Biodiversity Days in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Take Place This Week

The Great Smoky Mountains national park (GSMNP) was officially designated as an International Biosphere Reserve by the United Nations because of the tremendous biodiversity of the more than 100,000 different plants and animals that inhibit this environmentally crucial location.

This week features four Biodiversity Days taking place in the Great Smoky Mountains national park presented by the nonprofit organization working to inventory all of the plants and animals in the GSMNP: Discover Life in America (DLIA).

The first event takes place on June 22nd from 1 pm to 3 pm with a presentation given by Glenn Taylor on the Spruce-Fir Moss Spider held at the Twin Creeks Science center in the Cherokee Orchard Road/Roaring Fork section of the Great Smoky Mountains national park bordering Gatlinburg Tennessee.

The second event taking place is a class on scientific illustrating on June 23rd at Twin Creeks Science Center from at 10 am to 2 pm taught by Artist extraordinaire Deborah Blind.

The third event takes place on June 24th at Twin Creeks Science Center from 10 am to 2 pm which is a lecture on Springtails and a field collection session looking for these important tiny critters that live on the forest floor and in foliage present by springtail expert Dr. Ernest Bernard.

Lastly is an event for those in good enough physical shape to hike a distance in order to help with an on-going survey of the ferns in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park taking place on June 25th. Group will meet at the Jakes Creek Parking area in the Elkmont section of the park at 9 am.

All of these events and programs require registration in advance by phone (865)430-4757 or email at todd@dlia.org.

Newfound Gap Road (US441) is closed from Cherokee to Gatlinburg and more snow on the way

First Clingmans Dome Road closed yesterday due to snow and ice, and then as the snowfall increased and the ice built, Newfound Gap Road between Gatlinburg Tennessee and Cherokee North Carolina was then closed by rangers in the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

Crews working on the roadway right now are plowing and resending some areas in hope that Newfound Gap Road can be reopened again to at least 4 wheel drive vehicles.

Since there is a Winter storm warning above 3,500 feet and under 3,500 there is a Winter weather advisory in effect until noon edt Saturday, chances are high that of Newfound Gap us 441 will be closed again for at least some of the weekend.

Update 11-05-2010 12:53 pm. It does not look as if Newfound Gap Road will reopen today.

All major through roads closed in the Great Smoky Mountains national park

Within an hour, every single major road in the Great Smoky Mountains national park is closed now to the winter storm dumping snow and freezing rain on the Smokies.

There are a few vehicles stranded by Alum Cave Trailhead which have not been able to make it down the slick surface of Newfound Gap Road and the GSMNP has personnel and trucks on the way to assist them.

Presently the Foothills Parkway Spur connecting Gatlinburg Tennessee with Pigeon Forge Tennessee remains open at this time.

Current Road conditions and closures in
the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Snow Closes Roads In The Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

A light dusting of snow in the upper elevations yesterday afternoon which fell through some of the evening first closed Clingmans Dome Road and then Newfound Gap Road US 441 which runs through the Great Smoky Mountains national park connecting Cherokee North Carolina with Gatlinburg Tennessee.

Other road such as the Blue Ridge Parkway, Old 284 and Cove Creek Road running to Cataloochee all saw accumulation and slushy icy conditions. Last evening a truck needed assistance to make it up and out of Cataloochee but not without fishtailing a few times and cosmetically damaging its tailgate.

Wet conditions made for numerous accidents in and around the Great Smoky Mountains national park. Drivers are reminded to obey speed limit and if conditions require, to drive even slower. During leaf season especially when there is the added beauty of snow in the mountains drivers may become distracted or even slow down and stop in the roadways to take pictures which is prohibited.

This is the first day of the season that snow has been sticking and ice has been forming on roadways as pictured below on Cove Creel Road yesterday at around 3 pm.

Right now the snow and ices is melting quite well and crews are right now sanding the Newfound Gap Road which may open up before 11:00 am. As temperatures cool down later in the day and the melting snow and ice refreezes, it may have to close again.

Winter conditions prompt National Park Service to close 2 major roads in GSMNP

The Great Smoky Mountains national parks major through road - Newfound Gap Road also known as US 441 which connects Gatlinburg Tennessee with Cherokee North Carolina has been closed due to ice and snow from the winter storm system that is right now in the Smokies.

Clingmans Dome Road which takes you from Newfound Gap Road near the Newfound Gap parking area up the Clingmans Dome Parking area is also closed due to ice and snow.

No other roads in the GSMNP are closed at this time, nor are any expected to close tonight.

Since the storm will continue to drop snow until as late as Wednesday it is possible Newfound Gap may periodically open and close for the next 2 days. We don't expect Clingmans Dome Road to reopen until Wednesday or Thursday.

