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Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Just Exactly What Is A National Park "Cooperating Association"? Here's the Answer

The next time you go into a national park visitor center to buy a map, look at the person at the register. She or he won't be wearing the green and gray of a national park uniform; rather an employee of a cooperating association will be taking your money. In Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Great Smoky Mountains Association, a membership organization, runs the visitor center bookstores and does a lot more.

Were You One of the Almost 9.5 Million Who Visited Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 2009?

Perhaps it was the sour economy that kept folks close to home on their vacations, or maybe it was the lure of Great Smoky Mountains National Park's 75th anniversary. Whatever the reason, Great Smoky saw nearly 9.5 million visitors in 2009, which is the greatest turnout in nearly a decade in the park.

Looking To Gain A Little Structured Education On Your National Park Trip?

Can you tell by looking at a wildflower in Yellowstone National Park what the underlying geology is? Or, while hiking through Great Smoky Mountains National Park, can you identify a bird simply by its song? Do you want to get relatively up close to the elephant seals at Point Reyes National Seashore? Here's how you can do all those things and more.

Updated: Federal Government Urged To Close Caves Inhabited by Bats on Public Lands to Stop Spread of White-Nose Syndrome

A conservation group is petitioning the federal government with a request that it close all caves and mines inhabited by bats on public lands in a bid to stop the spread of white-nosed syndrome among bats. At the same time, the Center for Biological Diversity wants the Eastern small-footed bat and the Northern long-eared bat to be listed as endangered species.

North Carolina Wildlife Officials Thinking of Reclassifying Status of Great Smoky Mountains National Park Elk

Elk populations seem to be growing satisfactorily in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. But does that mean North Carolina wildlife officials should remove the protective status that prevents elk from being hunted in the area?

Work at Sinks Parking Area in Great Smoky Mountains National Park Could Impact Your Trail Access

The recent blast of frigid temperatures that descended on Great Smoky Mountains National Park makes word of closure of the Sinks Parking Area in the park largely a so-what deal. But be aware that spring visitors to the park could have some trail access difficulties.

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