TWRA officers said they had no options left but to shoot and kill a family of black bears that had been destroying property near a Gatlinburg vacation destination. TWRA officer Matt Cameron said that the mother black bear and her four yearling cubs have been rooting through garbage, getting into cars and cabins, even chasing
Peak leaf color is making its way down into the valleys of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The time to see the best leaf color in the highest points has passed, but the season is far from over, said Park spokesman Brent Everitt said. >> Read Complete Article
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park fire management officials are planning a series of controlled burns within the Cades Cove area of the park. If weather permits, burn operations could begin on Oct. 26 and run through November. Fire managers have identified multiple fields totaling approximately 300 acres for fire treatment. >> Read Complete
A federal grand jury has issued an indictment in the murder of a man found dead inside a mountain church in March. Forrest Hill, 22, is now charged with first-degree murder. Authorities say he stabbed Tyler Gaddis to death on the night of March 29 in the doorway of Swain County’s Smokemont Baptist Church. The
Reports of bear sightings are happening all over East Tennessee recently. A bear and her three cubs were spotted this week roaming all through downtown Sevierville. WATE 6 On Your Side viewers sent pictures of the bear family making their way through town, and police even blocked traffic to make sure the bears got through
My two sisters and I had been planning this weekend getaway for months. A four-hour drive from Lexington would take us to Maggie Valley on the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and our ultimate destination, The Swag. Getting its name from the dip between two mountain peaks, The Swag Country Inn is
For the fifth year, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, the nonprofit that oversees management of the famous long distance trail, has made wildlife health and backpacker safety a priority in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park by helping to keep bears out of backpackers’ food. The Conservancy has provided $5,000 from its specialty license plate funds
With the possibility of another government shutdown happening almost exactly two years after the last one, the National Park Service is making plans in case they have to close during one of their busiest times of year. “We’re taking steps to plan in case there is a lack of appropriated funds and we’ve began that
Fall color in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is dazzling, with crisp hues of red, brown, yellow and orange painting the landscape. Each September and October, the national park features another autumn spectacle—the migration of the monarch. Hundreds of these bright orange and black butterflies dance through the landscape as they begin their journey south to overwinter in Mexico. >>
It’s not your everyday crime. Bears broke into a Gatlinburg woman’s car. Kathy Gafford sent the WATE 6 On Your Side newsroom pictures of two bears climbing inside her car while she was working at a cabin along Ski Line Drive. “The baby was sitting in the passenger seat. The mama was sitting in that
