Tag Archive: GSMNP

NC and TN Tourism Industry Trying to Get the Facts Out

October 4, 2013 0 Comments

The NC and TN tourism industry is trying hard to get the word out that there is still plenty to see and do in the Great Smoky Mountains and the surrounding areas despite of the government shutdown. Local chambers of commerce directors, visitors center staffers, waitresses, shop owners, and hotel workers want people to know the facts about what is and is not closed. The Blue Ridge Parkway is OPEN but the facilites and visitors centers are closed. US Highway 441 through the GSMNP from Gatlinburg to Cherokee is OPEN, but facilites, campgrounds, other roads, hiking trails and visitor centers…
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park Closed Due to Govt. Shutdown

October 1, 2013 0 Comments

Due to the Government Shutdown on October 1, the Blue Ridge Parkway is closed. Also the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is closed with all Visitors Centers closed. Entrances to the park are gated and locked. Campers in the park have 48 hours to leave. The GSMNP website is down with a statement that reads “Because of the federal government shutdown, all national parks are closed and National Park Service webpages are not operating. For more information, go to www.doi.gov.”

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GSMNP and Khao Yai NP Now Sisters

September 24, 2013 0 Comments

A ceremony at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Headquarters took place last Friday when the GSMNP established its first Sister Park Arrangement with Khao Yai National Park in Thailand. Many National Park Service sites have established a “sister park” relationship with national parks in other countries.These sister park relationships provide a sharing of information and park to park contact to work on common park issues.

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New Deputy Superintendent for GSMNP

August 28, 2013 0 Comments

Wissinger the New Deputy Superintendent for GSMNP Patricia M. Wissinger has been selected as the next Deputy Superintendent of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. She replaces the retired Kevin Fitzgerald. Wissinger is currently the superintendent of Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area in Atlanta.  She is scheduled to start her new assignment in mid-September.

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Bears And Visitors Too Close

August 5, 2013 0 Comments

Black Bears and Visitors Too Close For Safety 1,500 black bears live in the GSMNP and roam free but problems from tourist getting too close for pictures or to feed the bears present a huge problem. Feeding them will make the bears depend on close human contact for food and leads to problems. Fed bears keep coming back to humans for more food and thus pose a potential risk. Bears that get used to close human contact must be relocated into other more remote locations in the park for their safety. When they become so comfortable they repeatedly approach people…
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GSMNP Attendance Getting Back to Normal

July 28, 2013 0 Comments

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Attendance Attendance in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is getting back to normal this June after a slow start to the first 5 months in 2013 thanks to the reopening of Newfound Gap Road. Attendance up till June of this year were some of the lowest in years a park official states, but the month of June for 2013 is up more than 5% from last year. GSMNP attendance also affect tourism in nearby Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. The GSMNP is the most-visited park in the United States.

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Three Injured in Cades Cove During Storm

July 7, 2013 0 Comments

Cades Cove Visitors Injured Two young children and 41 year old woman injured by a fallen tree in Cades Cove at the GSMNP during storm. The accident occurred near the Missionary Baptist Church about 4 miles into the 11 mile loop road. The three were taken by ambulance to the University Of Tennessee Medical Center. The woman was knocked unconscious while the children sustained injuries of unknown types.

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