Government Shutdown: Road + Facility Closures in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

It's happened. The Government shutdown has closed the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to all public use today other than traveling along Newfound Gap Road/US441 from Cherokee North Carolina to Gatlinburg Tennessee.

All other the other Great Smoky Mountains National Parks roads are closed and so are all of the hiking trails, picnic areas, visitor centers, bathrooms, horse stables, streams, scenic overlooks, parking areas, historic buildings, campgrounds and backcountry primitive campsites.

All ongoing scientific studies, park interpretive programs, special events such as weddings, parks as classrooms education programs, have also all been cancelled. Trail rehabilitation and park maintenance has all been stopped and even the park web cam feeds is shut off.

Foothills Parkway East which is outside the park and connects I-40 and 32 in Cosby and the Foothills Parkway West are also both closed.

While the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and all other National Parks, National Monuments, National Seashores, National Historic sites and National Museums have all closed in the past due to Government Shutdowns, the timing of this closure is especially bad.

If the closure extends by more than a few weeks, it would be disastrous to the local economy which depends on the fall leaf season for a huge percentage of their revenue. Add in government workers being furloughed or not paid and you will see that everyone is feeling the pain.

So far the government shut down in Great Smoky Mountains National Park has cause 279 park employees, 60 concessions employees and 45 Great Smoky Mountains Association employees to be indefinitely put on furlough without pay. This does not count wedding photographers, fishing and private tour guides who pay for permits to work in the park.

Tourists coming into the Great Smoky Mountains to see the best of the Smokies fall leaf season book months in advance. Backcountry and front country campers in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park have to do the same and sadly can not stay here regardless of reservations.

The elk rut is also in full swing in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park which attracts thousands of photographers and nature lovers to Cataloochee and Balsam Mountain which are closed.

During October, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park normally sees at least 35,000 visitors on average each day and nationwide the National Park System hosts more than 715,000 visitors a day.

Campers in the national park campgrounds, LeConte Lodge as well as campers in the backcountry campsites have been asked to leave by 6pm Thursday. Some campgrounds are already empty and locked.

There appears to be campgrounds outside the park right now that have extra space, but in the next few weeks, many who thought they could camp here in the Smokies may be out of luck.

National park rangers and other park personnel were clearing out picnic areas, horse stables, locking bathrooms and putting up facility closed signs throughout the park. A very sad day indeed.

Non essential personnel whose numbers have been greatly reduced due to the Sequestration are now being furloughed without pay and they are not alone as about 800,000 federal employees throughout the country lost their income overnight as well.

The more than 3,000 volunteers who work within the park have been asked not to report to duty for as long as the closure takes place.

Law Enforcement Park Rangers will continue to work through the closure although it is not clear if and when they will be paid. I cannot stress enough that there will be no tolerance to those breaking the law such as trespassing on federal land when it is closed to all public use.

We will be providing updates to this story when they become available.

Last Updated 10/01/13 4:55 pm EST

Related Government GSMNP and BRP Closure Articles:

Great Smoky Mountains National Park to Reopen Tomorrow at 12 Noon. - Posted 10-15-13

Great Smoky Mountains National Park May Reopen Tomorrow – Maybe - Posted 10-15-13

Government Shutdown Affecting Great Smoky Mountains National Park Day 14 - Posted 10-14-13

How Government Shutdown is Affecting Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Posted 10-08-13

Update to Government Closure of Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Posted 10-05-13

Shutdown Info Great Smoky Mountains and Blue Ridge Parkway - Posted 10-03-13

Government Shutdown: Road + Facility Closures Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Posted 10-01-13

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

Great Smoky Mountains National Park needs more volunteers at Clingmans Dome Information Center

If you would like to help park visitors at the Clingmans Dome Information Center which at 6,300 feet and is often in or above the clouds, here is your chance as the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is in need of about a dozen volunteers to help out.

The volunteers will be needed from May through November 30th to help provide park information to visitors and assist in trip planning including giving directions in the Clingmans Dome Information Center which also has a bookstore area managed by the Great Smoky Mountains Association (GSMA).

