Latest news stories from around the Great Smoky Mountains.
A Smokies backcountry shelter is closed after a camper was bitten by a bear. According to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Bradley Veeder, of Las Vegas, was sleeping in a tent near the Spence Field Backcounty Shelter on Tuesday when he was bitten in the leg through his tent. The bear was scared away,
A Roswell, GA man drowned Thursday while on a hike in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, authorities said. The body of Jitendra Patel, 59, was recovered at 8:22 p.m. Thursday near Abrams Falls, said Dana Soehn, a spokeswoman for the park. Patel was hiking with friends and reportedly slipped into the water near the
Numerous hazardous trees have to be removed causing the temporary closure of a nature trail and cabin in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The Noah Bud Ogle Nature Trail, Noah Bud Ogle Cabin, and associated parking area along Cherokee Orchard Road will be closed for a few days. The closure will begin Tuesday, April
This winter, amid the news of the FBI’s arrest of the remaining occupiers of a national wildlife refuge in Oregon, another story unfolded more quietly in the Appalachians. At the heart of it were a small plant that plays a significant role in eastern mountain forests – American ginseng – and Billy Joe Hurley, a
The Gatlinburg Police Department says they received a call after 5:30 p.m. Monday reporting that someone had fallen from the Space Needle. The street below the Space Needle was closed for hours. Officers say a man in his late fifties jumped from the observation deck around 5:40 Monday night. Hundreds of people were nearby but
Winter weather has caused temporary closures of several roads in and through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. According to the park’s traffic Twitter page, @SmokiesRoadsNPS, Little River Road from the Sugarlands Visitor Center to the Townsend Wye is closed, along with the Gatlinburg Bypass and Laurel Creek Road. For updates on road closure in
It’s a feeling that Chris Bates can’t shake. “Being outside, in the winter, on the mountain — there’s nothing like it,” he said. “There’s a sense of exhilaration when you’re on a pair of skis. It’s a rush I’ve never gotten enough of.” Bates, who has been the general manager at Cataloochee Ski Area for 17
During a particularly active fall for bears, Great Smoky Mountains National Park and academic researchers are turning to GPS technology to find ways to curb human-bear interactions related to food. >> Read Complete Article
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
