Efforts to revive Ghost Town in the Sky left in limbo after tragic death of co-owner In the more than 60 years since it opened, the Western North Carolina theme park known as Ghost Town in the Sky has seen more than its fair share of hardships, challenges and difficulties. There were long-term ramifications of building a theme park atop
National Park Service continues to follow impacts from Hurricane Helene The National Park Service (NPS) will reopen US 441/Newfound Gap Road by 8 am tomorrow morning, Oct. 2, 2024, to allow for access between Tennessee and North Carolina communities. Once US 441 reopens, all major roads, trails and facilities on the Tennessee side of the park will be open to
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
Soaky Mountain reveals plans for new six-person water slide, Rafter’s Rage Soaky Mountain Waterpark is one of the newer attractions in the Smoky Mountains. And yet, they seemingly never cease to add new features. Now, just a few short years after debuting The Edge water coaster, the park has now announced yet another new water slide: Rafter’s Rage. The new
Efforts are being made to reintroduce the endangered population to North Carolina Of the countless amazing experiences visitors can find in the Smokies, perhaps one of the most unique and memorable are animal sightings and encounters. Watching a mama bear cross the road with her twin cubs was certainly one of the highlights of our recent trip to the Smokies.
TVA has indicated that Hammerhead worms have been spotted around Norris, Tennessee, just north of Knoxville and may thrive in rainy summer weather As someone who has been digging in the East Tennessee earth for more than 30 years, I thought I had a handle on most of the creepy crawlies one might encounter. I’ve turned over rocks and scared
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,
Couple gets huge surprise when they wake up to find a black bear in their Jeep on their honeymoon Millions of people visit the Great Smoky Mountains each year hoping to see black bears in the wild. But these two honeymooners from the Atlanta area got a unique encounter they could bear-ly believe was possible. After they married back in
Local offers advice for heavy rainfall in the Smokies It’s not uncommon to see heavy amounts of rainfall and flooding in the Sevier County area. And of course, since the Great Smoky Mountains area is a major travel hub, knowing how floods may affect your vacation can be handy. With that in mind, as a local, here’s what I think
Gatlinburg resident shares his story of how roads turned into rivers during the January 2024 flash flood event I expected January 9, 2024, to be just another uneventful day in Gatlinburg. Sure, it had been raining since late the night prior. But the rising waters would soon provide much more drama than we could’ve ever anticipated. Our day began with my