The Volunteers needed would be working alongside GSMA employees and will need to be able to work at least one 4 hour shift per week, 11 am to 3 pm. Park Volunteers are most needed for shifts from Friday through Sunday, but help is needed during Monday - Thursday as well.

The information center is relatively new opening in 2010. The building itself was originally constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps and before it was turned into the Clingmans Dome Information Center and bookstore, it was a comfort station.

Water quality issues required that the national park switch to vault toilets so that rather than the waste be treated high atop the mountain, it could be pumped out and treated elsewhere where there would be less environmental impact.

While the vault toilets where installed in the parking, the original bathrooms were completely overhauled and turned into the useful building that you see now in its place.

"In the past, visitors to this popular destination did not have a chance to obtain information on their high elevation visit or have questions answered," said Park Superintendent Dale Ditmanson. "Now with the help of volunteers staffing the center, visitors can inquire and learn about the spruce fir ecosystem and the impacts of invasive insects, such as the balsam woolly adelgid, and air quality."

While Clingmans Dome does not see the amount of visitation that the Sugarlands Visitor Center or Oconaluftee does, it is vitally important to park visitors and through hikers along the Appalachian Trail.

Training for Volunteers will be held from 9:00 am until 4:00 pm on Friday, May 17th. To sign up for training or for more information, contact Florie Takaki Monday - Fridays at (828)497-1906 or by email her at Florie_Takaki@nps.gov.

Where and When to see Synchronous Fireflies in the Smokies in 2013

Why do more than a thousand people a night walk around in the dark without lights in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park every June? For a very good reason...to see the worlds famous Smokies Synchronous Fireflies.

To see such a miracle of nature is simply amazing with the blinking of tens of thousands of lightning bugs that start randomly, then start flashing all at once or in patterns together, and then as fast is it starts, blackness envelops the area and the sounds of the night forest seems to skip a beat, and then, it all starts again.

The flashing of the fireflies which are actually beetles, vary in color, seasonal timing, duration and pattern from species to species, but the main purpose for all of them to flash or glow is to attract a mate.

The majority of the display that we see from the Synchronous Firefly Photinus carolinus which can be found in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and other wooded areas and fields close by is the males answer to the female's initial signal of light, which draws him ever closer to her.

While finding the place where the Synchronous Fireflies will flash is not that hard if you can go back to the same spot over and over again from May until July, it's highly impractical.

Virtually every spot the biologists have looked for the Synchronous Firefly in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, they have found them, as long as the biologist timing was right.

Timing is everything when it comes to the fireflies as you only have about a 2 week window when they flash their best, before which they are underground and after which they have mated, laid their eggs and have died.

What you have to do to find the is Synchronous Lightning Bugs is understand when they are going to emerge from the soil as fully grown adults ready to mate. In lower elevations of the National Park at the 2,000 foot mark such as in Elkmont where some of the best firefly displays can be seen, that can be as early as the Early May to Mid June.

On average, low elevation peak synchronous firefly activity is the first into the second week of June; however, in 2012 it was the last week of May due to unseasonably warm weather. This year's seasonal emergence of plants and insects was about 3 weeks later than last year so we are right on target with the parks estimation at his point.

One of the best ways to see the fireflies is to take the shuttle buses running from June 6th through June 13th that takes you from the Sugarlands Visitor Center parking area to the Little River Hiking Trail parking area in Elkmont.

Sadly, far more people want to go see the fireflies in the Smokies than the national park can accommodate, so for years the first come first served system of the firefly shuttle buses have been scrapped for a reservation system that leaves just as many people missing out on the show, but not waiting in long lines for no reason. Advance parking passes to buy tickets sold out in hours with the remaining half going to sell out fast on the day before each departure.

Another choice area for see in the Synchronous Lightning Bugs is the Great Smoky Mountains National park is in Tremont for the 3rd and last week in May as the elevation is about 800 or so feet less than in Elkmont and they do emerge and mature sooner. This road also sees very little traffic so the lights won't disturb the fireflies as much.

