Great Smoky Mountains National Park Public Meeting on Road Construction Projects

It's not your imagination. For years the Great Smoky Mountains national park roadways have been in a constant state of much needed repair, increasing the comfort and improving the safety of everyone using these roads and parking areas stretching from the complete overhaul of the Cades Cove Loop Road and the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, to the to the major rebuilding of Newfound Gap Road after this year's devastating landslide.

What you may not realize it the added bonus of the reduced costs to repair park and visitor vehicles that traverse these roads now that they are in far better condition as well as the reduced environmental impact of these improved parking areas and roadways. There is also a significant economic benefit to the area between the contractors and their employees.

The stimulus help pay for many of the larger projects including the incomplete section of the Foothill Parkway between Wears Valley and Walland which is still ongoing and closed to all vehicles, bikers and hikers, the Sinks Parking Area and the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail.

Further work such as drainage system improvements, roadway resurfacing, stone-wall masonry rehabilitation, and slope stabilization is still being done and in the planning stages for Newfound Gap Road US441 and the Gatlinburg Bypass.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials are inviting the public today and tomorrow to meetings n order to give an update on current construction and future planed work on these key roadways.

The first meeting will take place today Monday, August 5 from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm at the Sugarlands Visitor Center Training Room, about 2 miles from the Gatlinburg, Tennessee park entrance.

The second meeting takes place tomorrow Tuesday, August 6 from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm at the Oconaluftee Administrative Building which was the old visitor center near the Cherokee, North Carolina entrance.

Public questions and input is very helpful as demonstrated by how smoothly the Cades Cove Loop Road repaving job was accomplished with the least impact possible to park visitors and local business that depend on them.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Road Conditions

Virtually Every Road in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is Closed

First it was flooding that closed many key roads in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, now a winter storm dumped enough snow to create another headache, virtually every road is closed due to snow and ice including the Foothills Parkway West and East and the Gatlinburg Bypass connecting the Sugarlands to the Spur.

Crews are working on plowing and sanding roads right now. They will also be cleaning up any of the additional trees, branches and roads that may have fallen into the roadways. When the melting starts, even more debris could fall into the roadway making driving treacherous.

With so much water, there have been landslides, one of which washed out a 200 foot section of roadway, and rock slides and trees that may still be in danger of falling so when the park access opens up, use extreme caution when hiking as some of these dangers may not be immediately apparent.

Links: Great Smoky Mountain national park road conditions

Synchronous fireflies and their admirers are about to invade the Great Smoky Mountains national park

In a few days just as they have done for years, millions of the Smokies beloved lightning bugs will start to shine with their amazing bioluminescence that will synchronize with one another. While this is happening about a 1,000 people a night will crowd the Little River Trail in the Elkmont section of the GSMNP which was a former rail road bed for the Little River logging company to watch and be amazed by natures light show.

Actually there are 14 species of fireflies that have been identified in the Great Smoky Mountains national park, but only one the Photinus Carolinus, performs its magical light show in a synchronized manner that is always a crowd pleaser.

This little former glowworm emerges at around 55 degrees Fahrenheit and likes to keep by slow moving water while it uses its greenish glow to attract mates. This phenomenon actually takes place all throughout the southern Appalachian Mountains, but the best place to observe it is in the Great Smoky Mountains national park, and Elkmont is one of the most convenient and safest places to observe these fireflies flash at what could be their mates.

While you can observe synchronized fireflies in virtually every section of the GSM national park, in order to accommodate so many visitors who come for the light show, the national park service has decided to close Elkmont entrance road at firefly peak season to anyone other than registered campers at 5 pm. No parking is permitted along Little River Road at this time so that cars will not hit pedestrians in the dark.

What the Great Smoky Mountains national park does do for visitors with the help of the City of Gatlinburg, which provides trolleys, is run a shuttle for $1 round trip from the Sugarlands visitor center starting 7 pm to the Elkmont trailhead.

As soon as the parking lot at the Sugarlands Visitor Center fills up or it is 9:00 pm, no more people transportation to Elkmont ends. Most every run may sell out, so come after 6:00 pm to be sure you will get a seat on a trolley to see firefly show!

If you are bringing a flashlight, you need to bring red cellophane or a red lens cover so as not to disturb the fireflies flashing or other visitor's night vision. You can only bring what fits on your lap and no coolers alcoholic beverages, or pets can go on the trolley.

