Smoky Mountains News

Rich in cultural heritage, Cataloochee is an isolated valley that was home to the largest and most prosperous settlement in the area that became the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Many of the early structures still remain—a school, churches, a barn, and several homes. Elk that were released in 2001 and other wildlife can often be seen in the fields of the valley.

One of the greatest shows in the Smokies is going on right now. 

Those who have been superintendents of Great Smoky Mountains National Park say they consider the job a choice assignment in the National Park Service and have many memories from their time, both of the scenery and the challenges of being the boss.

 GATLINBURG, Tenn. - The ancient blue-green mountains with breathtaking vistas and distinctive mists are home to salamanders and black bears, 19th century log cabins, rippling streams, waterfalls and more than 800 miles of trails, including a large section of the Georgia-to-Maine Appalachian Trail.

The U.S. House is sending birthday wishes to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.The chamber voted 392-1 late Tuesday to approve a resolution congratulating the park on its 75th anniversary.

If the history of Great Smoky Mountains National Park is truly about its people, as screenwriter Dayton Duncan asserts in a new PBS documentary, then he’s narrowed it down to two specific individuals.

In Great Smoky Mountains National Park, it's easy to get lost in the past. The nation's most-visited national park has nearly 80 historic buildings scattered throughout its 800 square miles, evidence that until the 1930s, children attended school there while their parents coaxed corn from the hardscrabble soil of the southern Appalachian Mountains.

The National Parks Second Century Commission will conduct its fifth and final meeting at Great Smoky Mountains National Park on June 2-4.

An increase in the bear population has tourists taking lots of pictures, and park officials taking extra precautions.

Gatlinburg is celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park with an event featuring people affected by the land purchase between Tennessee and North Carolina. The June 6 program called "The Park Was My Home" will include 20 people, mostly in their 80s and 90s, who will tell stories about life in the 800-square-mile timber and farm region before the park was created in 1934.

2009 marks a special time for East Tennessee as we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. As we at Cityview began discussing the upcoming festivities, we couldn’t help but want to share our excitement with you! 

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park's sagging infrastructure will see major improvements in the coming year thanks to $64 million in federal stimulus money aimed at improving national parks and boosting the economy.

In observance of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 2009, an entire year of festivities is planned, featuring mountain music, historic demonstrations, crafts, food, fine art, special appearances, and ceremonies. Visitors can participate special programs that highlight the park’s flora and fauna and the cultural heritage that makes the Smokies unique among national parks.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park plans to preserve part of the historic Elkmont community in Tennessee.

It's hard not to picture Great Smoky Mountains National Park as a preserve that will never be touched and never change. But the truth is the 800-square-mile park has changed since its founding 75 years ago. Pollution, overuse, invasive species, political deals and development along its borders have all shaped the Smokies. These factors will continue to make their marks in the next 75 years. Controlling them is the biggest challenge facing the park today, according to park watchdogs, advocates and volunteers.