Information about camping, hiking, fishing. etc. in the Great Smokies National Park.
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
Fire destroys historic hotel annex in Smokies The former Wonderland Hotel annex in the Elkmont area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park burned to the ground Tuesday after the 8,600- The park fire management crew and the Gatlinburg Fire Department responded to the scene after a passer-by reported the fire at 7:15 a.m., according to the release.
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
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
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
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
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
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. >>
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