If you feel like walking, another great spot to the see the fireflies is to hike into Cades Cove which is allowed even as the road is closed to motor vehicle traffic. Here in Cades Cove, which is at an elevation between Tremont and Elkmont, choice areas are Hyatt Lane, by the Abrams Falls Trailhead or by Sparks Lane.

Not planning or arriving to the Smokies until the 2nd weekend in June or later and still want to see the synchronized fireflies in the GSMNP? Higher up is when you need to go. Try the Newfound Gap Parking Area, around Clingmans Dome, along the Foothills Parkway East or Foothills Parkway West.

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

Is Newfound Gap Road Between Cherokee and Gatlinburg Open Again?

As anyone working in Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Cherokee or in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park what question they are asked most often since the huge landslide in January of this year right by mile marker 22 and they will tell you is will be a pleasure to say yes, Newfound Gap Road is open all the way from the Sugarlands all the way to Cherokee, North Carolina.

The Great Smoky Mountings National Park Is Looking For Volunteers in North Carolina

If you love the Great Smoky Mountains national park, you can give back to the park by becoming a volunteer which is a very rewarding experience.

Presently the GSMNP is looking for volunteers to rove in and around the Oconaluftee Mountain Farm Museum, the Oconaluftee River Trail and along a part of Newfound Gap Road/US441 from now until Nov 9th, 2013.

Volunteers should have knowledge about the park and will be providing information to park visitors such as approaching and disturbing wildlife, littering, historical information and places to go in the park. When necessary, a volunteer will need to assist park rangers with traffic management.

Volunteers will also need to provide visitors with information on viewing elk and other wildlife safely, about the elk reintroduction program in the GSMNP and the elk's role in Great Smoky Mountain National Park.

To participate or for more information, contact the Oconaluftee Visitor Center at (828)497-1904. Volunteers will be required to take an orientation and training session on Friday, April 26 from 10:00 am until 3:00 pm at Oconaluftee.

Another Major Road Closes in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Due to a Washout

As the Great Smoky Mountains national park is still dealing with the huge landslide which has shut off the main road connecting Tennessee with North Carolina, US441 Newfound Gap Road, another major road running through the park was discovered to have washout damage from Little River running alongside it.

Little River Road past Metcalf bottoms just east of the Sinks had lost part of its shoulder and cracks have developed in the area prompting park officials to close Little River Road (State Road 73) between Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area and the Townsend Wye.

Because of weight restrictions on the Metcalf Bottom Bridge, large RV's are unable to cross and thus to exit or enter the park through Wears Gap Road and would have to turn back.

Crews from Great Smoky Mountains national park are right now are on Little River Road and as of yet there are no estimates as to when it will reopen.

Current estimates have Newfound Gap Road reopening in May.

Update 03/26/13 9:50am
Cleanup and temporary repairs are complete. Road may be able to reopen shortly.

Update 03/26/13 10:35am
Road will reopen as soon as snowplows are finished.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Road Information

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

Weather Conditions and a Serious Accident Closes Some Major Great Smoky Mountains National Park Roads.

The Great Smoky Mountains national park is under a flood warning until 7 am tomorrow morning and it is the high waters associated with past days rain that closed Forge Creek Road and Sparks Lane in Cades Cove first along with the upper portion of Tremont Road.

Now a serious accident has caused rangers to closed Newfound Gap Road US441 for as of yet an undetermined time.

Additional Great Smoky Mountains national park road closures now include all of Cades Cove Loop, Road, Old State Road 284 between Big Creek and Cataloochee, and the Cataloochee entrance road.

Links: GSMNP Roads  Smoky Mountains Weather

Local Fine Art Photographer of The Smokies has Exhibit at the Art Market in Knoxville

If you spend lots of time in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park or in the surrounding area, you have seen the award winning, local photographer Eric Gebhart at work creating his masterpieces.

