News
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Can you hear me now? Telephones in the Smokies
If you’ve ever tried to make a call from your cell phone in the Smokies, you know how nearly impossible it can be. If you don’t have the right service provider or if you’re not standing in exactly the right magical spot, you can’t get a signal for love or money. What if I told you that in the 1890s, if you were in Cades Cove at least, you could have made a phone call as simply as picking up a telephone receiver and turning a hand crank?
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Sorghum-making demonstrations return to the Smokies
As the days grow shorter and the leaves begin to change, it can only mean one thing – it’s sorghum-making time in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
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The Civilian Conservation Corps Art Program in the Smokies
Many visitors to the Smokies are familiar with the Civilian Conservation Corps. This Depression-era government program was one of President Franklin Roosevelt’s most popular and successful relief programs. Millions of young men were fed, clothed and housed, and in return, they planted more than 3 billion trees, worked on soil conservation projects in the western United States, and helped construct hiking trails and other infrastructure in state and national parks. Their toil helped shape the modern state and national park system we enjoy today. The Smokies are no exception.
To find evidence of CCC handiwork, visitors today need to look no further than the park headquarters building in Gatlinburg, numerous features along Highway 441, including various bridges, tunnels and the Rockefeller Memorial, not to mention the hundreds of miles of hiking trails in the park.
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The most important Smokies author you’ve probably never heard of
You may be familiar with Ron Rash, the author of the novels Serena and The Risen, as well as Charles Frazier who wrote Cold Mountain. But have you heard of Mary Noailles Murfree? How about Charles Egbert Craddock? The last was a trick question since Charles Egbert Craddock was actually the pseudonym used by Murfreesboro, Tennessee native Mary Noailles Murfree (1850-1922).
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DLIA Brings Beetle Mania to the Smokies: An interview with Claire Winfrey
Did you know… about one in every four animals on the planet is a beetle! Of the roughly 400,000 species of beetles known, some are pollinators, others recyclers –some even help to offset the effects of climate change.
“Insects are an instant connection to the wild and an extreme example of Earth’s biodiversity,” says Claire Winfrey, a beetle expert and second-year Ph.D. student in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. “Especially in warmer months, take some time to look in almost any type of habitat and you can find them.”
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Park Announces Foothills Parkway Opening
Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials plan to open the long-awaited section of the Foothills Parkway between Walland and Wears Valley, TN on Saturday, November 10. The public will be able to experience the entire 16-mile roadway for the first time since construction began in 1966, including the 1.65-mile section known as the ‘Missing Link’ which is now connected by a series of nine bridges.
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Things to consider when planning a visit to the Smokies
When planning a visit to Great Smoky Mountains National Park during the government shutdown, here are some things to keep in mind:
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We won! GSMA Brings Home Three Awards from Public Lands Alliance
Great Smoky Mountains National Park education branch chief Susan Sachs accepts her award for Agency Leadership and speaks to her years of partnership building during the Public Lands Alliance’s 2019 conference in Denver, CO.
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A conversation with the authors of the new Kephart biography
Working with literary authorities George Ellison and Janet McCue to edit their new book, Back of Beyond: A Horace Kephart Biography, was like being a roadie for a dynamic singer-songwriter duo (imagine going on tour with Van Morrison and Joni Mitchell). George and Janet are so creative, so steeped in the literature of the Smokies region, and so attuned to all things Kephart that it was mesmerizing and magical to interact with them on a daily basis.
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Back of Beyond excerpt, park entry fee question both featured in upcoming Smokies Life
The most recent Smokies Life magazine – published by the nonprofit Great Smoky Mountains Association and due for release this month – tackles some complex issues currently facing the national park by asking questions like “Why not charge an entry fee?”, “Can highways be made safe for wildlife?” and “What secrets will the region’s best anglers freely share with strangers?”
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Great Smoky Mountains Association Chooses Sue Wasserman for 2020 Writer's Residency
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Behind-the-scenes of a Smokies Life Cover
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Great Smoky Mountains Association Marks 2020 with Calendar Showcasing Historic Photographs
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Full moon and cloudy sky can play tricks
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Back of Beyond Wins Thomas Wolfe Literary Award