Cades Cove Motor Trail Parsons Branch Road Opening

Most of the almost 10 million people a year who visit the Great Smoky Mountains National Park never leave their cars, trucks or vans while visiting the park. While that might be a shame to some, it does keep the amount of people on the hiking trails and in campsites at a manageable level.

Some people who stay in their cars may be doing so not by choice but because of physical limitations which would not let them make use of the more than 800 miles of hiking trails in the GSMNP. Others may be fearful of what may be waiting for them in the wilds of the Smokies.

All of the roads in the national park allow motorists to not only see the splendor of the Great Smoky Mountains and the beautiful views and vistas year round, but also the chance to see deer, black bear, coyote, wild turkey and a host of other animals who make the national park their home.

I especially love driving or hiking on the unimproved road from the Big Creek Section of the park in Tennessee to the Chattahoochee area near Maggie Valley in North Carolina and Rich Mountain Road which takes you from Cades Cove into Townsend Tennessee.

Another road on my favorite list of motoring trails is the Parsons Branch Road in the far end of Cades Cove which has been closed for more than 4 years but has just been reopened after repairs and much needed improvements.

When the road reopened last Friday I was expecting there to be a big celebration possibly attended by the upper echelon of the park. Instead the road closed sign was simply removed and we drove onto this wonderful historic motor trail.

To keep the trail from washing out, the park service has done a wonderful job raising the road and reinforcing the road near stream crossings and placing gray rock in the drainage areas around the road to prevent erosion. Some of the reinforcement can be seen in the photograph above.

Since the road was closed for so many years and it runs through some dense forest the park service also had to cut back plenty of braches and small trees that have tried to reclaim the Parsons Branch Road. Falling tress from the last few years winter wind storms have also been removed from the roadway.

Being 3rd in line to drive on the newly opened Parsons Branch Road (obligations earlier in the day prevented me from being the first) I was surprised how little dust was kicked up by the 2 cars in front of me and how incredibly smooth the ride was compared to even the paved area of the 11 mile Cades Cove Loop.

The Parsons Branch Road runs through some mostly lower elevations with about a dozen stream crossings. On the left you will see virtual walls of rhododendrons running up hillsides that will be spectacular when they bloom in the early summer.

While much of what you will drive by on Parsons Branch Road is second growth forest - areas that have been previously harvested for lumber that are still some fantastic old growth trees. These trees are huge and in many cases larger than most trees you can ever see from a road in the park. One of these old growth trees is pictured below next to one of the Your Smokies cars so that you can really see how huge these trees are.

You will also find along the motor trail a trailhead that will take you up to Gregory Bald as well as Sheep Pen Gap. There is a small parking area here and plenty of pull offs along the way where you can take a short break and look around.

My only disappointment when driving the Parsons Branch Road Motor Trail was to find litter on the side of the road I feel that should have been picked up while the road was being worked on. I should explain that it was one RC Cola can circa 1978 and in immaculate condition just yards from the road. I just don't get how this was missed. While you are not allowed to removed artifacts, plant or animals from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, you may remove trash as I often do.

Near the end of the Parsons Branch Road Motor Trail you will see a picturesque low flat falls in the stream bed. This is a great place to have a picnic or snap a few shots.

The road finally ends up on the Tennessee side of the infamous Tail of the Dragon and unfortunately some of the constant whine and growl of motorcycles racing close by...But that's another subject.

If you have the time to take the Parsons Branch Road Motor Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park do so - especially in spring, summer and early fall.

The Smoky Mountains leaf season to run early and short for 2007

One of the busiest tourist seasons for the Smoky Mountains is leaf season when people come to see the fall colors as they sweep through the Smoky Mountains and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Since there are no less than 108 species of trees represented in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, you are sure to see wild pallets of colors as each species of tree will change into a different color at a different time. Add in elevation changes of more than almost 5,000 feet in the park alone and you have a leaf season that is more spectacular and varied and last longer than most other regions in the Unites States.

Unfortunately the weather in the Smoky Mountains has not been very cooperative for a long leaf season this year due to extremely light rainfall. Sure it was great that you could hike in the Smokies and drive with less rain and mud, but higher moisture content in the leaves means brighter colors and longer life expectancy for each individual leaf.

In the past 3 weeks I can clearly see the lightening of dark green foliage and random burst of red, yellow and orange in the trees already. At the present it feels as though the leaves are about a week or so ahead of schedule and the weather in the Smokies is fabulous.

Above you see a picture I took yesterday on my property in Sevierville Tennessee of the colors already changing and it looks to me that by mid October we will all be experiencing a riot of colors here.

The peak of the leaf season in the Smoky Mountains varies by attitude and moisture content of the leaves. Higher elevations in North Carolina will be the first to see the color changes and peak leaf season with lower elevations in North Carolina and Tennessee to follow.

For years I have told everyone who asked about the best time to come to be sure to catch the most color in the leaves and my answer is October to early November but if you are disappointed in the leaves colors right in front of you, you are only a short drive to another section of the Smokies where the leaves colors may be more to your liking.

If you are too early to catch the peak of the leaf season, enjoy the beautiful greens and light yellows and splashes of red. If you are to late for the peak of the leaf colors you end up missing the crowds and will usually get a cheaper rate on your hotel or cabin rental in the Smoky Mountains.

Drought conditions still affect the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Water is scarce in some parts of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) and the Appalachian Trail which can spell serious trouble for hikers and campers who plan on normally abundant water sources.

We have seen our river and lake levels at extremely low levels this year due to an extended drought for this entire year. Springtime in the Smokies saw excessive wildfires in and around the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and surrounding state parks and forests.

Now to compound the water problems in the Smokies large areas of the park are "dry" where most or all of the free running springs won't allow any relief to parched hikers - or local animals.

In particular on the Appalachian Trail between Shuckstack Mountain north of Fontana Dam to Spence Field there is approximately a 16 mile stretch that is dry as well as the Russell Field Shelter and Mollies Ridge Shelter and backcountry sites 4, 5, 6, 7, 16, 26, 42, 113.

Today's gentle rain falling in parts of the Tennessee Smoky Mountains might have brought some mild relief from the warmth of the afternoon but other than making the leaves on the ground a little less crunchy while hiking and making for some nice raindrops on a leaf pictures (see above) it was not enough to elevate the issues with drying up streams, lakes and wells in both Tennessee and North Carolina.

Smoky Mountains National Park Lifts Ban on Backcountry Fires

The National Park Service has announced that the ban on backcountry fires for campers and hikers in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has been lifted.