Newfound Gap Road and Cherokee Orchard Road reopen in the Great Smoky Mountains national park

Newfound Gap Road (US 441) in the Great Smoky Mountains national park as well as Cherokee Orchard Road in Gatlinburg Tennessee have both been reopened by the park service.

The park service is warning drivers that slick slippery areas still exist and drivers must use caution.

Newfound Gap Road Closed Due To Snow and Ice

Newfound Gap Road (441) is now closed due to snow and ice and the snow is still falling.

If it warms up and we are lucky Newfound Gap Road may reopen to drivers trying to get back and forth from Gatlinburg Tennessee and Cherokee North Carolina.

Civilian Conservation Corps being honored at the Great Smoky Mountains national park

The Sugarlands visitor center in the Great Smoky Mountains national park near the Gatlinburg Tennessee park entrance will be where the monumental programs commemorating the 75th Anniversary Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and their work will be held from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm on September 27th.

Along with the dedications, musical entertainment, panel discussions and lectures at the Sugarlands visitor center, both the Oconaluftee visitor center near the Cherokee North Carolina entrance of the park as well as the Sugarlands visitor center will have special CCC exhibits.

By now you may be wondering what the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was. The CCC is a perfect example of the long lasting effect that a quality socially responsible government program can have.

Established in 19333 during the Great Depression the CCC was a federal work project aimed at conservation work on federal and state lands while employing unmarried, unemployed, men that were physically fit and from18 to 25 years of age. I have been told that some as young as 15 were able to sneak into the program.

No only where these men able to scratch out a few dollars for themselves which they mostly sent home to their families, they were able to learn valuable skills and gain experience all the while improving the quality of public lands throughout the United States.

Look around in the Great Smoky Mountains national park and almost everything you see that is man made was originally built by these hard working hardy men. Hiking as much as I do in the park I can come back after a long day completely drained and I was just hiking on a trail, not building it rock by rock by hand.

This picture shows workers from the CCC working on the Bull Head Trail. This hiking trail starts in the Roaring Fork Area of the park near Gatlinburg and climbs all the way up to Mount Le Conte. Taking the Bull Head Hiking trail up and retuning back down via the Rainbow Falls trail is my favorite way to climb Mt Le Conte.

The roads and bridges in the Great Smoky Mountains were also built by the CCC. The beauty of the hand cut blocks of stone that make up the bridges and guard rails in the GSMNP blend incredibly well with the natural backdrop of the park. Some of the buildings such as the park headquarters near Gatlinburg and the Oconaluftee visitor center were also built by the CCC along with the fire and lookout towers.

All this work was done by close to 4,000 members of the CCC brigade who resided in 22 work camps within the confines of the park from 1933 - 1942.

Once I understood what these men in the CCC have done, not a day goes by when I am in the park I don't marvel at the hard work that they have done that we can appreciate 75 years later and for many more years to come. There blood sweat and tears that built this place bring untold happiness and joy that come here in the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

Sugarlands Visitor Center CCC Programs 9-27-08

The activities will include interpretive programs, a panel discussion, and musical entertainment at the Sugarlands Visitor Center with two hikes scheduled in other areas of the Park. The schedule includes:

• 10:00 am: "That Magnificent Army of Youth and Peace: The CCC in the Great Smoky Mountains" by Dr. Harley Jolley
• 11:00 am: "Dollar-a-Day Boys: A Musical Tribute to the CCC" by Bill Jamerson
• 12:30 pm: Dedication of memorial plaque to the CCC
• 1:00 pm: "That Magnificent Army of Youth and Peace" by Dr. Jolley
• 2:00 pm: "CCC Fire Tower Construction in the Smokies" by Charles Maynard
• 3:00 pm: 1 hour panel discussion with former CCC workers, moderated by Erik Kreusch the GSMNP archaeologist

Beside these programs there are 2 moderate guided hikes planed to take you the location of CCC camps in the Great Smoky Mountains national park:

• Friday, September 26 at 10:00 am Kephart Prong trailhead off Newfound Gap Road US441 in North Carolina
• Saturday, September 27, at 1:00 pm Staring at the Sugarlands Visitor Center and hiking up along the Old Sugarlands Trail.

All of the activities commemorating the CCC in the Great Smoky Mountains national park are free and open to anyone.

Park rangers shot and killed the right bear in the GSMNP

National Park rangers shot and killed a black bear that was suspected of attacking a small child in the Roaring Fork section of the Great Smoky Mountains national park outside Gatlinburg Tennessee which was in fact the right bear based upon the necropsy performed at the University Of Tennessee College Of Veterinary Medicine.

