SOCIAL MEDIA

Mega Work Day Planned for Pisgah Ranger District

Wednesday, August 31, 2016

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The Pisgah Conservancy, U.S. Forest Service, and a host of supporting organizations have announced a broad based volunteer work day in the Pisgah Ranger District called “Pisgah Pride Day 2016,” which is being planned in conjunction with National Public Lands Day, September 24. Work crews will convene at different locations on Saturday, September 24, and will perform trail work, surveying and removing...
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Friends In High Places

Monday, August 29, 2016

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Two weeks from today three gentlemen from Atlanta will set out to hike the Appalachian Trail across the Great Smoky Mountains. What is different about this adventure is that they're doing this to raise funds for the Friends of the Smokies organization, which in turn will be used to help fund a variety of projects in the park. I found about this adventure through the FOTS July Newsletter. Here's a...
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ATF Warns About IEDs on Kentucky Trails

Thursday, August 25, 2016

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The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Kentucky State Police have issued a public safety advisory with regards to IEDs on trails in eastern Kentucky. In Harlan County, Kentucky there have been three confirmed incidents of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) being hidden inside trail cameras, which exploded and injured people. An operation was conducted and nine IEDs...
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Katahdin Woods & Waters - Our Newest National Monument

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

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On the eve of the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis today applauded the designation of the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, the first national monument to preserve the landscape and honor the history and culture of Maine’s North Woods. The Antiquities Act, which was used to make...
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Emerald Ash Borer Infestation Confirmed in North Carolina

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

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Forest health officials with the U.S. Forest Service have discovered declining ash trees due to infestation by the emerald ash borer (EAB) whose presence was confirmed on the Appalachian Ranger District of the Pisgah National Forest and on private lands along the French Broad River from the Tennessee state line to Marshall, NC. Decline and death of ash from EAB occurs in a relatively short period...
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Programming Note: Friends Across the Mountains Telethon on Wednesday Night

Monday, August 22, 2016

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This Wednesday, August 24th, is the 22nd annual Friends Across the Mountains Telethon. The event will again be broadcasted on WBIR-TV Channel 10 in Knoxville, TN and WLOS-TV Channel 13 in Asheville, NC from 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM. The broadcast will highlight projects and programs that Friends of the Smokies has funded over the years. It's a fun event that raises awareness of both the Park's needs (as...
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Man sentenced to 16 years in prison for murder in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Saturday, August 20, 2016

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A homicide investigation by Special Agents with the Investigative Services Branch (ISB), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Cherokee Indian Police Department has concluded with a strong sentence handed down by a federal judge. Forrest Dakota Hill, age 23, must serve 200 months in federal prison for the March 2015 murder of a man on federal land. He must also serve five years of...
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Shenandoah National Park Reopens Trails

Friday, August 19, 2016

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Shenandoah National Park has announced that the Snead Farm Fire Road and Snead Farm Loop Trail have been reopened to hikers, but remain closed to visitors with dogs. These trails are located near the Dickey Ridge Visitor Center (mile 4.6 Skyline Drive) in the North District of the park (see Map). Because of recent incidents with bears and dogs the greater Dickey Ridge area remains closed to visitors...
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Smokies Superintendent and Gatlinburg Mayor Lead Gatlinburg Trail Hike

Wednesday, August 17, 2016

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Great Smoky Mountains National Park Superintendent Cassius Cash and City of Gatlinburg Mayor Mike Werner invite the public to join them on a hike along the Gatlinburg Trail on Saturday, August 20 at 9:00 a.m. in honor of the National Park Service Centennial. Hikers should meet in front of Sugarlands Visitor Center to begin the 4-mile, round trip hike which follows the West Prong of the Little Pigeon...
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Bear Kills Dog in Shenandoah National Park

Friday, August 5, 2016

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On Wednesday, August 3rd, a hiker in Shenandoah National Park reported an encounter with a mother bear and two cubs on the Snead Farm Fire Road near the Dickey Ridge Visitor Center (mile 4.6 on Skyline Drive). The hiker was accompanied by two dogs on retractable leashes. Confronted by the bear, the hiker fled the area, at which point the bear attacked the trailing dog who later died of its injuries....
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Entrance Fees Waived on NPS Birthday Weekend - Special Events Across the U.S. To Celebrate 100th Anniversary This Month

Thursday, August 4, 2016

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The National Park Service invites visitors of all ages to join in the celebration of its 100th birthday throughout the month of August. With special events across the country, and free admission to all 412 national parks from August 25 through August 28, the NPS is encouraging everyone to #FindYourPark for the centennial. "August –our birthday month –will be a nationwide celebration of national...
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Paradise in Spring

Wednesday, August 3, 2016

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Three years ago Kathy and I made our first visit to Mt. Rainier National Park. During that trip we had the pleasure of hiking the Skyline Trail, which does a wide loop through the Paradise Valley. This instantly became one of the best hikes either of us has ever done. So, returning three years later, I really wanted to hike in this valley once again. Unfortunately, because this most recent visit was...
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Tennessee Partners with National Park Service to Complete Foothills Parkway

Tuesday, August 2, 2016

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Late last week Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam applauded the award of a $10 million federal Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant to the Tennessee Department of Transportation to complete construction of the last 16-mile stretch of the Foothills Parkway. The state will contribute an additional $15 million in funds toward the $35 million total project cost, with the National...
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Carter Falls

Tuesday, August 2, 2016

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After completing our hike to Comet Falls, perhaps the most impressive waterfall we’ve ever seen, we decided to do another waterfall hike later that afternoon. Our choice was Carter Falls and Madcap Falls, a hike that received a fairly high user rating on the Washington Trails Association website. This short hike begins just below the Cougar Rock Campground. Hikers will follow the Wonderland Trail...
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Rampart Ridge Loop

Monday, August 1, 2016

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Kathy and I intended to hike the Rampart Ridge Loop during our first visit three years ago, but didn’t due to heavy rain on the last day of our trip. Given that the hike offers great views of Mt. Rainier, and the fact that it was already snow free, it was near the top of our list of hikes for our mid-June visit this year. The loop hike begins across the street from the National Park Inn at Longmire....
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