The fire danger due to extremely dry conditions in the GSMNP caused great concern to the park service causing them to issue a ban on backcountry fires in late August.

Fortunately due to some welcome rainfall and lower temperatures in and around the park, campers and hikers may make fires in the in any of the more than 100 backcountry sites and shelters if they practice safe campfire management.

Popular road in Cades Cove section of the GSMNP Reopens

The most popular section of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the Cades Cove area and today finally after more than 4 years the Parsons Branch Road will be reopened to motorists and hikers.

The National Park Service has worked hard to reopen the Parson branch road a one way 8 mile gravel road which takes you from the far end of Cades Cove to US 129 right into the famous Tail of the Dragon a favorite road for motorcycle riders and performance car enthusiasts.

Flooding in May of 2003 damaged the road which meandered through old growth and second growth forest and like the Rich Mountain Road also in Cades Cove, offers a motorist the closest experience to actually hiking the trails in the Smoky Mountains National Park.

Smoky Mountains National Park Superintendent Dale Ditmanson explained "When we planned and carried out the repairs we engineered in some changes to the drainage channels and stream crossings that would make it less susceptible to being washed out again, but I think visitors will find that its primitive character and its sense of solitude are still unimpaired."

The Parson Branch Road is scheduled to reopen today at noon. Keep your eye open for representatives of Your Smokies!

8K run for GSMNP will tie up Pigeon Forge Parkway Saturday Morning

The parkway in downtown Pigeon Forge will be partially closed to let the runners from the run for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park which will start at Tanger outlet mall in Pigeon Forge and then ends back at Tanger Five Oaks around noon.

The weather doesn't look like it will cooperate since there is a 90 percent chance of rain, but the event will be held rain or shine.

Expect traffic delays for this good cause - better yet come down and cheer on the runners!

Pisgah National Forest Hiking death from fall

If only a 21 year old from Alabama who was hiking with a friend in the North Carolina Pisgah National Forest read the Your Smokies News last month where we warned hikers of the danger of hiking off hiking trials especially near waterfalls.

While trying to navigate a stream crossing above the Moore Cove Falls area just north of Looking Glass Falls he fell 50 feet to his death. He was not on a designated path or stream crossing but decided with his friend to blaze his own trail in the forest in order to get to the top of the falls.

Even though there are more than 250 waterfalls in North Carolinas Transylvania County known as the Land of Waterfalls, this is the first hiking fatality. Emergency workers in Transylvania County respond to at least 5 waterfall accidents a year even though visitors are warned to stay away from the danger zones.

Wet Rocks at Big Bradley Falls near Saluda in Polk County spelled disaster last June when a hiker fell 100 feet to his death. Waterfall related fatalities here are historically an annual occurrence.

In the Great Smoky Mountains national park there have been plenty of hiking deaths as a result of accidents around waterfalls. The 2 most dangerous waterfalls that come to mind are Laurel Falls and the Ramsey Cascades falls.

Laurel falls in easily assessable via a paved hiking path on a relatively short hike so it is extremely popular - especially with parents of younger children since many can hike to the falls without being carried. Unfortunately with slipper rocks and a steep drop off at the bottom of the falls, there have been numerous deaths.

The Ramsey Cascades falls with its trailhead located in the Greenbrier section of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is far more strenuous with a rougher trail, higher elevations and being an 8 mile round trip hike. You are very isolated when you get to the falls making getting help and well as any subsequent rescue far more tedious and time consuming. Sadly many deaths have occurred at Ramsey Cascades falls which is one of the nicest waterfalls in the Smokies.

Hike with caution, don't blaze new trails and don't forget moss and ice covered rocks can be far more slippery than you may expect. We want you to be able to come back to the Great Smoky Mountains national park and the surrounding forests time and time again so please be careful.

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.

Have Your Smokies News on your web site

Now you can have the latest Smokies News on your web site by adding a free Your Smokies news crawl on your web site, blog or Myspace page.

Listed below is what the news crawl looks like as well as the html code for the link.

Your Smokies News

The HTML code:
<a href="http://www.yoursmokiesnews.com"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/yoursmokiesblog.gif" alt="Your Smokies News"><br />Your Smokies News</a>

Highlight the code above in green, copy (Control C) and the Paste (Control V) into the body of your web site.

If instead you wish to link to one of the informational web pages in Your Smokies, the code is listed below:

Smokies NC and TN Weather link:
<a href="http://www.yoursmokies.com/smokies-weather-reports.html"> Smokies Weather</a>

Smokies Live Web Cams:
<a href="http://www.yoursmokies.com/smokymountainsnationalparkwebcam .html">Smokies Cams</a>

National Park Information:
<a href="http://www.yoursmokies.com/smokymountainsnationalpark .html">Great Smoky Mountains National Park</a>

Smokies Fishing Information:
<a href="http:// www.yoursmokies.com/smokymountainnationalparkfishingregulations .html">Fishing Information</a>

Friends of the Smokies:
<a href="http://www.yoursmokies.com/friendsofsmokies.html">Friends of the Smokies</a>

Link to us and let everyone know that you love the Smokies!

Knoxville TN Brushfire Visable for miles

Fire crews are working feverishly with bulldozers to keep a wildfire burning on Sharp's Ridge in north Knoxville Tennessee contained.

The fire which has been burning for hours is off of Bruhin Road and is visible from both I-75 and I-640. At this time it is believed that homes or structures are in danger of being damaged by the fire.

Tennessee is not the only state in the Smoky Mountains region having to deal with wildfires; Western North Carolina has had more than their share of fires this year with more than 2,406 wildfires which have burned no less than 10,000 acres. Last year by March only 1,300 wildfires were reported across the entire state of North Carolina. Statewide the average is 20,000 acres a year in less than 5,000 fires.

This years peak wildfire season runs is from March through May has been exacerbated by low humidity, higher than normal winds and rainfall for the year is 5 - 6 inches less than an average rainfall.

Yesterday in the Cedar Creek area of Jackson County NC there was a. 200-acre wildfire and in Haywood County NC a smaller 75-acre fire in the Cruso community which may have been started by burning debris on a legal burn day.

In Canton NC a smaller wildfire was reported by Haywood County emergency officials on Newfound Gap Road.

Alcoa Highway bypass re-opens

As fast as the Alcoa Hwy Bypass was closed due to a gas leak repairs are complete so the Alcoa Highway is now open.

