It’s not forest fires or falling leaves, it’s an invasive bug There’s a war going on in the Great Smoky Mountains. On one side is an army of invaders disturbing the native flora and leaving an array of sick trees in their wake. These menacing creatures in the Smoky Mountains are the hemlock wooly adelgids, an insect native to East Asia.
Fall is the best time to visit the Smoky Mountains. The air is cool and crisp and towns are adorned with fall decorations. The trees are also on display with different arrays of yellow, orange and red. Countless people visit the mountains to see the beautiful fall foliage each year. So if you’re looking for a few additional activities to
Gatlinburg sits on the Western edge of the Smoky Mountains. That means there is a significant change in elevation moving East to West from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park toward Pigeon Forge, Knox County and the rest of the Tennessee Valley. Since an average of 85 inches of rain falls in the high country each year, the elevation and
I interviewed a guy from East Tennessee once whose “thing” was mountain climbing. He wasn’t a particularly rich guy, just a guy who loved the thrill of climbing up high in the tallest mountains in the world. When we spoke, he’d just come home from a successful climb up Everest. He tried to describe to me the pull, the attraction,
Lightning bugs are just about everywhere in the United States. However, they are usually much more difficult to detect in some areas. According to the Smithsonian, males flash when they’re in flight to attract females among the Eastern species. However, out West, it’s the females that glow. However, the females glow more faintly and on the ground. What months are
If you have heard of the Great Smoky Mountains, you’ve probably heard of Kuwohi, formerly Clingmans Dome. Being the highest point in the most visited national park will grant you that kind of notoriety. But with great fame comes great curiosity. Below we answer some of the most commonly asked questions about this iconic landmark to help you plan your