SOCIAL MEDIA

Temporary Closures for Cades Cove Loop Road in January

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

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Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced the temporary closure of the Cades Cove Loop Road for 6 days in January to complete hazard tree removal. The road will be closed to all pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists January 6th through January 8th, and January 13th through January 15th. “We regret the inconvenience to Cades Cove visitors,” said Acting Superintendent Clay Jordan....
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Tennessee State Parks Kick off New Year with First Hikes

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

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Tennessee State Parks has announced that it will sponsor free, guided hikes on New Year’s Day. Each state park will host its own special hike in the first few days of the New Year. The First Hikes begin at 10 p.m. on Dec. 31 at Radnor Lake State Park. Henry Horton, Harrison Bay, Tims Ford, Norris Dam and Pickett state parks will host midnight hikes. The First Hikes will continue throughout New...
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Partners Make Progress in Restoring Grandfather Ranger District

Thursday, December 18, 2014

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The U.S. Forest Service and a spectrum of partners collaborated to help restore close to 6,000 acres in the Grandfather Ranger District, Pisgah National Forest, through the Grandfather Restoration Project over the past year. “I commend our partners for their ongoing hard work and dedication to the Grandfather Restoration Project,” said Grandfather District Ranger Nick Larson. “This year’s accomplishments...
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First Day Hikes to be offered at every North Carolina State Park on Jan. 1st

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

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A North Carolina tradition continues on New Year’s Day with opportunities to exercise and reconnect with nature on First Day Hikes at every state park and recreation area, according to the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation. In the past three years, hikers in North Carolina have joined rangers and volunteers to walk more than 10,000 miles on state park trails Jan. 1. There will be more than...
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Time-lapse Video of Inversion at the Grand Canyon

Monday, December 15, 2014

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A rare ground inversion last Thursday filled the Grand Canyon from rim to rim with a sea of clouds. Ground inversions at Grand Canyon are a sight to behold – clouds fill the canyon with sunny, blue skies above the rims. The topography of Grand Canyon enhances the effect of inversions, creating the dramatic views of a sea of fog and clouds seemingly dense enough to walk out on. Ground inversions...
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Chilogate Stream Restoration Underway near Foothills Parkway

Monday, December 15, 2014

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Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials have announced that work has begun through the Tennessee Stream Mitigation Program to restore the lower 5,000 feet of Chilogate Creek near the Foothills Parkway and the confluence with Chilhowee Lake. The restoration work will return the stream to its original meandering path which will both enhance riparian wetland habitat as well as reducing the risk...
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Smokies Hosts Holiday Homecoming

Saturday, December 13, 2014

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Great Smoky Mountains National Park will host a Holiday Homecoming at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center on Saturday, December 20, 2014. The visitor center will be decorated for the holiday season including an exhibit on Christmas in the mountains. Park staff and volunteers will provide hands-on traditional crafts and activities from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Children and adults will have the opportunity...
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Master Plan to be Prepared for Mountains-to-Sea State Trail

Thursday, December 11, 2014

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Ideas to be gathered from partners, stakeholders and the public will be a major component of a master planning process underway to guide completion of the Mountains-to-Sea State Trail, according to the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation. The 1,000-mile trail corridor will ultimately link Clingman’s Dome in the Great Smoky Mountains to Jockey’s Ridge State Park on the coast. Nearly two thirds...
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Smokies Announces Alum Cave Trail Restoration Project

Monday, December 8, 2014

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Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced that the next full-scale, Trails Forever restoration will begin on Alum Cave Trail in 2015. The Trails Forever crew will focus restoration efforts on several targeted locations along the 5-mile trail to improve visitor safety and stabilize eroding trail sections. The restoration work will require temporary trail closures throughout the 2-year...
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Smokies Announces 39th Annual Festival of Christmas Past Programs

Saturday, December 6, 2014

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Great Smoky Mountains National Park announced yesterday the 39th annual Festival of Christmas Past celebration, scheduled for Saturday, December 13th, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Sugarlands Visitor Center. The event, sponsored in cooperation with Great Smoky Mountains Association, is free to the public. "The Festival of Christmas Past is a program we look forward to every year," said Catlin...
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New Superintendent Named For Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Thursday, December 4, 2014

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National Park Service Southeast Regional Director Stan Austin has named Cassius Cash, a native of Memphis, TN, as the new superintendent of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Cash, currently superintendent for Boston National Historical Park and Boston African American National Historic Site, will assume his new post in February. "We are excited to have Cassius joining our Southeast Region leadership...
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Smokies Receives Annual Poinsettia for Rescue 40 Years Ago

Thursday, December 4, 2014

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Forty years ago, on December 3, 1974, park rangers from Great Smoky Mountains National Park rescued 15-year old Eric Johnson and a companion who had been trapped deep in the park's backcountry by a chest-deep snow storm. Yesterday, Eric's mother traveled from Johnson City to park headquarters in Gatlinburg to thank the park rangers for saving her son's life. A trip she has made every December 3rd...
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Improvised Explosive Device Found In Redwood National and State Parks

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

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A Redwood National and State Parks maintenance employee unknowingly collected an improvised explosive device (IED) at an illegal dump site on state park lands on the morning of Monday, December 1st, according to the NPS Morning Report. The device was transported to the park’s Northern Operations Center, where it was quickly identified as an IED. Rangers were notified, responded and immediately evacuated...
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Smokies To Host Meetings On Firewood Pests

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

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Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials are hosting public meetings to provide information about firewood pests and forest threats. Meetings will be held on Monday, December 8 from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center Administrative Building near Cherokee, NC and on Tuesday, December 9 from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.at the Sugarlands Visitor Center Training Room near Gatlinburg,...
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