something to offer everyone. For those wishing to remain in the frontcountry there are 10 campgrounds in the
A recent study shows the impact of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s superlatives go beyond being the most visited national park in the system. It tops the other 397 parks in visitor spending, with a total that’s almost twice as high as its closes rival. >> Read Full Article
The construction hampering traffic at the Townsend entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park has, for the most part, ended. Traffic is again flowing in and out of the Park at regular speeds and in both lanes. There is no longer a signal controlling traffic. There are no more road-narrowing barriers. >>Read Complete Article
Three Tennessee residents are headed to prison for breaking into a slew of cars at trailheads in Haywood County during a several month period, hitting hiker’s vehicles in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Pisgah National Forest. >> Read Full Article