Alcoa Highway section closed due to gas leak

The Alcoa Highway Bypass from the Alcoa Highway and Hall Road split to the Louisville Road intersection was just closed by officials while the Alcoa Fire and Rescue Department and Atmos Energy are working together to repair the leak.

While new street lighting was being installed along the bypass by Alcoa Electric crews the accidentally cut into a gas line.

Officials have stated that at this time there is no estimated times the bypass will be reopened but there is no danger to anyone in the area.

Music Graces Cades Cove in Tennessee

April 28th at 8 pm Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the place to be thanks to the Great Smoky Mountains Association to see singer, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Ellie Grace perform.

This Smoky Mountains music performance is not just for Ellie Grace to perform her compelling mix of music and dance; the audience should bring two soup spoons per person so that you can enjoy her hands-on demonstration and you can join along with her. The audience is also invited to bring their tapping shoes and their stringed instruments to join her performance for a jam session.

According to Cades Cove Supervisory Park Ranger Mike Maslona "Grace's resume is impressive and her experiences have led her to performances at prestigious venues including the Lincoln Center in New York City. Grace has over 20 years of experience performing. She plays the mandolin, fiddle, and guitar and has recorded three albums with The Grace Family. She has recently joined The Dirk Powell Band on several national and international tours. Dirk Powell has an esteemed reputation as one of his generation's most highly regarded traditional American musicians and is widely known for creating and performing music for the movie Cold Mountain,"

Music and fun in the Smokies in the most beautiful valley in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Cades Cove - you couldn't get a better Saturday night!

Gregory Ride Burn in the Smoky Mountains National Park

Another prescribed burn near Cades Cove Tennessee is scheduled for this Friday April 20th in the Gregory ridge area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to help allow yellow pine reclaim where maples and other hardwoods are dominating what was historically a yellow pine forest.

The prescribed burn of 850 acres will close the Gregory Ridge Hiking Trail from Forge Creek Road trailhead to the intersection with the Gregory Bald Trail as well as backcountry Campsite 12. Bower Creek, Forge Creek, and a small fireline across Gregory Ridge will form the boundaries of this burn south of Cades Cove in Blount County, Tennessee.

21 firefighters will be used for containment of the controlled burn and both ground and aerial ignition methods will be used to start the fire. Since it will take several days for the firefighters and park service personnel to be sure that there are no hazards hot spots or dead snags left in the burn area, the area will be closed to hikers for a few days.

Drivers and nearby residents will be able to see smoke in Townsend, Happy Valley, the Foothills Parkway West, and Walland.

Unlike the prescribed burn to take place in Cades Cove used to keep fields form being reclaimed by forest, this burn is meant to open up part of the canopy in the forest which is now crowding out the original dominating species of yellow pine.

In the past naturally occurring forest fires opened the canopy and allowed this species to thrive here but since man intervened and suppressed fires which "cleansed" the forest of more evasive species, the delicate ecological balance was upset. Southern pine beetles that feed on yellow pines further decreased the yellow pine population.

Cades Cove TN controlled burn set for April 19 in GSMNP

The help maintain interior fields in the Cades Cove Valley in the Tennessee sections of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the national park service is planning to execute a number of controlled burns if the weather cooperates.

The national parks plan is to burn 300-400 acres, a few grassy parcels at a time stretching out over the next few weeks in order to prevent the open fields from being taken over by forest growth. These interior areas of Cades Cove to be burned encompass approximately 1,000 acres and are on a 3 year rotation of either mowing or burning. This years rotation calls for burning which is more cost effective than mowing.

Visitors to Cades Cove should not be significantly affected and most will be able to drive, bike or hike the entire 11 mile Cades Cove Loop without being interfered with other than smelling smoke from the controlled burn however rangers may have to briefly close the small side road to the Primitive Baptist Church or the access road to Abrams Creek Trail.

In order to ignite the fires and make sure that the fire stays within the prescribed boundaries National Park firefighters and a Park engine will be in the Cove. Containment lines have already been made by mowing the areas sounding each field that is destined to be burned.

Newfound Gap road is reopened in the Great Smoky Mountains national park

The Smoky Mountains National Park road Newfound Gap Road (US 441) running from Cherokee NC to Gatlinburg TN through has just reopened after being closed due to downed trees and ice.

Clingmans Dome road still remains closed due to dangerous icy road conditions snow and downed trees.

All of North Carolina 284 still remains closed.

8k (5 miles) Run for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Help the Great Smoky Mountains National Park through Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park by participating in a 8K Run for the Park on Saturday May 5, 2007 which starts and ends at Tanger Five Oaks in Sevierville Tennessee.

Registration for this exciting event is only $12 before May 2, 2007 and $15 after May 2nd and all proceeds benefit Friends of the Smokies who help raise funds and provide volunteers for the Smoky Mountains national park.

Whether you come to help out the park, get some exercise and fresh air or have your eye on one of the Trophies, free tee shirts or door prizes you are sure to have a good time.

Trophies will be given for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in:

• Overall male and female
• Sevier County male and female
• Grand Masters (50+) male and female
• All age categories male and female

The race will be run rain or shine on a level course - the Parkway to Tanger outlet mall in Pigeon Forge, and then ends back at Tanger Five Oaks. Traffic will be held back by both the Pigeon Forge and Sevierville police

Register early to make sure you get your size Tee Shirt and help the Fiends of the Smokies get a fairly accurate count of who is going to show. The registration for can be downloaded at www.yoursmokies.com/docs/raceform2007.pdf.

If you can’t or don’t want to run, come down and cheer us on!

UT Campus gas leak evacuation may have been caused by leaking hydraulic fluid

The University of Tennessee campus in Knoxville TN was the scene of an evacuation prompted by a mysterious leak first thought to be a gas leak at a construction site.

A coordinated effort between the Knoxville Fire Department and UT Police Department cleared the construction area and a sidewalk on Andy Holt Drive all later to be open when first responders gave the all clear.

It was first believed by emergency services that the leak was gas in nature but it is now believed to have been possibly leaking hydraulic fluid for construction equipment.

GSMNP Closes Trillium Gap to Grotto Falls Hiking Trail Again

Reports from the Great Smoky Mountains national park keep coming in of widespread damage throughout the national park from damage sustained from this weekend's major wind rains and snow storms.

There are trees and large limbs down on roads and hiking trails throughout the park so drivers, hikers and people on horseback have to use extreme caution. Heavy rains and falling trees have also cause some small landslides with trees, branches, rocks and mud blocking some trails.

