Kuwohi name restored to the highest peak in the Great Smoky Mountains Today, the U.S. Board of Geographic Names voted to change the name of Clingmans Dome to Kuwohi. This decision is in favor of the formal request submitted by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI). The National Park Service strongly supported the name restoration and applauds today’s decision, and added
The third slowest month in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park might surprise you As someone who has lived in East Tennessee for many years now, I was surprised to learn the third slowest month in the Smoky Mountains. The first was not surprising. But the third least visited month? I was mildly surprised, to say the least. According to
View a data-driven map with 7 fall tips from a local They say the beauty of fall in Tennessee is due to the diversity of trees in the forest. Local flora – depending on what part of the state you’re visiting – may include oak trees, hickories, maples, American beech and hobblebush – just to name a few. But where
Local lists bans across the National Park that you should know There’s a feeling that you get when you are deep in the Smoky Mountains, far from civilization and cell phone service. It’s a freedom, a connection to life before we were quite so linked to an interconnected society. But that freedom isn’t unlimited. There are rules to keep us
What you need to know about Newfound Gap Road in the Smokies When my family visits the Smokies, we prefer taking the scenic route through Western North Carolina. My husband prefers driving on winding mountain roads. When the weather is warm, my kids love to stop in Cherokee and visit Oconaluftee Islands Park to play in the river. From there,
Welcome to the aptly named Huggins Hell – the most feared part of the Smoky Mountains due to its dark history I have always been fascinated with the hidden, oddly named, rarely explored parts of the Smokies – Mellinger’s Death Ridge, anyone? So, the minute I heard about Huggins Hell, I had to know everything I could about this dense
Tennesseeans have a long history of outrunning the tax man. And this barn may have been designed to do just that. As someone who grew up visiting Cades Cove, I took for granted one of the Cove’s real treasures. I thought the funny barn on Tipton Place was something you’d surely see on farms around the country. First of all,
Local reveals legend of a lost gold mine hidden in the hills of the Smokies There’s a peril that comes with talk of gold. History changes with the stroke of a pickaxe and the glint of precious metals. Historically, people have done drastic things for the pursuit of gold. And so, before we go any further into talk of underground treasures hidden
A tree that was planted nearly 100 years ago still stands within the Smoky Mountains off the beaten path, and tourists are flocking to see it It was Dec. 7, 1941. Golman Myers – born in Cades Cove in 1894 – was in the process of relocating the family farm to Townsend, making way for the National Park. Golman’s son
How Gatlinburg sees a surprising amount of rain compared to the rest of the country When visiting an outdoorsy destination like Gatlinburg, the weather might be top of mind. Gatlinburg has a temperate climate. For example, last summer, my family and I experienced some Gatlinburg climate magic. While the rest of the southeastern United States was languishing under an intense