The park advises the last trolley will return to the Sugarlands at 11 pm, however historically the last trolley is much later but be there before then so you will not be left in the dark at Elkmont!

Peak firefly season when the trolleys will be running and Elkmont road is closed this year will be from June 5th to the 13th.

Related Smokies Fireflies News Stories

Synchronized Fireflies in the Great Smoky Mountains

• 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 Nat Park 75th Anniversary Celebration Continues Today With Park Open House

Join Great Smoky Mountains National Park Superintendent Dale Ditmanson and other park personnel at an open house today from 12 noon to 4 pm at the Sugarlands headquarters as part of the 75th Anniversary Weekend celebration.

The park headquarters just outside the city of Gatlinburg was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1940 and will be honored as part of today's celebration as well as a first-of-its-kind behind the scenes view of the Park's day-to-day operations open to anyone and the a unique opportunity to meet and talk with key managers of the Park along with the opportunity to see park equipment up close such as search and rescue, fire and road maintenance vehicles and the offices of the Great Smoky Mountains Association will also be open to the public.

According to Park Superintendent Dale Ditmanson "We will basically showcase how we perform and accomplish our duties, everything from conducting air and water quality research, protecting wildlife, treating nonnative plant and animal species, search and rescue, maintaining historic buildings and cultural landscapes, prioritizing road construction and facilities improvement projects, conducting visitor and educational programs, and carrying out our fiscal responsibilities,"

The winning quilt from the Pigeon Forge 75th Anniversary Smokies Sampler Quilt contest made by Naomi Davis of Sevierville, Tennessee will be held unveiled at 11 am at the visitor center and from 1 pm to 3 pm there will be an easy guided hike to the Sugarlands Civilian Conservation Corps camp via the Old Sugarlands Hiking Trail.

Parking for the event will be at the Sugarlands Visitor Center right next door to the headquarters.

Synchronized firefly show in Great Smoky Mountains national parks Elkmont area 2009

When and where can I see the synchronized lightning bugs in the Great Smoky Mountains national park? This time of the year I get these questions about the fireflies in Elkmont more often that anything else other than where the black bear are.

The where is easy: in the Elkmont area of the Great Smoky Mountains national park along the Little River Hiking Trail. When the best time to see the Synchronized firefly also called lightning bugs is a little less exact.

First of all lightning bugs have been out in the Smokies for more than a month already. Little flashes of green and blue from the fireflies have been visible just after sunsets in ever increasing numbers everywhere in the Great Smoky Mountains.

The firefly beetle responsible for the awesome synchronized show Photinus Carolinus, is seen best only in Elkmont and starts usually around the second week in June but the entire show is visible for about 3 weeks.

The lightning bugs synchronized light show is actually part of the fireflies mating behavior. This start and duration of firefly behavior can vary based upon, when they emerged, current temperature among other factors so and exact "peak date" of when it is the best to see the Synchronized firefly show in Great Smoky Mountains national park will hopefully be when the trolleys are running from June 6th to the 14th.

Some days more than 1,000 people can show up to view the synchronized lightning bugs in the GSMNP Elkmont section so to accommodate this volume of visitors who would not all be able to park in Elkmont, the Great Smoky Mountains national park will close Elkmont Road from 5 pm to 12 pm to all vehicles other than those of registered campers in the Elkmont Campgrounds.

The Great Smoky Mountains national park in cooperation with the city of Gatlinburg Tennessee will run shuttle trolleys from the Sugarlands visitor center parking area neat the city of Gatlinburg to Elkmont and back for only $1 a person.

The trolleys to take you to the Elkmont synchronized firefly show run from 6 pm to 9 pm or stop sooner if the parking area is full. Though the last trolley is scheduled to leave Elkmont by 11:00 pm but it can end up leaving after midnight.

You can not park in any of the pull offs or along Littler River Road from the Sugarlands to Metcalf Bottoms picnic areas when the trolley to the fireflies are running.

Since it is unsafe to walk or bike along roadways at night and you must take the trolley if you want to see the Synchronized firefly show in Great Smoky Mountains national parks Elkmont area.

If you are going to see the show you can brink along a blanket or small folding chairs and your own food and drink except for alcoholic beverages. Coolers are not allowed and what you bring must fit on your lap in the trolley. A small flashlight with a red led or cover so as not to disturb others is a good idea.

