Smokies Park Spring Openings Start March 11
Most campgrounds and secondary roads in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will open for the spring beginning Friday, March 11.
Laurel Falls
Located just a few miles from Gatlinburg, Laurel Falls is without a doubt the most visited waterfall in the Great Smoky Mountains. A 1.3 mile paved trail leads to the falls and on most days you’ll have plenty of company on the trail unless you visit early in the morning or in the offseason. The
John Oliver Cabin
Located near the beginning of the Cades Cove Loop Road, the John Oliver Cabin was built in the early 1820’s by John and Lucretia Oliver, the first permanent white settlers of Cades Cove. A short trail leading from a parking area off the Cades Cove Loop Road will lead you back to the John Oliver
Black Bears in the Smoky Mountains
Without a doubt the most famous inhabitant of the Great Smoky Mountains is the Black Bear. It’s estimated that roughly 1,800 inhabit the park. Black bears average 200 to 400 pounds in weight and can reach six feet in length. Among the best places to see black bears in the Smoky Mountains and are in
Man Dies in Car Crash in the Great Smokies
theDailyTimes.com A Knoxville man was killed in a motor vehicle accident Tuesday morning in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Paul J. Rodgers, 47, was killed in the single-vehicle wreck on Laurel Creek Road about 5.5 miles west of the Townsend junction in Blount County. READ FULL ARTICLE
Rise in Smokies’ Visitors Recorded
Even with a possible glitch in counting the number of visitors to the Great Smoky Mountains, there’s an overall increase in the number of people coming to the national park, officials said. Records show a 15.1 percent increase in visitors in June of this year over last June, and a 3.3 percent overall increase for
Noah “Bud” Ogle Cabin
Noah “Bud” Ogle and his wife Cindy first settled in what is now Gatlinburg in 1879. On their 400 acre farm they built the cabin that still stands near downtown Gatlinburg. Located on Airport Road near the start of the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, the Ogle cabin is a great place to visit to
Researchers Hunt Spruce-Fir Moss Spider in the Great Smoky Mountains
The Appalachian Trail was socked in by clouds the morning Glenn Taylor went looking for the spruce-fir moss spider. Just north of Clingmans Dome, he stopped to inspect a north-facing boulder covered in bright green moss. “These spiders are tiny, but they’re out there,” said Taylor, a biologist with Great Smoky Mountains National Park. “You
Popular Road in Great Smoky Mountains National Park to Remain Closed
Paving work on Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park is at a stand still. Park officials said the contractor has been suspended from finishing the project due to safety and performance issues. FULL ARTICLE
Update on Road, Facility Projects
Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials have announced new completion dates for several construction projects that are underway to improve Park roads and facilities. Severe winter weather conditions and delays in awarding certain contracts have resulted in revised work schedules and opening dates for some of these projects. READ FULL STORY