I Love Smoky Mountains

23/02/2024

19/02/2024

15/02/2024

Who doesn't love a good Island sunrise?! Let's start an AMAZING week with your best snapshots of The Island 😍

28/10/2022

04/10/2022

Everything is better in the mountains - I promise! 🙌
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29/05/2022

Memorial Day ready! 🇺🇸

16/01/2022

It's going to be a snowy weekend in the Smokies! Hazardous conditions are expected on our roads and trails. Use extreme caution if you choose to visit the park. Mountains, snow and ice are a dangerous combination so drive with extra care; keep updated on the latest road conditions on Twitter .

18/07/2021

“Did you hear the news, mom is kicking us out soon!”
Black bear cubs usually stay with their mother for about 18 months before leaving for a life of their own. Bears that have just left their mother are called yearlings! Generally, a cub will realize it is time to leave its mother when she allows male bears to come closer to her, and no longer seems concerned about her cubs. Despite leaving their mother, the cubs won’t reach their full size until they are about five years old.
Photo Credit: Bob Hailey

“Did you hear the news, mom is kicking us out soon!”

Black bear cubs usually stay with their mother for about 18 months before leaving for a life of their own. Bears that have just left their mother are called yearlings! Generally, a cub will realize it is time to leave its mother when she allows male bears to come closer to her, and no longer seems concerned about her cubs. Despite leaving their mother, the cubs won’t reach their full size until they are about five years old.

Photo Credit: Bob Hailey

03/07/2021

Visiting the Smoky Mountains this weekend? Remember, this weekend will be a busy one, so be extra patient. For traffic/travel tips, visit:
https://www.nps.gov/.../planyour.../trafficandtraveltips.htm

While you are checking out the views this Fourth of July weekend, please be courteous to other drivers and wary of traffic. Remember, this weekend will be a busy one, so be extra patient. For traffic/travel tips, visit https://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/trafficandtraveltips.htm. We look forward to your visit!
Photo Credits: Rachel Teeter

26/05/2021

A must visit! Townsend.

05/04/2021

Yesterday evening, an earthquake of magnitude 2.0 occurred about 1 mile north of Cades Cove and ½ mile east of Rich Mountain Road as shown by the red dot and arrow in the image. The quake was more than 12 km below the surface of the earth did not cause any damage to park facilities or impacts to visitors. The highest recorded magnitude quake in the park (a 3.2 on the Richter scale) occurred in 1979 in the western section of the park.

Of the 20 recorded earthquakes detected within park boundaries since record keeping began, none have caused detectable damage. For more information about geology in the park and for an interactive map, please visit: https://www.nps.gov/grsm/learn/nature/geology.htm

Details about today’s earthquake via the US Geological Survey can be found at: https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/se60331832/executive

NPS Image

27/03/2021

Give Me All Mountains -
Hymn to Artemis
Give me all mountains.
City, town, the precinct
of temple,
the crowded town gate,
I have no love for:
walls must crash or hide
whether of market
palace court
or precinct.
Give me the stream’s cold path,
the grove of pine,
for garden terrace
the unclaimed
bleak
wild stretches
of the mountain side.
Give me no earth
crushed flat
with cruel layer
of fitted square
or metered length,
but boulders
unhewn
and set apart.
- H.D.
NPS photos - Nick Kramer

27/03/2021

Spring is here which means we are prepping for Flower & Food Festival presented by Covenant Health of East Tennessee (April 23 - June 7). 🌷 Who else is pumped for this festival? 🌼☀

18/03/2021

Come take the tour! Open 7 days a week.

24/01/2021

Have you driven the newest section of the Foothills Parkway that was completed in December 2018?

It’s a great way to see the mountains and take a look into the park. The new section is 17 miles long and is in between Walland, TN near Townsend, TN to Wears Valley, TN. It consists of hanging bridges that “hang” from the sides of the mountains. Don’t worry they’re really secure.

In the case of inclement weather, check road closures for the park before you head out as the bridges can accumulate ice and snow. Call +1 (865) 436-1200 and then extension 1 and then 1 again to get updates on the roads, or check SmokiesRoadsNPS on Twitter.

Happy driving!

NPS Photo

06/12/2020

As we approach the busy holiday season, remember to slow down and find your peace.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, like so many other parks, can provide you with much needed time away. A way to recharge in the natural environment surrounded by the hustle and bustle of the season.

Try one of our quiet walkways, which is where this photo was taken. They’re usually short in length and not as populated as other trails. Check in at any visitor center to get more info.

NPS photo.

01/12/2020

14/11/2020

"Lights Over Gatlinburg" opens tonight with over 40,000 colored lights spread across the SkyBridge and SkyDeck, including a 300-foot tunnel in the center of the bridge and other new surprises. Come experience the magic.

14/11/2020

Wintergreen Falls on the Toxaway River at Gorges State Park.
Photo by Thomas Mabry

27/10/2020

Even the Bears are coming to the Gatlinburg SkyLift Park & SkyBridge to check out the beautiful Fall colors 🍁

An autumn experience like no other, for humans and wildlife alike! 🐻

12/10/2020

GATLINBURG, Tenn. (WZTV) — North America's longest simple suspension bridge nestled in the Great Smoky Mountains is getting ready to open a new scenic trail just in time for fall in the Great Smoky Mountains. The Gatlinburg SkyBridge is adding the "SkyTrail," a 0. 3 mile scenic walkway along C...

21/08/2020

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This message is as true and important today as it was decades ago when this photo was taken. Great Smoky Mountains National Park receives over 12 million annual visitors, and we are all responsible for doing our part in taking care of it. A good rule of thumb for visiting the Smokies or any other public lands is to "take nothing but memories, leave nothing but footprints."

NPS Photo.

28/07/2020

“Nature makes no noise. The howling storm, the rustling leaf, the pattering rain are no disturbance, there is an essential and unexplored harmony in them.” -Henry David Thoreau.

BUT when thunder roars, come indoors!

In light of recent weather patterns of rain and thunder, here’s a reminder to play it safe when it comes to hiking and driving in the park. When roads are wet, they can be hazardous, and slippery. If at any time you feel uncomfortable during a rainstorm, play it safe! Pullover in one of our many pull-offs or parking areas and wait the storm out. If you are hiking and hear thunder, or see a lightning strike, do not assume the storm will pass. Make your way back to your car and wait for the weather to pass. Look on our website, https://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/conditions.htm, for updates on current road and trail conditions, as well as weather updates.

Photo: Bob Carr