On the very popular Trillium Gap Trail located in the Roaring Fork area of the national park near Gatlinburg Tennessee which takes hikers to the Grotto Falls, a stone retaining wall collapsed.

Officials in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to closed the Trillium Gap Trail from the trailhead on the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail to its junction with the Brushy Mountain Trail 2.7 miles away.

The officials are hoping that the repairs being made to the 25 foot damaged section located on extremely steep side slope just below Grotto Falls will be repaired this week so that the hiking trail can be reopened this Friday, April 20th. The repair work is requiring the use of jack hammers that will be used to install steel reinforcing rods into the bedrock.

This is one of the 2 popular trails to a waterfall in the Roaring fork area of the park and at only a 3 miles round trip is a more moderate hike than the Rainbow Falls trail which will remain open.

Death in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The peace of the Smoky Mountains was shattered Sunday afternoon with the death Terry L Fox of Gatlinburg Tennessee when while driving Northbound on the Spur towards Pigeon Forge his 2005 Dodge Caravan struck a guard rail.

The fatal accident occurred on the Spur in the turning lane on the left hand exit to Flat Branch Road just north of the tunnel.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Rangers initially responded and were then joined by Gatlinburg EMS who had to break into the vehicle in order to extricate Mr. Fox who was later transported by Gatlinburg Ambulance to the Ft. Sanders Sevier Medical Center.

The Sevier County Medical Examiner has requested an autopsy since there was very minor damage to the vehicle there is a possibility that Mr. Fox may have had a medical condition may have caused the accident and been the cause of death.

Even if it is medical condition that ultimately caused the accident we wish to warn our readers that the number one cause for death in the Smoky Mountains national park is not due to bear attack, avalanche, drowning or falls but are caused by vehicle accidents.

Waterfalls in the park are also a source of fatal injuries when people attempt the climb on the slippery rocks or get to close to the edge of a drop.

There has also been numerous drownings in the National Park caused by swift moving water and submerged rocks such as in the Sinks area of the park in Tennessee.

We ask all visitors that come to the Smoky Mountains national park to drive safely, act responsibly an keep small children under their control. We don't want what could be the best vacation of a life time to one that ends you life.

Blue Ridge Parkway still closed due to storm

The Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina will remain closed until at least Wednesday from Cherokee to Mount Mitchell due to Sundays major storm that slammed the area.

Crews are doing what they can to remove all of the numerous downed trees and ice still remaining on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Today's warming temperatures will help melt the last of the remaining ice.

Newfound Gap Road Closed

Newfound Gap Road (441) in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is closed from Gatlinburg Tennessee through to Cherokee North Carolina while crews clean up after more than 200 trees that fell from yesterday's storm. The majority of downed tress on 441 are in North Carolina just south of Newfound Gap.

The Blue Ridge Parkway is also closed today in some sections in North Carolina.

We suggest taking I40 as an alternate to Newfound Gap Road.

Smoky Mountains Spring Snow Storm Packs Punch

Downed trees throughout the North Carolina and Tennessee Smoky Mountains cause significant property damage and power outages as the winds roared through the mountains and valleys yesterday.

More than 110,000 lost power - 80,000 in North Carlina alone before midnight and more than 15,000 have already been restored as crews are working around the clock clearing downed trees, replacing broken poles and restringing lines.

Be prepared for continuing high winds and possible freezing in high elevations and when driving watch for fallen branches.

Weather Damaged Smoky Mountain Plants

Easter weekend unseasonable cold weather in the Smoky Mountains especially in the higher altitudes of North Carolina has damaged plants and crops but will they recover?

The answer for most part is yes although some food crops will have a diminished if any crop this year as a result of the unseasonable late deep freeze for no less than 3 nights in a row.

The severity of the damage is dependent on the species, as well as the extreme in temperate, durations and the preexisting health of the plants. For example the trees in the Smoky Mountains such as poplar and gum will replace damaged foliage rather quickly possibly this season whereas oak and hickories will take as long as a year to replace leaves damaged in the freeze.

Weather damage to foliage can be identified by the condition of the leaves for example if the leaves are purple or blacked they are most likely dead from ice crystals forming inside the leaves that have punctured cell membranes in the leaf. This will cause the leaf to lose its natural turgidity (stiffness) and lead to the leafs eventual demise.

Plants that are affected in this manner with enough leaves that die become stressed which is exacerbated id the plant attempts to re-flush (grow) new foliage as to do so the plant will have to draw upon already depleted starch reserves. If there any significant additional stresses to the plant during this growing season such as drought, insects or diseases there is a high probability the plant will die.

Less detrimental to the plants of the Smoky Mountains who weathered the last strong frost this year are those that exhibit is a rolled or drooping appearance to the leaves called "epinasty" which is caused by the loss of hydration in the leaves.

Gradual warming and plenty or rain are the best cures for both conditions. Today's snow in the Smoky Mountains is helping with the rehydration the plants require, but the cold weather may be producing further damages especially ion the colder higher elevations. If we are lucky tomorrow warming temperatures and rain will help.

If plants in your Smokies garden were damaged by the heavy freezes the best course of action is a heavy soaking twice a weekend refrain from fertilizing this calendar year.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Elk need your help!

The Great Smoky Mountains national parks largest resident is the Elk who were reintroduced in 2001 after being extinct in the wilds of the North Carolina and Tennessee Smoky Mountains due to over hunting for more than a century.

The National Parks Park Volunteers-in-Parks program is now seeking volunteers who are able to assist the staff by helping provide visitors to the park with information, help in traffic control of tourists coming to see the elk and making sure that visitors coming to the park are not antagonizing the elk by approaching them too closely, shining lights at them or using bugles to simulate their mating call all prohibited activities.

This new Great Smoky Mountains National Park Volunteer program is going by the name Elk Bugle Corps referring to the sound the elk mate during rutting when the male bull elk bugle and spar in dominance battles with one another.

The elk are primarily in project in the North Carolina Cataloochee Valley section although strays wander to as far as the Oconaluftee visitor center and further. The Volunteers are needed for the Cataloochee Valley from May 25th through November 19th which are peak elk viewing times and see the most visitors to this section of the National Park looking for Elk.

Late springtime mean calving for the elk where new mother at times leave their calves alone in fields which can be an invitation to disaster if curious person comes along and an irate mother elk returns to her young to see humans close by.

The rutting season is a fantastic time to watch and listen to the elk, but it is also a time when this huge potentially dangerous animal is more agitated.

