Park adds new members to management team

Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials welcomed two new members to the Park Management Team.

Bear scratches Smokies visitor, causing road closure

 Rich Mountain Road in the Cades Cove area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is closed to all traffic until further notice after a bear scratched a visitor over the weekend.

Four months of fees: Smokies reports high revenues, compliance following parking fee implementation

When new fees went into effect  in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park March 1, park managers were expecting limited revenues and limited compliance during their inaugural year enforcing the Smokies’ first-ever parking fee. But four months in, both metrics are coming in higher than anticipated. 

Smokies to reconstruct Lakeview Drive

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is using nearly $19 million in funding from the Great American Outdoors Act to reconstruct Lakeview Drive in Bryson City and repair Heintooga Ridge Road on the Haywood/Swain county line this summer.  

Walker Sisters Cabin reopens

After being closed since late 2021 for renovations, the Walker Sisters Cabin in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is once again open to the public.

Experience history in Cosby

A series of community programs celebrating the natural and cultural history of the Cosby area will be offered Fridays June 23 through July 14 at the Cosby Campground Amphitheater in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Bilingual books on display along Smokies, Gatlinburg trails

Through Aug. 31, three Storybook Trail of the Smokies displays featuring pages in English and Spanish will be open in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and nearby Gatlinburg.

Help rehab beloved Smokies trail

Volunteers are needed to help trail crews in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park rehabilitate the Ramsey Cascades and Little Cataloochee trails, with work sessions 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays through September.

Group size limited at Whiteoak Sink during wildflower season

During the wildflower season at Whiteoak Sink in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which extends through Sunday, May 7, visitors will be limited to groups of eight or fewer people.

Park it Forward: Congress won’t pay for Smokies maintenance backlog — you will

After years of inaction by Congress led to a massive $262 million deferred maintenance backlog in America’s most-visited national park, it will now be up to visitors to pony up their own money to support the park’s most basic staffing and maintenance needs.

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