Latest GSM Guide Posts

New Section of Foothills Parkway Opens

November 8, 2018

New Section of Foothills Parkway Opens In Wears Valley The “Missing Link” of the Foothills Parkway will open on November, 10, 2018. The Foothills Parkway was dreamed up by Congress way back in 1944. The road was planned as a scenic drive along the Great Smoky Mountains from Chilhowee, TN to Interstate 40 east of Cosby, TN. The entire length of the Foothills Parkway was a planned 72 miles. Since 2010 only one-third of the parkway had been completed and was open to vehicles. Portions of the parkway had been built and were accessible but the completed parkway project ran into many…
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Sparks Lane Closure In Cades Cove

October 29, 2018

Sparks Lane Closure In Cades Cove Temporarily For those headed to Cades Cove to view the fall foliage the park service is closing Sparks Lane for two weeks. Starting on Monday 10/29/18 until 11/12/18 Sparks Lane will be closed to ALL TRAFFIC. This is so repairs to a low-water crossing can be done across Sea Branch. The repairs require the use of heavy machinery and equipment. The current concrete structure will be removed and a new low-water crossing and approach ramps will be rebuilt. The closure on Sparks Lane for the next 2 weeks include motorist as well as cyclists…
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Search For Missing Hiker

September 28, 2018

Search For Missing Hiker Near Clingmans Dome Missing hiker search underway since Tuesday. Susan Clements of Cleves, Ohio has been missing since Tuesday evening. She and her daughter were hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. They were hiking near Andrews Bald and the Clingmans Dome parking lot. The two women were separated while hiking. Park Rangers starred their search Tuesday night and the park’s Search and Rescue Team have joined in the search. Park official have asked for those with information please call the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch at (888) 653-0009. Mitzie Sue “Susan” Clements is…
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Fall Foliage Reports And Updates 2018

September 23, 2018

Fall Foliage Reports And Updates 2018 Fall foliage reports and updates are underway. Fall has finally arrived and the fall foliage season is just getting started. The first official day of autumn was Saturday September 22. Although the weather is still warm there is some fall foliage color changes already taking place in the Great Smoky Mountains. The dogwood trees have some color changes visible but it is due to the shorter daylight and the normal growth season for the dogwood. The start of the fall foliage color changes begin in the highest elevations of the Great Smoky Mountains toward the end of September….
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Bear Euthanized After Body Found

September 14, 2018

Bear Euthanized After Body Found Bear euthanized after body found in Cades Cove. William Lee Hill Jr. of Louisville, TN was found dead two miles north of Cades Cove Off Rich Mountain Road in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The man was reported missing on Sunday after he and friends were in the park looking for ginseng. The group separated and Hill never reunited with his friends. Park officials started a search in the Great Smoky Mountains in Cades Cove for three days. His body was found Tuesday near Rich Mountain Road. In the same area of the body…
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Fall Foliage Predictions 2018

September 5, 2018

Fall Foliage Predictions 2018 Season For Great Smoky Mountains The fall foliage predictions 2018 are in for this year and it looks like a good one. The annual show of fall colors in the Great Smoky Mountains is predicted to be good one for several reasons. A wet and warm summer with no drought conditions this past summer mean the trees are not under any stress. Adequate rain this past summer helped the trees retain their leaves. And without any recorded days with air temperature over 100 are another bonus. The biologists and fall color experts are predicting a great…
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Great Smoky Mountain Hot Air Balloon Festival

August 7, 2018

Great Smoky Mountain Hot Air Balloon Festival The Great Smoky Mountain Hot Air Balloon Festival takes place on Saturday August 18, 2018. It happens at the Townsend Visitors Center in Townsend, TN. This year will be the second year the hot air balloon festival is being held in Townsend. Last year’s inaugural event was a huge success with over 10,000 people attending this fun event. The Townsend Visitors Center is located at  7906 E. Lamar Alexander Parkway. The hours for the festival will be from 3:00 p.m.until 9:00 p.m. Townsend is just 18 miles from Pigeon Forge, TN down US-321…
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Dollywood Grows With New Wildwood Grove

August 3, 2018

Dollywood Grows With New Wildwood Grove For 2019   Dollywood is growing. Wildwood Grove is a new addition to Dollywood Theme Park in Pigeon Forge. Dolly Parton was at Celebrity Theatre in Dollywood today to announce the news. The new expansion cost $37 million. There will be 11 new theme park experiences and the addition will be a family fun experience. Wildwood Grove is a forest inspired area with rides that offer tree and woodland theme excitement. Included are a suspended roller coaster names ‘The Dragonflier’; the ‘Sycamore Swing’ is a ride that visitors sit in and swing back and…
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GSMNP Prepares For Tropical Storm Nate

October 6, 2017

GSMNP Prepares For Tropical Storm Nate Tropical Storm Nate and probably soon to be Hurricane Nate is in the Gulf of Mexico and predicted to head north toward Louisiana, Mississippi or Alabama. But then it continues north toward East Tennessee and the Great Smoky Mountains. It’s a fast-moving storm that will bring rain over the weekend. Sure the rain would be nice but the wind is unwanted. Just weeks ago the staff had to clean up after Hurricane Irma. Now they are preparing for another bout of bad weather. And at the worst possible time-the fall foliage season when the…
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Fall Foliage 2017 Season Begins

September 21, 2017

Fall Foliage 2017 Season Begins in the Smokies It’s late September and that means the fall foliage 2017 season is underway for the Great Smoky Mountains. The fall foliage predictions for this year are it will be an average season. This is because of the moderate summer temperatures during this past summer and the fact that there were no dry or drought conditions in the Great Smokies this summer. But don’t worry, an average fall foliage appearance is still a good one. And predicting a fall foliage season is like predicting  hurricanes, it’s a complicated and every changing outcome. If the weather for…
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