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Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Study: National Parks Contributed $32 Billion To National Economy In '15

If there are any billion-dollar babies in the National Park System, they would be the Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smoky Mountains National Park, both of which contributed more than $1 billion in tourism benefits to the communities surrounding their borders, according to a 2015 analysis of the National Park System's value to the national economy.

Stargazing Program Coming To Cades Cove At Great Smoky Mountains National Park Next Week

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, in cooperation with the Smoky Mountains Astronomical Society, will offer a 3-hour stargazing program in Cades Cove on Saturday, April 2, beginning at 7:30 p.m. Experienced astronomers and numerous telescopes will be on hand to provide a discovery of the spring sky’s position of stars, galaxies, and constellations, including the Milky Way.

Appeals Court Rejects Bid To End Backcountry Fees At Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Southern Forest Watch, an organization that has long fought to bring an end to backcountry user fees at Great Smoky Mountains National Park, lost its latest bid when the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the group's appeal from a lower court.
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Forests, Alligators, Battlefields: My Journey Through The National Parks Of The South

For Danny Bernstein, retirement is best enjoyed by following a path through the woods, or a tour through a unit of the National Park System. Whether the park is focused on history, or culture, or natural beauty doesn't matter. For Ms. Bernstein, being in the park system and enjoying and learning from it is what matters.

Op-Ed | Creating America’s Most Innovative Idea

A soaring new 3D IMAX film premiered recently, showcasing the wonders of national parks from Katmai in Alaska to Everglades in Florida. Narrated by none less than Academy Award® -winner Robert Redford, the film was created by the National Park Service and Brand USA in honor of the Park Service’s 100th anniversary and is airing here and in 60 countries around the globe. Intended to showcase the best of our nation, the film falls woefully short as critics have pointed out, because it features only athletic, young white Americans recreating in pretty places.

There Are Rapids, And Then There Are Name-Brand Rapids

What’s in a name? Well, when you hear Hance, the Big Drop, Lost Paddle, or Lava Falls, we’re talking about some of the largest, craziest river rapids in our national parks. Interesting names, for sure, but how do they rate? We posed this question to our river rats: What are the best rapids in the parks? They came up with quite a list. So, if you’re looking for exciting and death-defying whitewater in the parks…

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