Inside the area that legendary author Horace Kephart once described as “a country of ill fame” In 1904 Horace Kephart, a librarian/outdoorsman who tended the stacks at the Yale University Library and for a while worked for an American rare book collector in Italy, separated from his family and made his way to the Mountains of North Carolina. Kephart was
Carl Dean, husband of Dolly Parton, has died. The man who inspired the song Jolene among others was 82. For nearly 60 years, Carl Dean was married to one of the most beautiful, talented and wealthy women in the world. And somehow, almost no one knew who he was. Dean married Dolly Parton in May of 1966. He watched from
The little-known story of how the Smoky Mountains nearly had two theme parks, instead of one There are many great figures who shaped the path of the Smoky Mountains, Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge over the years. Some are well-known and some mostly forgotten. From Dolly Parton, to the first Ogles who set foot in White Oaks Flats, later known as
A local offers his opinion on the lesser well-received aspects of Ghost Town in the Sky Up in the high mountains of North Carolina sits the rusting remains of a dream. The ironically named Ghost Town in the Sky opened in Maggie Valley, North Carolina in 1961. It was a charming – and originally thriving – Old West theme park
A Smoky Mountain local shares his favorite spots to visit in North Carolina As someone who’s been to Gatlinburg hundreds of times over the past 35 years of living in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains, I’ll admit it will always hold a special place in my heart. Especially when it comes to magnificent views of the Smokies. But some
Changes to the Budget May Affect Your Next Visit to the GSMNP A GSMNP hiring freeze could ruin your next trip to the park … here’s how A political battle in Washington D.C. is leaving the most visited National Park in the country stuck in the middle. Here’s what you need to know. Let’s start here: The Great Smoky Mountain
Who is responsible for creating the GSMNP? The one-hundredth anniversary of the founding of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park is approaching on the horizon. It’s nearly impossible – or at least for me – to truly understand life in the mountains before the national park. Imagine a time when interested parties across a wide-ranging spectrum of experiences and ideals
A local offers a 2025 update on recovery efforts post Hurricane Helene Life – in many ways – has returned to normal. Or it is in the process of returning to normal. I’m about a 15-minute drive from the Nolichucky River where serious flooding and damage occurred. So for some of us, it’s possible to go a few days without
Is there a fee to enter the Great Smoky Mountains National Park? There are several reasons the nation owes the great state of Tennessee a debt of gratitude. Many of them are related to food, sports or music. We also owe a few apologies on that count, if we’re being honest. Some of them are bigger than others. Hey, the
Top 10 Indoor Things To Do in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge The point of coming to the Great Smoky Mountains is to get outside and enjoy the mountains. But sometimes the weather isn’t cooperative. Whether it’s cold and snowy in winter or there is a storm blowing through in the spring, summer or fall, the mountains are notorious for weather