I personally like to hike in all the way to the Cucumber Gap Trailhead and slowly walk back to the parking area in order to see the Synchronized firefly show. The lightning bugs can be best seen on the side of the mountain or the flat area below by the trail away from the river and the fireflies will work their way down as the night progresses.

The Synchronized firefly show in Great Smoky Mountains national park is a must see event and well worth the trip!

Related Smokies 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

Guided hike at the Kephart Prong Trail to the CCC Camp.

Yesterday was the start of the Great Smoky Mountains national parks salute to the 75th anniversary of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) which started with a guided hike by veteran park ranger Brad Free and the park volunteer who maintains this historic trail.

While weather was concern, real rain never materialized and the whole hike was chock full of demonstrations, facts, historic photographs and group discussions.

Now I am on my way to the Sugarlands when there will be an all day program to salute the CCC. I come to have with even appreciation of the hard work these young men did to build the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Junior Ranger Day

Saturday April 26th marks the 2nd annual Junior Ranger day special activities for kids to be held in all 3 Great Smoky Mountains National Park visitor centers from 11 am to 2 pm.

Children and their parents can join in fun filled and education activities such as searching for wildflowers and salamanders, toy making, weaving, even making dinner bells at a blacksmith shop.

According to Great Smoky Mountains national park Superintendent Dale Ditmanson "National Junior Ranger Day provides a great opportunity for children and families to spend time together learning about the Park that offers an array of educational experiences and recreational opportunities right in their own backyard." He went on to say "We hope that our local residents will take advantage of this program to interact with our staff and the resources, and, at the same time, plan a day doing activities in the Park."

The visitor centers in the Great Smoky Mountains national park where the junior ranger programs are taking place are:

• The Sugarlands Visitor Center near downtown Gatlinburg, Tennessee
• The Cades Cove's Cable Mill Visitor Center at the back end of the Cades Cove 11 mile loop road near Townsend, Tennessee.
• The Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee, North Carolina

Special age appropriate Junior Ranger booklets which were produced in cooperation with Great Smoky Mountains Association can be purchased for $2.50 each at park visitor centers and are available for ages 5- 6, 7-8, 9-10 and 11-12.

441 Newfound Gap Road in Great Smokies Mountains National Park closed due to icy conditions

Newfound Gap Road was closed due to snow and ice shutting off the major artery that runs through the Great Smoky mountains national park connecting Cherokee North Carolina with Gatlinburg Tennessee.

Drivers last night were surprised to see this major road in the GSMNP closed as in the lower elevations there was no snow or ice - nor even flurries. Temperatures around midnight were still in the upper 30s at Oconaluftee and the Sugarlands but at the higher elevations at Newfound Gap which is typically far cooler, slippery dangerous conditions prompted the parks department to close the icy road and kept it closed through out the night.

With temperatures expected to climb above freezing Newfound Gap could possibly be opened again later today, but real warming is not expected until Sunday which could make for a lot of very unhappy post thanksgiving drivers if they would have to take an alternate route most likely being I-40 to get over the mountains.

First snow of the 2007 winter had too much accumulation and ice for the National Park Service and cars on Newfound Gap Road.

Snow started falling in the higher elevations of the Great Smoky Mountains national park with some accumulation making a challenge for both motorists and the park service to keep the roads safe and clear so Newfound Gap Road 441 from Gatlinburg TN to Cherokee NC is closed.

The National park service has been trying all day to keep the area near Newfound Gap clear but the dropping temperatures in the past hour has locked some sections of Newfound Gap Road into virtual sheets of ice.

While driving up one of the crests about 1/2 mile underneath Newfound Gap on the Tennessee side I experienced the conditions first hand as I felt my car slipping backwards downhill while I was stopped.

I then watched in dismay at cars getting stranded as they started to lose control and veer off of the road while they tried to turn around and get off the mountain top and head back to the Sugarlands Gatlinburg area which was free ice and accumulated snow.

I was luckily able to turn around in my front wheel drive car and slowly creep and slide my way back downhill until I reached a point where the conditions were safe to drive. Only 2 other cars where able to turn around and follow me, the rest remained stranded.

On my way back down Newfound Gap Road towards the Sugarlands I observed at least a dozen or so cars driving up towards Newfound Gap. I thought they would also get stuck behind other cars which were already stranded in the ice and I could only hope they would be able to be safely rescued.

As I passed the parking area for the Chimneys Trailhead I saw a sander truck on its way up the mountain. After the sander truck no further traffic headed up the mountain.