Inside the bears stomach content part of the kids' sneaker who was attacked was found conforming the identity of the black bear. Before park officials shot the bear they had a description of the black bear by size and when they observed the bear, it exhibited unusually aggressive behavior towards them.

Black bear attacks are rare in the Great Smoky Mountains national park and are normally related to food incidents or when instigated intentionally or not by park visitors. In this case the black bear was unprovoked and there was no food present.

Black Bear attacks Child and injures father in Great Smoky Mountains national park

A black bear attacked and injured a child in the Roaring Fork area of the Great Smoky Mountains national park just outside the city of Gatlinburg Tennessee yesterday evening.

Evan Pala the 8 year old child who was attacked by the black bear is from Boca Raton Florida was about 1,000 feet north of playing along Le Conte Creek where it has been reported the child was attacked twice by what was probably a 55 pound yearling male black bear.

Evan Pala sustained puncture wounds along with non-life-threatening cuts and scratches and the boys father John Pala also sustained some minor injuries himself while he was driving the Black bear away from his child with sticks and rocks.

The injured child and his father were both transported to Fort Sanders Sevier Medical Center in Sevierville TN by a Gatlinburg Ambulance for treatment.

Great Smoky Mountain national park rangers found a bear that matched the father's description that was acting aggressively toward them so they shot and killed the black bear which has been transported to the University of Tennessee Veterinary Medical Center where it can be determined if this is the bear that attacked the child.

Black bear attacks in the Great Smoky Mountain National park are extremely rare although black bear encounters happen every day on the park. Though I travel extensively on the front country and backcountry of the park, other than on the Cades Cove Loop I seem to have the most bear encounters on average in the Roaring Fork Area.

To reduce your chance for an unpleasant bear encounter or attack by a black bear in the Great Smoky Mountains national park it is a good idea to follow black bear safety rules.

Recent Bear attacks in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

• Bear Attacks Camper: Campsite 84 Hazel Creek NC 6/7/2015
• Hiker bitten by black bear: Laurel Falls Hiking Trail 5/17/2010
• Child attacked by bear: Rainbow Falls Hiking Trial 8/12/2008
• Woman Killed by 2 bear: Little River Hiking Trail 5/21/2000

Child injured in the Great Smoky Mountains national park airlifted to UT

A small child from Coweta county Georgia was injured in the Great Smoky Mountains national park early this evening with injures serious enough to require that the child be transferred from a Gatlinburg Tennessee ambulance in the Sugarlands Visitor Center to a UT Lifestar helicopter for air transport to the hospital.

An unconfirmed source told us that the injuries occurred in or around a camp fire causing the child to be burned in the Elkmont Campgrounds.

Fortunately from what we saw the child was breathing on its own seemed quite calm when being transferred from the Ambulance to the waiting helicopter.

Great Smoky Mountains Fireflies a big hit drawing more than 900 visitors the first night alone!

Visitors came in droves to the Sugarlands Visitor Center near Gatlinburg Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park shuttle to Elkmont to observe the synchronized fireflies.
More than 900 people showed up the first night of the 2 week lightning bug show and even more are expected to show up next weekend when the mating season for the firefly beetles is in full swing.
Even though the weather will be shaky for the remainder of the week we suggest that you come during a weeknight if possible to avoid the crowds who come to watch the synchronized fireflies that perform the best in the Elkmont section of the GSMNP.
Shuttles start leaving to Elkmont from the Sugarlands visitor center at 6:00 pm. The Elkmont section of the park closes to all traffic other than shuttles at 5:00 pm. You can read more about the synchronized fireflies in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
A side note: even though the park service has advised us to ask visitors to bring red cellophane to cover flashlights, red cellophane was provided for those who did not have their own.
By using red cellophane on flashlights people who are around you can maintain better night vision and the lights that are red are less disturbing to the lightning bugs as white lights which can keep the fireflies from flashing to their prospective mates.

Related Smokies Fireflies News Stories

Synchronized Fireflies in the Great Smoky Mountains

• 2015 Firefly Viewing Dates in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.
• 2014 Firefly Viewing Dates in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.
• Where and When to see Synchronous Fireflies in the Smokies in 2013
• Synchronous Fireflies Emerge Too Early for Visitors In The Great Smoky Mountains national park
• Synchronous fireflies and their admirers are about to invade the Great Smoky Mountains national park
• Great Smoky Mountains National park synchronous firefly
• Great Smoky Mountains Fireflies has 900 visitors first night
• Synchronized Fireflies in Great Smoky Mountains national parks Elkmont a huge disappointment

Great Smoky Mountains National park cliff repair causes road closures and detours.