The park needs volunteers who can help from 5:45 pm - 8:45 pm who can sign up for either a particular day of the week or a whole week at a time. The most help is needed on weekends.

If you are interested in helping the magnificent creatures call the Great Smoky Mountains National Park's Volunteer Coordinator at (865) 436-1265 by May 7 to receive an information packet and on May 17 and 19 there will be a Bugle Corps volunteer training session.

Closures on Newfound Gap Road in National Park to begin

To allow for repaving on the Great Smoky Mountains National Park most popular road starting April 16th there will be temporary lane closures on the North Carolina side of Newfound Gap Road also know as US 441.

The work being done to the national parks major thoroughfare is the repaving of a 10 mile stretch of Newfound Gap Road from the Gap to the Collins Creek Picnic Area in North Carolina and the completion of this $15,316,340 contract is expected in October 2007.

The Great Smoky Mountains national park is going to use the same lane closure schedule as last season which had very little impact on park visitors.

April 16 2007 through June 14 2007

• Sunday night 10:00 pm until noon on Fridays Lane closures will be permitted.
• Fridays from noon to 10:00 pm no lane closures will be allowed.
• Saturdays and Sundays between 8:00 am and 10:00 pm No lane closures will be allowed.

June 15 2007 through August 15 2007

• No day time lane closures will be allowed only night closures permitted to close lanes at night.
• Monday through Thursday from 9:00 pm to 8:00 am night closures can be imposed.
• Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 pm until 8:00 am night closures may occur.

August 16 2007 through September 30 2007

• Fridays from noon to 10:00 pm no lane closures will be allowed
• Saturdays and Sundays between 8:00 am and 10:00 pm no lane closures will be allowed
• Monday 8:00 am until noon on Fridays lane closures will be permitted

All September 2007

• Weekends - day or night - No lane closures will be allowed

Smoky Mountains Tourism for summer of 2007

Soaring gas prices across the nation and now more terrorism concerns for Americans traveling oversea spell good news for business that depend on tourism in the NC and TN Smoky Mountains.

Even though local Smokies businesses were worried lasts year that their summer season could be a bust because of the huge post Katrina gas price increases, they found their fears were unfounded.

Higher occupancies in and hotels and motels and vacation rental properties in the Smokies showed that tourists still wanted to get away and the higher gas prices were a small price to pay to enjoy the Smokies.

Many who we asked who normally would have gone cross country or taken longer trips were very satisfied to stay closer to home and explore the Smoky Mountains.

Since the devastation of 9-11 many travelers have also decide to stay at home in the continental US where they feel safer and especially with the recent arrest of an Ohio terrorist who was working to plot attacks against American tourists in Europe this thinking is here to stay.

To combat the higher prices of gas when driving in the Smokies remember these tips:

1. Don't use premium gas unless your car or truck requires it. Yep this was a shocker to me that you don't get better mileage but using premium gas!
2. Keep your tires inflated and check them before and during your trip at least once. You can lose a significant amount of gas mileage (about 5%) for every pound of under inflation. Steel belted radial tires increase mileage by around 10%.
3. Change your oil and air filter if needed before a long trip. High quality synthetic oil can also make a difference.
4. Tune up your car when needed. Although cars require less maintenance than when they did in the past, you can still waste 25% of your gas with a car that needs a significant tune up.
5. Avoiding jack rabbit acceleration and driving at a reasonable speed will also make a huge difference to your gas mileage and pocketbook.
6. Don't let your car sit and idle for long periods if you can avoid it. Expect to waste at least a quart of gas every 15 minutes - more with air-conditioning on!
7. If you have cruise control on a highway and conditions permit use it. Maintaining an even speed a not having to slow down and speed up to pass slower cars will save plenty of gas.
8. Coast when you can to save gas if you see a red light or traffic up ahead. Resuming a normal driving speed from 5 MPH rather than a dead stop reduces gas consumption by 20%.

Lastly this won't save you much gas if any but will save your brakes when driving in the mountains. Check your owners manual for details but when driving downhill in the Smoky Mountains use a lower gear rather than just riding your brakes.

National Parks America Tour Earth Day in GSMNP

Volunteers around the country will be helping clean, maintain and build in the nations national parks for America Tour Earth Day on Saturday April 21st but we need your help right here in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.

We need your help so that we may perform trail maintenance, perform litter patrols, riverbank cleanup, help with park landscaping and other park beautification projects that all the visitors who come here can enjoy.

If you want to join us you must register by calling the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Volunteer Office at (865) 436-1265.

For those who are registered we will meet at 8:30 am at the Sugarlands Visitor Center located near the Gatlinburg, Tennessee park entrance where there will be breakfast which is sponsored by Unilever and Wal-Mart Stores and check in for volunteers from 8:30 am to 9:00 am. We will only work until 12:00 noon at which time a free Great American Picnic Lunch will be served to all volunteers.

We are expecting more than 200 volunteers to participate and we ask everyone who is attending the America Tour Earth Day event to dress properly with sturdy shoes and long pants. You may get dirty so I would suggest you wear old clothes.

Among pride in a job well done all participants will receive a free t-shirt!

West of Cades Cove Prescribed Burn in National Park will cause trail and parking area closings

The Smoke you will be seeing tomorrow in Cades Cove, Townsend, Happy Valley, Walland and Highway 129 will be from 30 firefighters who will employ both ground and aerial ignition methods to ignite and manage a burn within an established fire containment line in the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

Of course the Smokies weather conditions must be right in order for the park service to ignite and careful burn approximately 1,500 acres of forest west of the Cades Cove Loop Road in Blount County in Stony Ridge and Arbutus Ridge Tennessee.

Due to being crowded out by oak trees and other hardwoods as well as southern pine beetle infestations, yellow pine trees which were the predominate species in Stony Ridge and Arbutus Ridge have been steadily on the decline. By carefully burning some of these areas of the park, openings in the tree canopy will allow more sunlight encouraging pine tree growth.

Expect closures and smoke to affect the following trails and parking areas:

• Rabbit Creek Trail
• Abrams Falls Trail
• Abrams Falls parking area
• Cooper Road Trail
• Wet Bottom Trail
• Elijah Oliver Place Trail

While parts of some of these trails will remain open we strongly urge you to avoid them entirely until the weekend as it may take a few days to be sure that any rouge hot spots as well as any dead snags that can effect hikers on the trails have been taken car of.

Smokies North Shore "Road to Nowhere" may be a dead issue

Congressional members from both North Carolina and Tennessee have asked to end the long dispute over the building of a road promised to Swain County North Carolina in 1943.

