Latest GSM Guide Posts

National Southern Gospel and Harvest Celebration at Dollywood This Fall

August 17, 2014

National Southern Gospel and Harvest Celebration The end of summer is fast approaching. Thoughts of cooler days and crisp cool nights are right around the corner. Dollywood’s  annual National Southern Gospel and Harvest Celebration will be starting soon. This year’s dates for the festival are September 22 – November 1, 2014. Six weeks of free southern gospel music concerts included in the regular price of a Dollywood admission ticket. Southern gospel music at its best along with all the other exciting shows, rides and food at Dollywood. And the annual fall foliage show in the Great Smoky Mountains will be here…
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Black Bear Sightings in Great Smoky Mountains Not Unusual

August 13, 2014

This year has seen an increase in black bear activity and black bear sightings in the Great Smoky Mountains. It is very exciting to see a black bear while riding through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Many people pull their cars over or just stop causing a road hazard. Please remember to take precautions if you are in the Great Smoky Mountains and see a bear: stay back, do not run after or engage with the bear, do not feed, and do not interfere with the bears’s progress. Just observe from a distance. Use your zoom setting on the…
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Popular Chimney Tops Trail Improvements Nearly Completed

August 12, 2014

Chimney Tops Trail is one of the most popular trails in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, it is also one of the steepest and rockiest trails in the park. Crews have been working on the trail since 2012. Now crews that started working at the trailhead in 2012 have made it almost to the top. The trail work and  improvements should be completed by the middle of October. The trail was badly eroded in areas and when it rained the trail had water drainage problems that posed problems for hikers. The Chimney Tops Trail improvement project is the second Trails Forever…
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Smokey The Bear Turns 70!

August 8, 2014 0 Comments

Happy Birthday Saturday August 9th to Smokey the Bear! Smokey Bear turns 70. Smokey Bear has been used to help prevent forest fires since 1944.  His slogan “Remember, only you can prevent wildfires” is known to millions of children, campers and people. Did you know that most wildfires are started by people? Wish Happy Birthday to  Smokey Bear!!!!

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Indiana Man Suffers Head Injuries in Fall at The Sinks Swimming Hole in Great Smoky Mountains

August 5, 2014

A man sustained head injuries after he fell climbing on rocks at The Sinks swimming hole in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park yesterday August 4, 2014. The 21 year old man is from Indiana and is Michael Taylor Noblitt. He fell from a 10 foot bank and hit a rock below at the smimming hole located off Little River Road. He was taken from the site of the accident by ambulance to a nearby area used as an emergency landing zone, then he was transported by Lifestar to the UT Medical Center in Knoxville. He was reportedly alert and…
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Hiker Rescued in Great Smoky Mountains National Park After Falling

July 30, 2014

A hiker rescued from a popular trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is recovering. The man was hiking on Mt. LeConte (near Gatlinburg, TN) and suffered a fall and a back injury while hiking on Alum Cave Trail on Sunday. Park Rangers reached the man about 2 hours after his fall, but due to severe storms Sunday night they were unable to remove him from the site. After putting up a tent and a tarp to protect the injured hiker the rescue resumed the next morning on Monday and he was taken by ambulance to a local hospital. The 61 year…
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park Still the Most Visited National Park in US

July 26, 2014

The latest economic benefit report by the National Park Service on the Great Smoky Mountains National Park show that over 9 million visitors came to the national park in the year 2013. The visitors spent $734,086,600 in towns and communities located near the park.This is just slightly below the 2012 figures. These lower figures are a result of the 16 day government shutdown that closed the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to visitors back in October of 2013. October is a very busy month in the Great Smoky Mountains with the  beautiful fall foliage show that takes place each year….
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Great Smoky Mountains Artist Lee Roberson Jr. Dies

July 18, 2014

The well-known artist of the Great Smoky Mountains, Lee Roberson, died last month. He was 79 years old at the time of his death. He had an art gallery near Townsend, TN that was located on Wears Valley Road. The Roberson Gallery was a staple of the Smoky Mountains tourist with more than 2 million tourists visiting the gallery. Many tourist stopped at the gallery located between Pigeon Forge and Townsend. His many paintings of ‘The Peaceful Side of the Smokies’ were a favorite among the many people that visit and love the Great Smoky Mountains and Cades Cove area. He will be…
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Great Smoky Mountains Bears Close More Trails Due to Bear Activity

July 13, 2014

Great Smoky Mountains bears have closed more trails due to bear activity. Gregory Bald and other trails in this same area remain closed due to bear activity in the area. More trails in the Great Smoky Mountain Park had to be closed recently due to bear activity. Twin Creeks Trail, Noah Bud Ogle Trail and the Noah Bud Ogle Cabin were closed after two hikers encountered a bear that followed them for almost 1/2 mile. No injury was reported. The hikers followed advised bear precautions, gave the bear space, backed away, made loud noises, and threw rocks. Finally after the hikers got into…
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Gregory Bald Area Closed Due to Bear Activity and Safety Concerns

July 3, 2014 0 Comments

Gregory Bald and trails close by have been temporarily closed by GSMNP officials due to increased bear activity. There have been multiple bear encounters with hikers recently. The bears are feeding on the ripe cherries that grow in the area. Park officials will continue to monitor the situation and reopen Gregory Bald as soon as it is deemed safe. See these bear safety tips. See the beauty of Gregory Bald…

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