Little River Road on the Tennessee side of the Great Smoky Mountains national park connecting Gatlinburg Tennessee with Elkmont, Metcalf Bottoms, and Townsend Wye will be reduced to shortly to 1 lane and then have a section closed while rehabilitate construction will take place to Indian Head Rock cliff.

This construction and closure will be effecting through drivers attempting to traverse the park to get to Cades Cove and the Tremont sections of the national park whose best option would be to take 321 and avoid the whole mess.

The Indian Head Rock Cliff which is located between Metcalf Bottoms and the Townsend Wye was damaged during the heavy storm in October of 2006 that ripped through the park destroying much in its path.

Along with blowing down hundreds of large trees this storm damaged the Indian Head Rock Cliff rock face triggering a landslide which dumped debris and large boulders onto the Little River Road.

On April 3, 2008 the Great Smoky Mountains national park awarded a $386,360 contract to Rembco Geotechnical Contractors of Knoxville Tennessee to stabilize the rock face by using polyurethane resin to fill in the large cracks along with using rock dowels based upon recommendations by the Federal Highway Administration geological engineers.

As a result of the rehabilitation of the Indian Head Rock Cliff, drivers will find that the Little River Road lane and complete closures from May 5th to May 19th with a welcome break on Mothers Day weekend May 9-11 when no construction work will be conducted and Little River Road will be fully operational.

The following schedule is subject top change if the weather or if geologic rehabilitation does not go as planned:

• May 5th through May 8th. Traffic on effected area (see map) will be reduced to 1 lane controlled by flaggers. Drivers can expect delays.


• May 9th through May 11th. No construction. Both lanes on Little River Road will be open and there will be no delays.


• May 12th through May 19th. Both lanes of effected area (see map) will be closed to all traffic.
  
  Eastbound Detour
  Traffic headed eastbound from Cades Cove or Tremont must exit to the Townsend Wye and Detour via 321. Passenger cars and vans may reenter park at Wear Cove Entrance in order to get back onto eastbound Little River Road at Metcalf Bottoms to continue eastward. Larger Vehicles must reenter park Via the Spur.
  
  West Bound Detour
  Divers of passenger cars and vans coming from Gatlinburg or Elmont wishing to go west to Cades Cove or Tremont section of the Great Smoky Mountains national park must exit Little River Road at Metcalf Bottoms Picnic area and exit park at the Wears Cove entrance and reenter the park at the Townsend Wye. Larger vehicles must exit park at the spur and take 441 and then 321 to the Townsend Wye.
  
  During May 12th through May 19th Both pedestrians and cyclists will be allowed to go from Metcalf bottoms to the sinks. Little River Road from the Townsend Wye east is closed to all pedestrians and cyclists.

Music of the Mountains this Saturday in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Mountains and music come together this weekend in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park with the forth annual "Music of the Mountains" festival on Saturday, March 29 from 10 am - 5 pm at the Park's Sugarlands Visitor Center next to the Gatlinburg Tennessee national park entrance.

Although there will be musical programs throughout the day at the Sugarlands Visitor center that to the park service, the City of Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Mountains Association, it is suggested that you get there early as seating is limited to the capacity of the indoor theater which is only 160 persons.

7 Free concerts will be performed in the theater:

• 10:00 am Tony Thomas: Introduction to old-time banjo and fiddle tunes
• 11:00 am The Lost Mill String Band: Claw-hammer banjo and acoustic bass played by Joan and Jerry Paul
• 12 Noon Matt Morelock and Brian Vollmer: Old-time songs using claw-hammer banjo and fiddle
• 1:00 pm Matt Morelock and Brian Vollmer: Repeat performance
• 2:00 pm Bobby Fulcher: Appalachian and Cumberland Mountains songs and tunes played with the claw-hammer banjo and guitar
• 3:00 pm Boogertown Gap: Traditional tunes and songs played with claw -hammer banjo and guitar performed by Barber and Keith Watson
• 4:00 pm Sparky and Rhonda Rucker perform Appalachia and the Civil War period Folk songs, ballads, and tunes

For performances held in the evening at the WL Mills Conference Center in Gatlinburg, Tennessee featuring Jimbo Whaley and Friends you must purchase tickets which are $20.00 online or $25 at the door. Doors open at 6:00 pm and the performance begins at 7:00. Not only will you be in for a night of great music, all ticket holder will also receive a free CD of Jimbo Whaley's newest gospel recording, you will also have the chance to win the door prize and other giveaways during the concert.

