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Great Smoky Mountains National Park To Institute Backcountry Fees

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on March 7, 2012 - 10:15am
Those who head off into the backcountry of Great Smoky Mountains National Park for a night or two will have to pay for the privilege beginning in 2013 under a plan approved by the National Park Service.

Traveler's View: Republican Presidential Contenders' Dim View of Federal Lands Is Short-Sighted

Submitted by NPT Editors on February 27, 2012 - 2:11am
Though national parks, per se, haven't come up during any of the debates among the Republican presidential candidates, their statements on federal lands in general look down upon the public landscape.

New License Plate Lets North Carolina Motorists Support Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Submitted by NPT Staff on February 24, 2012 - 2:31am
A newly designed license plate allows North Carolina motorists to show their support for Great Smoky Mountains National Park while contributing dollars to projects funded by Friends of the Smokies.

High Spike In Great Smoky Mountains National Park Visitation Attributed To Good Weather

Submitted by NPT Staff on February 23, 2012 - 2:15am
Great weather, when compared to January 2011, is thought to be behind a nearly 24 percent increase in visitation to Great Smoky Mountains National Park this past January.

Dr. E.O. Wilson To Help Celebrate Search For Life At Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Submitted by NPT Staff on February 15, 2012 - 2:35am
It was back in 1998 that a dedicated search for all forms of life in Great Smoky Mountains National Park began. Now, as the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory moves into its 15th year, the project is being celebrated with a gathering headlined by Dr. E.O. Wilson.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Looking To Backcountry User Fee To Improve Services, Protect Resources

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on February 13, 2012 - 2:54am
As federal dollars flowing out of Washington, D.C., continue to be hard to come by, more and more national park managers are looking towards user fees to make ends meet. At Great Smoky Mountains National Park such a fee for backcountry has brought both commendation and condemnation.

Camping In The Parks: Cataloochee Valley in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Submitted by Danny Bernstein on February 5, 2012 - 2:27am
This may be the middle of winter, but this is the time to make reservations for Cataloochee Campground in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Appalachian Trail Conservancy Gives Friends of The Smokies $2,000 For Bear Cables In Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Submitted by NPT Staff on February 1, 2012 - 2:17am
A $2,000 grant from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy to Friends of Smokies is going a long way to help backpackers in Great Smoky Mountains National Park keep their food out of the reach of bears.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Visitors Biggest Spenders In National Park System

Submitted by NPT Staff on January 31, 2012 - 2:08am
Visitors to Great Smoky Mountains National Park leave quite a bit behind when they head home after visiting the park. In fact, a study shows that in 2010 the park's 9 million or so visitors spent more than $818 million in gateway communities surrounding the national park.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Partners Develop Program To Strengthen Connections With Surrounding Community

Submitted by NPT Staff on January 29, 2012 - 2:42am
For many national parks, their best partners are their neighbors in surrounding communities. With that in mind, the folks at Great Smoky Mountains National Park are working with Friends of the Smokies and the Great Smoky Mountain Association to strengthen connections with leaders in surrounding communities.