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Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Endangered Species Day In The Parks: Lots To Save

The National Park Service more than a century ago was directed to manage national parks so as to “conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations." Today the agency in places seems to be losing the battle when it comes to plant and animal species considered either "threatened" or "endangered" under the Endangered Species Act.

License Plate Sales Go A Long Way For Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Twenty years after the launch of the program, drivers in Tennessee and North Carolina have raised more than $15 million in support of Friends of the Smokies through specialty license plate sales. The iconic black bear is depicted on both states’ plates, and contributes to their popularity on both sides of the mountains.

National Parks Traveler Episode 10: How Not To Get Lost, Sketching Birds, Hiking Peaked Hill Bars

National Parks Traveler Episode 10: Staying Found In The Parks, Artist Molly Hashimoto, Hiking Peaked Hill Bars
In this week's episode, Andrew Herrington, a search-and-rescue expert at Great Smoky Mountains National Park, outlines how to stay safe on your hikes into the backcountry, while artist Molly Hashimoto explains how she comes away from her park visits with beautiful bird sketches, drawings, and paintings. Finally, we take a short hike into the Peaked Hill Bars Historic District at Cape Cod National Seashore.

Hypothermia Claimed The Life Of Woman Who Went Missing At Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Hypothermia can be an insidious malady. In short, its onset is caused by loss of body heat. So much loss that your body can't generate enough heat to offset the loss. When that happens, without quick care, you go into a downward spiral that can include confusion and clumsiness and lead to death. That's what happened to an Ohio woman who got lost in Great Smoky Mountains National Park last fall.

Panel To Discuss Smokies 900-Miler Trail Challenge

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.’

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