According to said Kent Cave, North District Supervisory Park Ranger of the Great Smoky Mountains: "Music of the Mountains" is a celebration of musical traditions of the southern Appalachian Mountains, showcasing the evolution of mountain music over time. The festival is one of several special events the Park has developed to tell the story of the people who lived here prior to the Park's establishment in 1934. Musical expression was and still is often a part of daily life in the southern mountains, and mountain music is tied to Smokies history like no other part of our culture".

According to me: "You will never be let down with any of these performances in the park and that's to Sevierville local legend Ray Ball, I myself drive around with a Jimbo Whaley CD in may car and not only love the local flavor of his music but the outstanding musical talent as well."

Don't miss these performances of you are in town!

Newfound Gap Road US 441 in the Great Smoky Mountains National park is closed

The Great Smoky Mountains 2 lane road which connects Gatlinburg Tennessee with Cherokee North Carolina Newfound Gap Road (US 441) running through the Great Smoky Mountains national park is now closed due to ice and snow.

This beautiful steep winding road cuts right through the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains national park and is often closed in the winter due to ice and snow as the higher elevations tend to freeze quickly and make the road unsafe for travel.

Today weather forecasts for the Smoky Mountains call for freezing weather in upper elevations but the park service may be able to scrape enough snow ice of Newfound Gap Road and drop enough sand to make it safe for travel shortly. The predicted warming trend should make Newfound Gap Road safe for travel this weekend but watch Your Smokies News for the latest updates on road and weather conditions.

Newfound Gap Road, US 441 is in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park now open

The Great Smoky Mountains national parks main road connecting Cherokee North Carolina with Gatlinburg Tennessee is open now that Fridays' rock slide has been cleaned up and official say the road is safe.

Unfortunately while a woman from Florida was taking a photographs of the rockslide on Friday, additional rock fell and stuck her causing her serious enough injuries to require surgery to her back and leg at the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville.

After heavy rains or melt it is common to have rock and mud slides in the Smoky Mountains and drivers should always use extreme caution especially when vision is limited at night or due to fog.

Unfortunately the women who was injured did not realize that after slides are common and before approaching an area that just had a rock fall or when a tree has split or partially fallen and is hung up in other trees you should stay clear of the area unless told by a professional that it is safe to approach.

Newfound Gap Road US 441 partial closure in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Newfound Gap Road in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park requires a cleanup and safety evaluation after a rock and mudslide triggered by melting ice and snow and heavy rains made the road unsafe for motorists.

The North Carolina side is closed up to Newfound Gap. Drivers can still use Newfound Gap Road from Gatlinburg Tennessee all the way up to the Newfound Gap parking area.

Updates will follow as information becomes available.

Pigeon Forge Spur Accidents Causes Crackdown on Speeders in Construction Zones

Due to ongoing construction on the spur connecting Pigeon Forge Tennessee with Gatlinburg Tennessee there have been numerous accidents in and near the northbound tunnel.

Drivers have exceeded speed limits in the construction zone as workers and even though the lane closure is clearly marked, many drivers have failed to move over ahead of time or yield to merging traffic.

In response to the accidents, local enforcement will be cracking on speeders so drivers are cautioned to not exceed the posted limits or you may be looking at a $340 fine.

While most days the traffic has flowed smoothly despite the construction, we have encountered a few frustrating delays that have added as much a s 20 minutes more commute time on the Spur. Southbound the delays are far less than northbound on the spur so drivers may wish to take alternate routes to avoid delays.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Weather Related Roads Closings

Newfound Gap Road (US 441) in the Great Smoky Mountains national park is closed from Cherokee North Carolina to Gatlinburg Tennessee due to last nights snow and freezing rain.

Bad weather is expected for the balance of the day with sporadic freezing rain and snow so it is unknown if Newfound Gap will be opened today by the park service.

Forge Creek Road in the far end of Cades Cove remains closed due to muddy conditions and is not expected to reopen for the next few days.

Current conditions at 1,600 feet of elevation in Sevierville are extreme fog and freezing rain with slush on the ground at exactly 32 degrees.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Closes Newfound Gap Road, Laurel Creek Road and the Gatlinburg Bypass

The park service closed major roads in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park due to ice and snow including Newfound Gap Road (441) from Gatlinburg Tennessee to Cherokee North Carolina, Laurel Creek Road in Tennessee ending up in Cades Cove Tennessee as well as the Gatlinburg Bypass which connects Gatlinburg Tennessee and Pigeon Forge TN.

The weather in the Smoky Mountains is expected to remain below freezing for the balance of the day and a winter storm warning remains in effect until 4:00 pm today. Tomorrows predicted high of 34 degrees will probably not be enough to melt any of the Ice and snow that has already accumulated and today's predicted snow may keep these roads closed for days.