Volcanics, no solar eclipse, and wildfires no doubt all played a role in the decline of visitation to the National Park System in 2018, when slightly more than 318 million visits were recorded, a drop of 13 million from the year before.

One of the best ways to explore a national park is on foot, and few parks offer a trail system as extensive as Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s nearly 900 miles. On Tuesday, February 19 at 7 p.m., Friends of the Smokies and Nantahala Brewing’s Asheville Outpost will host a panel discussion featuring three individuals who have completed every single trail in the park – also known at the ‘Smokies 900-Miler Challenge.’

Sinking morale among the National Park Service ranks and accumulating human waste and garbage are just some of the symptoms of the ongoing government shutdown that has left many national parks open but without adequate staffing. Not so visible are the impacts being suffered in long-term environmental monitoring, work on visitor management plans and environmental impact statements, and even potential setbacks to the hiring of next summer's seasonal rangers.