From December 7th - December 30th 2012, Eric Gebhart will be one of the featured artists at The Art Market Gallery, 422 South Gay Street, Knoxville, TN. 37902 (1/2 block south of the Mast General Store).

Mr. Gebhart is a nature and landscape photographer from Sevier County who draws much of his inspiration from the Smoky Mountains. He endeavors to initiate the viewer to make a connection with the natural world around them.

Mr. Gebhart is best known for his breathtaking large format panoramic prints of The Smokies. Included in this exhibit will be several 30x60 inch prints and enormous 30x96 inch prints showcasing the vibrant seasonal colors of Southern Appalachia. His images are printed with such fine detail that viewers are drawn into the artwork, feeling as if they are a part of the scene.

These prints reveal Mr. Gebhart's creative talents in composition, as well as his technical expertise. They also elicit powerful emotions from the viewer. One of his clients stated, "I am drawn to Eric's photographs because he enables me to see what I often miss on my own. I see so much more of the world's beauty when I am able to see through his eyes."

There will be an opening reception on Friday, December 7th from 5:00pm - 9:00pm. Mr. Gebhart will be on hand to greet those in attendance and share in their enthusiasm for photography and appreciation of the natural world. Join us for refreshments and live music.

I have had the opportunity to watch Eric at work numerous times and reviewed many of his finished fine art and commercial photographs and would highly recommend that if you are able to, you should attend any of his showings.

More information about Eric Gebhart and the Art Market Gallery:

www.facebook.com/smokymountainpictures
www.smokymountainpictures.com
www.twitter.com/smokiesphoto

www.facebook.com/Art.Market.Gallery
www.artmarketgallery.net

Roads Closures in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Newfound Gap Road US 441 between Cherokee North Carolina and Gatlinburg Tennessee closed last night and hard working park service crews were able to clear downed limbs, plow, sand and keep the road upon for about 5 hours before it had to close again at 2:30 this afternoon.

We are now under a winter storm warning with a potential of up to 17 inches of snow accumulation in the higher elevations by Wednesday along with high winds.

Presently the complete list of closed roads in the Great Smoky Mountains national park is:

• Cataloochee Entrance Road
• Clingmans Dome Road
• Foothills Parkway East (I-40 to Cosby)
• Newfound Gap Road US 441
• Old 284
• Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail

You can keep track of what is going on through our Smokies Weather twitter feed or keep up with Road Conditions in the Great Smoky Mountains.

Last Update: 3:53 pm 10/30/12

Newfound Gap Road US441 between Gatlinburg and Cherokee is Closed due to Snow and Ice

Hurricane Sandy may have missed the Great Smoky Mountains, but the light rain and dense fog has turned to snow a few hours ago starting at Clingmans Dome and all around Newfound Gap down to the Webb Overlook promoting national park officials to first close Clingmans Dome Road and then Newfound Gap Road.

Snow is predicted through Wednesday with minor accumulation and there is now a wind advisory in effect until 8 pm Tuesday.

Live weather feeds from our own weather station in the Smokies are at http://www.yoursmokies.com/smokiesweather.html.

Firefly Season Past Peak in Parts of GSMNP and Closes Elkmont to Non-Campers Starting Tonight

Fireflies in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are a big deal. Strike that. One particular species of the 14 known lightning bugs in the GSMNP is a huge deal. What makes this one firefly (Photinus Carolinus) also called a lightning bug so special is the unique synchronized light show both the male and female firefly provide to around 1,000 visitors a night.

The Synchronized Firefly has been a huge draw for years - so much so that the Great Smoky Mountains national park has created a shuttle system to handle the huge influx of visitors into the Elkmont are of the park close to Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Wears Valley.

Though these fascinating lightning bugs can be found through most of the Great Smoky Mountains national park if you know when to be there, the Elkmont are along the Little River Hiking Trail is the only safe place to accommodate many visitors wandering around in the dark.