For the most part, only local Smoky mountain residents are aware of this controversial issue that has divided resident for years. If this road was constructed it would have cost at least $600 million of federal monies and its continued upkeep and negative environmental impacts would have been a never ending burden to the National Park Service as well as the flora and fauna of the Great Smoky Mountains National park.

When the Fontana Dam was built in the 1940s the existing road in the area was flooded and in 1943 the federal government made a commitment to Swain County to replace the flooded road. In 1946 the United States Supreme Court ruled that the federal government could in fact satisfy the commitment to Swain County North Carolina in ways other than the replacement of the road.

In 1972 the construction of the road was halted even though Congress provided the funding as the excessive construction costs, environment concerns in regard to the roads construction as well as the continued impact of the additional traffic to the area were clearly not in the best interests of US citizens, local and federal government, and the environmental and cultural resources of the national park.

When the damn was built, access other than by boat was cut off to certain areas of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Families who historically lived in area that became part of the national park no longer were able to visit their ancestors in the 26 cemeteries that became landlocked. To compensate for this Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials would ferry approximately 1,200 residents a year across Fontana Lake in order to these visit cemeteries on designated days.

Now Secretary Dirk Kempthorne has been approached by no less than 17 members of congress from North Carolina and Tennessee to agree to a cash settlement of $52 million within 90 days for Swain County and end the longtime dispute over whether the road should be finished. It is expected that Secretary Dirk Kempthorne will respond to the members of Congress before June.

The congressional members are only echoing the vast majority of opinions and the National parks department has received more than 75,000 comments on the draft Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed road.

Don Barger, Southeast regional director of National Parks Conservation Association commented "This is the first time we've had this level of support for this decision...This part of Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the wrong place for development"

What will Swain County do with the settlement? The officials would save the principal and use the estimated $2.5 million in interest it would generate each year to help improve both the Swain County's schools and public safety.

We feel as though this is a strong win for everyone. This is the most pristine area of the national park and this hidden jewel offers benefits for the occupants of the park as well as the few lucky visitors who know about and visit this area of the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

Motorcycles and scooters in the Smoky Mountains

The Smoky Mountains offer some of the best places to ride a motorcycle east of the Mississippi.

Both North Carolina and Tennessee have fantastic roads to take a cruise on such as the Tail of the Dragon (129), the Foothill Parkway, the Blue Ridge Parkway, Newfound Gap Road (441) and hundreds of back country roads and winding mountain lanes.

Since motorcycle riding is so popular you can find plenty of motorcycle dealers, service and repair centers, place to get parts for your motorcycle or scooter and of course motorcycle and scooter rentals.

Your Smokies has just listed in their directory over 400 businesses that cater to motorcycle riders in the Smoky Mountains and surrounding areas of Tennessee and North Carolina.

NC Cycle Sales - Rentals - Repair Asheville NC Motorcycle companies Banner Elk NC Motorcycle companies Burnsville NC Motorcycle companies Candler NC Motorcycle companies Canton NC Motorcycle companies Cherokee NC Motorcycle companies Franklin NC Motorcycle companies Granite Falls NC Motorcycle companies Hendersonville NC Motorcycle companies Hickory NC Motorcycle companies Lenoir NC Motorcycle companies Maggie Valley NC Motorcycle companies Marion NC Motorcycle companies Sylva NC Motorcycle companies Waynesville NC Motorcycle companies Weaverville NC Motorcycle companies Alexander NC Motorcycle companies Andrews NC Motorcycle companies Boone NC Motorcycle companies Bostic NC Motorcycle companies Casar NC Motorcycle companies Charlotte NC Motorcycle companies Conover NC Motorcycle companies Dobson NC Motorcycle companies Elkin NC Motorcycle companies Etowah NC Motorcycle companies Fairview NC Motorcycle companies Fletcher NC Motorcycle companies Forest City NC Motorcycle companies Hays NC Motorcycle companies Hiddenite NC Motorcycle companies Hudson NC Motorcycle companies Jefferson NC Motorcycle companies Jonesville NC Motorcycle companies Kernersville NC Motorcycle companies Kings Mountain NC Motorcycle companies Lake Toxaway NC Motorcycle companies Lawndale NC Motorcycle companies Lexington NC Motorcycle companies Mocksville NC Motorcycle companies Morganton NC Motorcycle companies Mount Airy NC Motorcycle companies Newton NC Motorcycle companies North Wilkesboro NC Motorcycles Pfafftown NC Motorcycle companies Pinnacle NC Motorcycle companies Robbinsville NC Motorcycle companies Rockwell NC Motorcycle companies Rutherfordton NC Motorcycle companies Salisbury NC Motorcycle companies Shelby NC Motorcycle companies Statesville NC Motorcycle companies Sugar Grove NC Motorcycle companies Swannanoa NC Motorcycle companies Taylorsville NC Motorcycle companies Thomasville NC Motorcycle companies Valdese NC Motorcycle companies Vilas NC Motorcycle companies Walkertown NC Motorcycle companies Wilkesboro NC Motorcycle companies Winston Salem NC Motorcycle companies Yadkinville NC Motorcycle companies

TN Cycle Sales - Rentals - Repair Dandridge TN Motorcycle companies Gatlinburg TN Motorcycle companies Knoxville TN Motorcycle companies Kodak TN Motorcycle companies Loudon TN Motorcycle companies Maryville TN Motorcycle companies Rogersville TN Motorcycle companies Rutledge TN Motorcycle companies Sevierville TN Motorcycle companies Afton TN Motorcycle companies Andersonville TN Motorcycle companies Apison TN Motorcycle companies Athens TN Motorcycle companies Arlington TN Motorcycle companies Bartlett TN Motorcycle companies Blountville TN Motorcycle companies Bluff City TN Motorcycle companies Bristol TN Motorcycle companies Chattanooga TN Motorcycle companies Cleveland TN Motorcycle companies Clinton TN Motorcycle companies Cookeville TN Motorcycle companies Copperhill TN Motorcycle companies Covington TN Motorcycle companies Crossville TN Motorcycle companies Cumberland Gap TN Motorcycles Dayton TN Motorcycle companies Delano TN Motorcycle companies Drummonds TN Motorcycle companies Dunlap TN Motorcycle companies East Ridge TN Motorcycle companies Elizabethton TN Motorcycle companies Greeneville TN Motorcycle companies Harriman TN Motorcycle companies Hixson TN Motorcycle companies Johnson City TN Motorcycle companies Kingsport TN Motorcycle companies La Follette TN Motorcycle companies Livingston TN Motorcycle companies Madisonville TN Motorcycle companies Mc Minnville TN Motorcycle companies Memphis TN Motorcycle companies Millington TN Motorcycle companies Morristown TN Motorcycle companies Munford TN Motorcycle companies Oak Ridge TN Motorcycle companies Oneida TN Motorcycle companies Ocoee TN Motorcycle companies New Market TN Motorcycle companies Oliver Springs TN Motorcycle companies Powell TN Motorcycle companies Russellville TN Motorcycle companies Quebeck TN Motorcycle companies Seymour TN Motorcycle companies Silver Point TN Motorcycle companies Sparta TN Motorcycle companies Spring City TN Motorcycle companies Sweetwater TN Motorcycle companies Talbott TN Motorcycle companies Trade TN Motorcycle companies

