My GPS suggests I take a shortcut through the mountains. Should I take it? We ran a story in my newspaper – or I should say the newspaper where I work my day job – probably 12-15 years ago about a woman whose GPS rerouted her in the mountains up near Cocke County, in Hartford, I think. She followed the
The National Park Service announces four new species found in the GSMNP The Great Smoky Mountains were already home to more than 13,000 known species of animals. And it turns out that number is still growing. As part of its ongoing All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory and Discover Life in America initiatives, the park is working to identify the many and mini
A guide to not getting attacked, eaten, arrested, or infamous on the internet while on your trip to the Smokies There are a lot of sentences I never thought I’d have to type, but right there at the top of the list is the following: Don’t touch wild bears. We learn a lot of things in our lives, but one
The Shutdown goes on but the Great Smoky Mountain National Park will be fully open Friday afternoon, the Sevier County government announced that the park – thanks to efforts of multiple government agencies – will fully reopen on the morning of Saturday, Oct. 4. The affected parts of the park – including the Sugarlands Visitor Center, Cades Cove, the Cades
The GSMNP warns visitors about disturbing this mostly unseen residents’ habitat Before we moved to the mountains of East Tennessee, I spent a significant time knocking around the woods of rural Southern Indiana. It was the ‘80s and I was given freedom to roam that would be considered shocking these days. I certainly wouldn’t give my own kids that sort
The five most colorful, interesting, important or Hollywood people in the history of the mountains Frequently, when doing research for an article – or noodling aimlessly about on the internet – I’ll come across some historical figure or colorful character and wonder, “Why haven’t they turned this person’s life story into a movie?” The No. 1, person for this Robert
A local breaks down the times to avoid when booking your Smoky Mountain vacation While I generally hold with the belief there are no bad times to visit the Smokies – with the exception of during natural disasters and the like – I will admit there are times that a Smoky Mountain vacation is less optimal than others. When are
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
One of the most popular trails in the Smokies will be closed for 18 months The National Park Service (NPS) will begin a major rehabilitation on Laurel Falls Trail, which is one of the most popular trails in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The trail will close for 18 months starting Jan. 6, 2025 as crews make improvements to the