The City of Gatlinburg has helped the park by providing eco friendly shuttles from the Sugarlands Visitor Center parking area to Elkmont and back for only $1 per rider. The problem is more visitors arrive to the departure area every day than the park can safely handle.

Each year as more and more people arrived to ride the shuttle to see the fireflies in Elkmont earlier and earlier, the more people missed the opportunity to see the fireflies and their synchronized light show. It also filled the parking in the visitor center lot for much of the day keeping other visitors from having access to the visitor center and the facilities.

The park this year took a bold move to make it fairer for a greater number of visitors and to alleviate congestion by instituting ticket sales in advance through the internet for the firefly shuttle trolleys.

In order to not exceed the holding capacity of Elkmont and the parking area 175 car passes were released for each day the shuttle was to be in operation. There will be already all the campers in the 220 campsites in Elkmont, many of whom reserved their site as much as 6 months in advance.

An additional 25 passes for each date the firefly shuttle trolley was to run will be released on 10 am the day before departure by visiting www.recreation.gov. Cost for the shuttle is $1 per passenger round trip.

While these were all great ways to protect the resources in the park, increase visitor safety and be able to enjoy natures greatest light show right here in the Smokies which could go wrong? How about if the Great Smoky Mountains national park throws a huge party of the fireflies and the guest of honor don't show up!

The fireflies among lots of other plants and animals in the Great Smoky Mountains national park along the lower elevations are all screwed up. Phenologically that is.

Timing is everything in for much of nature in the natural world. When a flower is blooming there better be a way it gets pollinated, when fruit is born, something has to eat it to spread the seeds. Well this year the extremely warm winter and early spring has screwed everything up.

The Photinus Carolinus synchronized firefly starts as a glowworm living underground and emerges once the soil is around 55 degrees Fahrenheit. It likes to keep by slow moving water and uses its bioluminescence (light produced by a living organism) in the form of a greenish glow to attract mates.

Since we have been far too warm in the lower elevations this year, they emerged too soon. As a result, they are passing/past peak right now and by the time the shuttle service was scheduled to begin, the show will be poor and they may be virtually gone before the shuttle service ends.

Because of the tremendous logistic involved in safety handling such a number of people and the staffing along with the trolleys required to shuttle visitors to the firefly show in Elkmont, the Great Smoky Mountains national park cannot move the timing of the shuttles.

To further add to park visitor's frustration, because of safety concerns and staffing shortages, the national park closed Elkmont to all traffic at night other then campers starting tonight.

Other places to see the fireflies in the park right now include deep into Cades Cove around Hyatt Lane - about a 8 mile round trip hike in ideal walking conditions on a paved and gravel road, by the picnic area in Cosby. Other areas in the park to see the fireflies right now are risky to get into and none can handle more than a few dozen visitors a night at most.

As much as we have historical weather data for the park along with great in-depth knowledge of the synchronized fireflies, this year's weather has put a huge damper on nature's best light show in the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

Regardless whether the new reservation system was implemented or not, mother nature is to blame this time and I for one applaud the new system implemented by the park service.

For those around the Smokies in the next few weeks, as the light show moves up in elevation I will see if I can share 2 other places the show is good in the park.

Was this year's unusually warm weather following 2 particularly rough and unusual winters a result of climate change? It certainly looks that way based upon patterns we clearly see in the GSM park, which is not conclusive.

Portions of a degree up or down a few days earlier or later can wreak havoc on sensitive ecosystems and can threaten biodiversity around the world.

I just hope that decades from now we don't say "remember when the synchronized fireflies used to put their show on before Easter?"

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

Road Closures in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Two needed road closure in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park planned to start next week may mean hikers will need to alter their plans and a shortcut to 321/Wears Valley Road will be inaccessible for more than 2 weeks.

Wears Gap Road Entrance to the Metcalf bottoms will be closed March 19th until April 5th due to work on bridge and the power line cutting off access to the Little Greenbrier School, as well as the Roundtop hiking trail and Little Brier Gap Trailhead.