Western North Carolina wildfires burn larger area in 2007

Dry and windy conditions this year has made Western NC a tinderbox as more than 350 wildfires has already burned more than 2,600 acres and between continued dry weather and record breaking temperatures the end is not in site.

Fires have already claimed 125% more area than the same time last year and according to forest supervisor Ted Duncan "They're burning more intense and spreading quicker".

What can you do to reduce the risk of wildfires? Here are a few tips that a to how to prevent wildfires:

• Do not toss cigarettes or cigars out of a car or along a trail.
• Do not ever park a vehicle on dry grass as hot parts such as the exhaust system in a car can start a fire.
• If you are using a off-road vehicle or internal combustion equipment make sure you are using a spark arrester.
• Not only is unlawful trash burning is a punishable offense; burning trash can easily get out of control.
• If you are camping never use stoves, lanterns or heaters inside a tent
• Make sure that a fire is completely out before you leave the area.
• Never take sticks out of a burning campfire.
• Always store any flammable liquid containers in a safe place.
• At the first sign of a wildfire always leave area immediately using established trails or roads. If a trail or road is blocked go to the nearest stream or lake. Contact a ranger or call 911 as soon as possible.

Tourists Flock to NC Smoky Mountains and spend more than ever.

The North Carolina Smoky Mountains have experienced a huge increase in tourism seeing some 45 million visitors last year who have spent an excess of 15 billion dollars making North Carolina rank 6th in the nation for tourism.

Tourists are finding that the Smokies offer an exceptional value close to home and more and more affluent people who normally vacationed far away from home are opting to enjoy their vacations closer to home in the Smokies.

North Carolina is benefiting in a big way bringing in $1.3 billion in local and state taxes as tourism has increased more than 50% in the past 10 years alone. Last years 8.3% increase in tourist dollars spent in NC was also a huge benefit to a myriad of local business from North Carolina cabin companies, hotels, restaurants, gift shops and more.

North Carolina hotels in Asheville occupancy rates have gone from 64% in 2005 to $66% in 2006 brining in sales of $156 million - $18 million more than the prior year. Vacation and cabin rentals companies in North Carolina have also seen significant increases in the number of visitors and the lengths of stay.

Can over development in the Smokies deplete ground water?

The answer is a resounding yes - over development does deplete ground water especially on the fragile ecosystems of mountains slopes such as those found in the Smoky Mountains.

Many homeowners who live in the Smoky Mountains that depend on well water for their drinking supply have found that that the drilling contractors they hire need to dig deeper and deeper to reach the water table as development continues.

Step ridges and mountainous areas have thinner soil which inhibits absorption of rain water and steep grades also allow of the much needed rainfall to run off to the valleys bellow. Steeper slopes most often have lower storage capacity aquifers that those in valleys.

Reducing ground surface are that can absorb water by building paved roads, sidewalks, patios and the footprint of a home foundation further reduce the natural percolation effect that soil has.

Of course more people drawing more water from the same source increases the depletion of ground water. Obviously more people dumping more waste into the same area further concentrate household toxins and harmful bacteria which can infiltrate the ground water.

During seasons of drought homeowners will find that shallower wells will dry up first as the water tables level drops. This is a serious issue in the Smokies as for example 56 percent of the 103,000 households in North Carolinas Buncombe County get their drinking and household water from wells.

Limiting excessive development especially in areas with steeper grades should help reduce the depletion of ground water. It is also advisable to bring municipal water into new areas being developed.

No only is bringing in municipal water when feasible a huge advantage to home owners in the Smoky Mountains as well as the environment, sending waste water out through a municipal sewer system rather than letting it back into the ground untreated just makes good sense.

Smoky Mountains Spring Photo Workshop

If you love photography and the Smoky Mountains you won't want to miss this special treat this April for the 19th annual spring photography workshop for digital and film photographers.

The workshops are running from April 11th to the 15th and are lead by Tom and Pat Cory who will take no more than 12 photographers at a time to their favorite places in the Smokies.

Photographers of all skill levels will enjoy and benefit from the one on one instructions they will offer each photographer attending the outdoor workshop in the Smoky Mountains.

For information contact Cory Photography at (423)886-1004 or by email tompatcory@aol.com.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Meeting on Foothills Parkway Section 8b

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is going to conduct 2 meetings 1 on March 19 and the other on March 20th in regard to a 14 mile stretch of parkway to run from Pittman Center to Cosby, Tennessee in Sevier and Cocke Counties referred to as Section 8B.

The Foothill Parkway Master Plan was prepared in 1968 as a 72-mile scenic parkway traversing the northern and western perimeters of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The Foothills Parkway was designed as a 2 lane moderate speed road with scenic pull offs as it winds its way through the mountains and foothills of the Smoky Mountains.

As of today the 23 miles of The Foothills Parkway which is complete is one of the nicest roads in the Smoky Mountains and includes a 6 mile section running from I40 to Cosby TN and another 17 miles section connects Chilhowee Lake to Walland, Tennessee.

Presently 15 more miles of the parkway are under construction from Walland to Wears Valley, Tennessee.

One of the 3 remaining sections left to be built is section 8B (see map of the Foothills Parkway below) and in accordance with National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) guidelines, an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is currently being prepared to document all of the anticipated impacts that may occur to both the natural and human environments during the development of section 8B.

Click for full size Foothills Parkway Map

Beginning this spring a study team is going to be deployed so that they can conduct fieldwork in the proposed 8B section of the Foothills Parkway right-of-way to access and gather information on community and visual resources, natural resources, geologic resources and historic and archaeological resources.

