Great Smoky Mountains National Park

This Hike at Great Smoky Mountains National Park Took a Nasty Turn

Rhododendron and Mountain laurel provide beautiful blooms in the late spring and early summer in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Those thickets can also have a dark side, as two hikers recently learned the hard way.

Read more about This Hike at Great Smoky Mountains National Park Took a Nasty Turn

By Jim Burnett - March 11th, 2009 10:16am

4 comments

Send Your Kid To Work in Great Smoky Mountains National Park This Summer

Great setting, inspirational leadership, insights into a possible career, and $10.31 an hour. What more could a teenager want from a summer job? All they have to do is live in North Carolina and want to spend a chunk of the summer in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Read more about Send Your Kid To Work in Great Smoky Mountains National Park This Summer

By Kurt Repanshek - March 7th, 2009 6:21pm

Tailgating With the Symphony? It's Possible at Great Smoky Mountains National Park In June

When was the last time you tail-gated before a symphony concert? You'll be able to do just that this June at Great Smoky Mountains National Park when the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra helps the park celebrate its 75th birthday.

Read more about Tailgating With the Symphony? It's Possible at Great Smoky Mountains National Park In June

By Kurt Repanshek - March 5th, 2009 5:54pm

New Visitor Center Coming to Great Smoky Mountains National Park

There's a new visitor center coming to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, over at Oconaluftee.

Read more about New Visitor Center Coming to Great Smoky Mountains National Park

By Kurt Repanshek - February 25th, 2009 9:58am

11 comments

Friends of the Smokies to Get First Year Proceeds of Dolly Parton’s New CD

Dolly Parton, official ambassador of Great Smoky’s 75th anniversary celebration, is donating the first-year proceeds from the sale of her new "Sha-Kon-Hey!" CD to Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Read more about Friends of the Smokies to Get First Year Proceeds of Dolly Parton’s New CD

By Bob Janiskee - February 13th, 2009 11:06am

With or Without a Stimulus Package, National Parks Can Be Economical Vacation Destinations

With all the economic doom and gloom of late, it'll be a miracle if anyone goes away for a vacation this year. At the very least, folks will be looking for bargains, and that's where the National Park System comes into play.

Read more about With or Without a Stimulus Package, National Parks Can Be Economical Vacation Destinations

By Kurt Repanshek - November 11th, 2010 10:25am

Ginseng Poachers At Great Smoky Mountains National Park Receive Jail Time

Poaching "sang" in Great Smoky Mountains National Park rewarded two North Carolina men with time in jail and fines.

Read more about Ginseng Poachers At Great Smoky Mountains National Park Receive Jail Time

By Kurt Repanshek - February 13th, 2009 7:17am

That's Cold, Doubly So When You Realize the Temperature Was In Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Normally when you hear "22 below" you think of places like Fraser, Colorado, or Ice Box Canyon, North Dakota, not Tennessee. But that was the temperature near the top of Great Smoky Mountains National Park the other morning.

Read more about That's Cold, Doubly So When You Realize the Temperature Was In Great Smoky Mountains National Park

By Kurt Repanshek - February 4th, 2009 8:49pm

3 comments

National Park Quiz 40: Mission 66

This week’s quiz will find out just how much you remember about one of the most influential programs in National Park Service history. Answers are at the end. If we catch you guessing we’ll make you explain how the visitor center design strategies employed by Los Angeles-based Neutra and Alexander differed from those of San Francisco-based Malone & Hooper.

Read more about National Park Quiz 40: Mission 66

By Bob Janiskee - October 28th, 2011 1:43pm

4 comments

National Park Quiz 39: Winter

This week’s quiz will find out if you are a winterwise park visitor. Answers are at the end. If we catch you peeking, we’ll make you explain why the Bergeron-Findeisen process grows snowflakes only because the equilibrium vapor pressure of water vapor with respect to ice is less than that with respect to liquid water at the same subfreezing temperature.

Read more about National Park Quiz 39: Winter

By Bob Janiskee - October 31st, 2011 8:13am

6 comments

INN Member

The easiest way to explore RV-friendly National Park campgrounds.

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

Here’s the definitive guide to National Park System campgrounds where RVers can park their rigs.

Our app is packed with RVing- specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 national parks.

You’ll also find stories about RVing in the parks, tips helpful if you’ve just recently become an RVer, and useful planning suggestions.