The tourism industry in Western North Carolina is not letting the shut down of visitor facilities on the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park or national forests in the region darken their spirits as the mountains head into the busiest tourism time of the year. Tourism leaders — chambers of commerce directors, visitors
Campgrounds, picnic areas, rest rooms, visitor centers and trail heads in Great Smoky Mountains National Park are being shuttered because of the U.S. government shutdown, which began Tuesday (Oct. 1). The timing couldn’t be worse for area businesses dependent on tourism. More than 1.1 million people visit the Park each October. >> Read Complete Article
A looming government shutdown scheduled to start 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, would have a major impact on the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, during its second busiest month of the year. Park spokesperson Dana Soehn told 10News Sunday that most park facilities, roads and campgrounds would close if a shutdown were to occur. However, she said
Interest in the expected leaf color season in the Smokies remains evergreen. So do the questions of when, where and why concerning the change. According to Park officials, all colors develop above 4,000 feet from early to mid-October. The typical peak of fall leaf color at the lower elevations, Cades Cove and Townsend, is between
Entertainment legend Dolly Parton announced plans for $300 million in capital investments in The Dollywood Company over the next 10 years. The investment includes new attractions, resorts and the creation of more than 2,500 jobs. Construction is under way on the new FireChaser Express rollercoaster, opening in March 2014 at Dollywood. To mark the company’s
Great Smoky Mountains National Park established its first Sister Park Arrangement with Khao Yai National Park in Thailand on Friday at a ceremony at Park Headquarters. Smokies Park Superintendent Dale Ditmanson and Khao Yai National Park Superintendent Krissada Homsud signed the Arrangement. Although not exactly twins, the two parks share a number of similar resources
On September 27 and 28, the quiet, mountain community of Townsend, Tenn. will come alive with Appalachian celebrations at various locations throughout the town. The flagstone event, the Townsend in the Smokies Heritage Festival and Old Timer’s Day, will once again showcase bluegrass music, clogging and square dancing, arts and crafts, demonstrations, and Southern cuisine
It is a common story — a species once eliminated returns to find not everyone welcomes it back with open arms. The return of wolves to northern Wisconsin, the reintroduction of beavers to the United Kingdom, and now the elk in Western North Carolina. After disappearing from North Carolina in the late 1700s, the elk
We expect to spot black bears in the Smokies or even in some backyards, but one bear on the run got a lot of attention over the weekend because of where it was spotted. Cell phone video, captured by Tricia Alexander, shows the black bear making its way from the National Park, attempting to get
In the late 1930’s, a young Californian named Joseph Hall was invited by the park service to come to the Smokies and record it’s people. “Because he was a linguist, he was interested in documenting the speech of the people of the Great Smoky Mountains,” says Dr. Ted Olson of East Tennessee State University’s Appalachian
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