The goal of these studies is when a new EIS is developed it can be determined what course of action can be recommended:

• No construction to occur in the whole stretch
• Construction of a 2 lane roadway through the entire 14-mile section
• Construction of a trail instead of a roadway through the entire section
• Construction of a combination of both a 2 lane roadway and trail

The 2 public meetings are so that the general public can learn more about the project and be bale to make comments about the project as well as discuss the project with the study team.

Both public meetings will present the same information and are scheduled to occur from 5:30 to 7:30 pm.

The first meeting on March 19th, 2007 will be held at:
Cosby High School, 3318 Cosby Highway in Cosby, Tennessee

The 2nd meeting on March 20th, 2007 will be held at:
Gatlinburg-Pittman High School, 150 Proffitt Road in Gatlinburg, Tennessee

According to Smoky Mountains National Park Superintendent Dale Ditmanson "These public workshops will provide the opportunity to review various concepts that have surfaced regarding this section of the Foothills Parkway. We want the public to tell us what other concepts they think need to be considered and what concerns they may have about the possible natural, cultural, economic and other impacts."

This is only the first phase of the entire the EIS process which will take 3 years and by late 2008 a Draft Environmental Impact Statement is expected by The National Park Service. It should also be noted that funding must be appropriated in order to implement any selected alternative.

Want to learn more? You can contact the Great Smoky Mountains National Park at (865) 436-1207 or check out the Foothills Parkway Section 8B Project at the national park web site at http://www.nps.gov/grsm/parkmgmt/index.htm. The national park service is waiting to hear from you!

RV Campers Sales, Service and Parts in NC and TN in Your Smokies Smoky Mountains Directory

Your Smokies camping directory is already one of the most popular on line campsite directory for those who camp with a tent or go RV Camping.

Now Your Smokies is listing Recreational Vehicles, trailers and mobile homes dealers, authorized repair centers, RV Emergency repair services and stores and dealers that handle parts for your RV or trailer in their huge NC and TN Smoky Mountain Directory with listings in the following popular cities and towns in North Carolina and Tennessee:

NC RV Sales - Repair Asheville NC RVs Boone NC RVs Candler NC RVs Fayetteville NC RVs Franklin NC RVs Henderson, NC RVs Hendersonville NC RVs Maggie Valley NC RVs Newport NC RVs Sylva NC RVs Advance NC RVs Albemarle NC RVs Ansonville NC RVs Ayden NC RVs Belmont NC RVs Bladenboro NC RVs Browns Summit RVs Burlington NC RVs Charlotte NC RVs Chocowinity NC RVs Claremont NC RVs Clinton NC RVs Colfax NC RVs Concord NC RVs Cumnock NC RVs Denver NC RVs Dunn NC RVs Edenton NC RVs Farmville NC RVs Flat Rock NC RVs Garner NC RVs Graham NC RVs Granite Falls NC RVs Greenville NC RVs Greensboro NC RVs Harmony NC RVs High Point NC RVs Hillsborough NC RVs Hope Mills NC RVs Hudson NC RVs Hubert NC RVs Hurdle Mills NC RVs Indian Trail NC RVs Jacksonville NC RVs Kings Mountain NC RVs Kinston NC RVs Knightdale NC RVs Lexington NC RVs Lillington NC RVs Lowgap NC RVs Lumberton NC RVs Marion NC RVs Matthews NC RVs Maxton NC RVs Midland NC RVs Mint Hill NC RVs Mocksville NC RVs Morganton NC RVs Mooresville NC RVs Morehead City NC RVs Mount Airy NC RVs Murphy NC RVs Nebo NC RVs Parkton NC RVs Princeton NC RVs Raleigh NC RVs Ramseur NC RVs Randleman NC RVs Red Springs NC RVs Reidsville NC RVs Roanoke Rapids NC RVs Rocky Mount NC RVs Rougemont NC RVs Saint Pauls NC RVs Salisbury NC RVs Salvo NC RVs Sanford NC RVs Smithfield NC RVs Spencer NC RVs Staley NC RVs Statesville NC RVs Swansboro NC RVs Taylorsville NC RVs Terrell NC RVs Thomasville NC RVs Timberlake NC RVs Troy NC RVs Washington NC RVs Waynesville NC RVs Whiteville NC RVs Whittier NC RVs Wilkesboro NC RVs Wilmington NC RVs Wilson NC RVs Winston Salem NC RVs Winterville NC RVs Yadkinville NC RVs

TN RV Sales - Repair Alcoa TN RVs Bristol TN RVs Johnson City TN RVs Kingsport TN RVs Knoxville TN RVs Maryville TN RVs Sevierville TN RVs Antioch TN RVs Arlington TN RVs Blaine TN RVs Bluff City TN RVs Chattanooga TN RVs Clarksville TN RVs Cleveland TN RVs Clinton TN RVs Cookeville TN RVs Crossville TN RVs Dunlap TN RVs East Ridge TN RVs Georgetown TN RVs Goodlettsville TN RVs Hixson TN RVs Huntingdon TN RVs Jackson TN RVs Lafayette TN RVs Lakeland TN RVs La Vergne TN RVs Lawrenceburg TN RVs Lebanon TN RVs Limestone TN RVs Louisville TN RVs Madison TN RVs Manchester TN RVs Mc Kenzie TN RVs Mc Minnville TN RVs Memphis TN RVs Midway TN RVs Morristown TN RVs Mount Juliet TN RVs Murfreesboro TN RVs Nashville TN RVs Niota TN RVs Paris TN RVs Powell TN RVs Riceville TN RVs Sale Creek TN RVs Savannah TN RVs Selmer TN RVs Seymour TN RVs Smithville TN RVs Tazewell TN RVs Tullahoma TN RVs

Your Smokies is also proud to announce a new sponsor of the Your Smokies site the Good Sam Club (Good Samaritan) where members can enjoy the following benefits:

• 10% discounts on more than 1,700 campgrounds in the USA and Canada
• Tips, help and guidance from members only online forums
• RV trip routing specially designed for RVs so there are no unpleasant surprises with bridge and tunnel restrictions etc.
• 10% discounts on RV Repairs, parts and accessories at hundreds of dealers.
• Club activities with more than 2,000 local chapters.
• FREE Subscription to their special RV magazine: Highways
• FREE Consumer Advocacy Assistance to resolve RV related service or product problems on your behalf.
• Special low rates on RV and Auto Insurance, RV financing, and Good Sam RV Emergency Road Service Enrollment.

Happy Motoring!