At the Sugarlands intersection the gate was down closing the road with a park rangers car blocking the road from any further traffic heading towards North Carolina.

The revised weather report is calling for anywhere from 2 to 4 inches of snow during the night so the park service announced that the Newfound Gap Road (441) will be closed until at least late in the morning tomorrow when the road can be evaluated for safety.

Earlier today the road leading up to Clingmans Dome was also closed due to snow and ice and may open after Newfound Gap is opened as long as the road conditions on this steep winding road are safe enough for all vehicles.

4 wheel drive or not - Newfound Gap Road is not the place to be tonight!

2007 Smoky Mountains leaf color change season peak

Leaf color changes thought the Smokies have just passed their peak but there will be plenty of color in the leaves of the trees and the mountainsides for weeks to come in Tennessee as well as in North Carolina.

In the Tennessee Smoky Mountains there are still plenty of trees still in the green phase but most have turned into light green, yellows, oranges and flaming reds giving a nice contrast to the tans and browns of leaves that changed colors sooner.

Last weeks cooler temperatures helped move things along in Tennessee’s leaf season and driving down Newfound Gap Road (441) from the North Carolina side by the 7 mile marker the riot of color in the leaves really show off. Of course now day by day this will work its way down to the lower elevations.

I have still found tons of great color in all of the hikes I have done in Cades Cove, Elkmont, Tremont, Greenbrier, Sugarlands and even Crosby this week and see that the oaks and the maples have at least another 2 weeks more color left in them.

Just as in real estate the key word is location. Some of the road sides are now past peak but once you wander in to the valleys or look up the side of the mountains you can see the yellows, green, reds and browns that make the Smokies a great place to see autumn colors.

While the peak has passed sooner in North Carolina there are still tremendous pockets of fall colors with hardwood trees now showing their flashy colors. Trees in some of the higher elevations have lost most of their leaves and the last few days’ rain has knocked off any of the leaves that were about to fall.

Hiking along ridge lines yesterday in North Carolina as well as driving along the Blueridge parkway I still found eye-popping colors and spectacular views everywhere.

Today may see some snow flurries in the upper elevations with little or no accumulations making for some spectacular pictures. No more snow is predicted for the next week.

If you are planning on coming to the Smokies in the next week or 2 you won’t miss out on the spectacular fall colors – just most of the traffic!

Great Smoky Mountains National Park International Bird Conservation

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park will be holding 2 days of events highlighting International Migratory Bird Day (IMBD) and this years International Migratory Bird Day theme "Birds in a Changing Climate" examining age old practices of bird observation and being able to foretell future weather patterns.

Long before computer models and advanced weather forecasting techniques, farmers based crop planting decisions upon the movement and arrival of migratory birds. Observing the migration of birds is allowing scientists today see the how the current changes in weather patterns is affecting the birds and animal and plant species that are connected to the migration of birds.

Both International Migratory Bird Day demonstrations start at 8:00 am and will be held at the North Carolina National Park Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee this Saturday May 5th and at the Tennessee National Park Sugarlands Visitor Center near Gatlinburg on Monday, May 7th.

There will be demonstrations led by Park Biologist Paul Super as well as guided bird walks. In order to show visitors how birds are caught, examined, banded and eventually released without being harmed, Paul Super will set up delicate mist nets and demonstrate how they work.

A special visitor the Costa Rican coordinator of the Partners in Flight international bird conservation initiative Pablo Elizondo will be participating in this event. He will also be working with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park researchers into the summer in a cooperative venture allowing Pablo Elizondo to share his knowledge with park researches as well as learn some of their techniques as well.

Pablo Elizondo will be giving presentations to the pubic on bird conservation and the efforts that Costa Rica is making on conservation. For years Cost Rica has been actively protecting its natural assets acknowledging the value of their resources to its citizens as well as value of ecotourism.

Many of the resident birds of Smoky Mountains are intimately connected with Costa Rica and other Central American and Caribbean countries many thousands of miles away since they spend the winter months in more temperate climates. Clearly conservation efforts to protect migratory species need to far reaching since migratory birds pass through and inhabit many countries.

Thankfully there are international efforts working to protect migratory bird species and their unique habitats in the national parks in the United States, Canada, Latin America, and the Caribbean. The National Park Service's cooperative Park Flight Migratory Program is part of this valuable international conservation effort.