During all day March 20th and 27th Tremont Road in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will be closed for the delivery and installation of a new septic tank cutting off all access to the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont as well as the trailheads for West Prong Hiking Trail, Lumber Ridge Trail, and the Middle Prong Trailhead.

Outside of the park, there was another rockslide on 129 also called the Tail of the Dragon blocking all traffic near the Tennessee and North Carolina border. Department of transportation officials expect the road to be open some time late next week

Road Closure Information in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Cades Cove Prescribed Burn in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Final Day for 2011

Right now, the conditions in Cades Cove are perfect for the final day of prescribed burns taking place in the meadows and fields.

Prescribed burns are used by the Great Smoky Mountains national park on a rotating schedule in Cades Cove to keep fields clear of large brush, and help keep the ecosystem as diverse as possible.

Visitors to Cades Cove and along the Appalachian Trail(AT) today can expect temporary smoky conditions and limited visibility for short durations.

Controlled burn to take place today in Cades Cove Section of Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Hyatt Lane was closed in Cades Cove in anticipation of today's controlled burn to take place of weather permits. Additional burns are scheduled to take place this week in Cades Cove and could possible be pushed into next week as Thursday and Friday do not look like optimum weather for a good burn.

Controlled burns are used in the Great Smoky Mountains national park to clear vegetation in fields along with mowing in order to keep filed open from large vegetation such as bushes and trees so they remain as they were historically.

Prescribed burns also reduce fuel so that wild fires do not burn as hot and spread as quickly as they would and unmaintained areas as well as help increase biodiversity.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Mountain Farm Museums "Evening at the Farm" Event

Nestled next to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center which is 2 miles north of Cherokee, NC entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park there will be a variety of cultural demonstrations and storytelling for the "An Evening on the Farm" event taking place today from 5:00-6:30 pm.

The Mountain Farm Museum is a collection of century-old buildings as a log cabin, barns, gardens, a corn crib and more. The Davis/Queen farmhouse will also be open for visitors and hot cider will be served.

It is a beautiful day, the weather will be fantastic for the event, and the fall colors are great around the farm and sounding mountainsides.

While you are there be sure to visit the new Oconaluftee Visitor Center, which was donated, to the park along with displays courtesy of the Great Smoky Mountain association and the Friends of the Smokies.

Bridge Repair to close Old State Road 284 between Big Creek and Cataloochee NC.

Bridge repair work will close the Old Cataloochee Turnpike/Old State Road 284 starting on or around November 13th 2011 for approximately 2 weeks from the Great Smoky Mountains national park boundary in Big Creek to the Cataloochee area just past the Cataloochee Creek Road/Bypass.

As dates become firm or change, we will post updates.

Cades Cove Stargazing Program Tonight Will Be A Perfect End To A Perfect Day in the GSMNP.

Though the weather in the Smokies this weekend was expected to less than perfect just a few days ago, absolutely perfect weather has rolled in and will make tonight's free stargazing programming taking place on the Cades Cove section of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park the perfect way to end this glorious day.

Beginning at 7:30 pm in cooperation with the Smoky Mountains Astronomical Society there will be a short lecture of what you will see in the night sky and the chance to observe with the help of experienced astronomers and the numerous telescopes they have brought for this evenings show, the chance to see firsthand on this moonless night, stars, galaxies, and constellations, including the Milky Way.

Cades Cove is one of the best places to be able to observe the night sky in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in its perfect natural bowl formed by the sounding mountain that block out unwanted light pollution that makes faint objects ion the night sky hard to see.

Parking will be at and near the orientation shelter at the start of the Cades Cove Loop. From here, you must carry your seating or blankets to the first field on the right hand side - about a 3/4 mile round trip.

While the newly paved Cades Cove road is easy to walk on even at night, you may want to bring a flashlight. It would be best of you have a red light or lens cover so as night disturb other observers. It is in the 60s right now in Cades Cove and will be in the 50s by the time the program is over so dress appropriately.

After a major portion of the program I will be hiking the 11 mile Cades Cove Loop, all are welcome to join me.

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.