http://www.nps.gov/grsm News releases from Great Smoky Mountains National Park. en-us http://www.nps.gov/grsm/parknews/cosby-storm-hiker-injury.htm Mon, 17 Jun 2013 05:56:33 EST Park Rangers are involved in a rescue of a 53 year old male who had been struck by a falling tree during the storm event on Thursday, June 13. The man was hiking along low Gap Trail when the storm hit around 4:00 pm and sustained multiple injuries. http://www.nps.gov/grsm/parknews/cosby-storm.htm Fri, 14 Jun 2013 05:51:00 EST Several trails in Cosby and Big Creek are closed due to extensive damage from the wind and rain during a late afternoon storm on Thursday, June 13. Other trails in the area may be closed as the park is continuing to assess the damage. http://www.nps.gov/grsm/parknews/nfg-road-striping.htm Fri, 07 Jun 2013 09:28:00 EST A contractor will perform striping operations in NC from June 12-18 along Newfound Gap Road from Newfound Gap south to Cherokee, and along various secondary roads throughout the NC section of the park. http://www.nps.gov/grsm/parknews/women-work-2013.htm Thu, 06 Jun 2013 09:24:00 EST On Saturday, June 15, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., the Mountain Farm Museum in Great Smoky Mountains National Park will come to life as national park staff and volunteers pay tribute to rural women of the past through demonstrations of traditional women's work. http://www.nps.gov/grsm/parknews/rockefeller.htm Thu, 06 Jun 2013 09:03:00 EST On Friday, May 31, David Rockefeller, Sr., son of philanthropist John D. Rockefeller, Jr., paid a visit to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. http://www.nps.gov/grsm/parknews/nfg-repave-2013.htm Tue, 21 May 2013 11:54:00 EST Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced that a project to repave 6.1 miles of Newfound Gap Road will begin in May. http://www.nps.gov/grsm/parknews/world-heritage-fellow.htm Thu, 09 May 2013 11:47:00 EST Great Smoky Mountains National Park is hosting a World Heritage Fellow, Anoop K.R., Director of Keoladeo National Park in India and Deputy Conservator of Forests in the Bharatpur District of Rajasthan. http://www.nps.gov/grsm/parknews/hs-mvcollege-tremont.htm Fri, 03 May 2013 08:44:00 EST Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced a new opportunity for high school students to enroll in a two-week “Great Smokies Experience” course offered by Maryville College and Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont (Tremont). http://www.nps.gov/grsm/parknews/new-hwa-beetle.htm Wed, 01 May 2013 13:29:28 EST Great Smoky Mountains National Park resource managers plan to release two new predatory beetle species to aid in control efforts to stop the spread of Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA), an invasive insect pest that has devastated hemlock forests throughout the eastern United States. http://www.nps.gov/grsm/parknews/tornado-trails-reopen.htm Tue, 30 Apr 2013 11:27:00 EST Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced the reopening of two trails that have been closed since 2011 after receiving extensive damage from a F4 Tornado in the western end of the park. http://www.nps.gov/grsm/parknews/hs-art-contest.htm Thu, 25 Apr 2013 08:27:40 EST As a part of National Park Week, April 20-28, seven watercolor prints created by local art students at Gatlinburg-Pittman High School (GPHS) will be on display at Sugarlands Visitor Center through May 1. http://www.nps.gov/grsm/parknews/firefly-shuttle-2013.htm Wed, 24 Apr 2013 08:57:56 EST The Elkmont Firefly Viewing event in Great Smoky Mountains National Park will take place from Thursday, June 6 through Thursday, June 13. http://www.nps.gov/grsm/parknews/noland-chimneys-repair.htm Mon, 22 Apr 2013 06:56:24 EST Great Smoky Mountains National Park crews are making needed repairs on both Chimney Tops Trail and Noland Creek Trail which received significant flood damage this winter. http://www.nps.gov/grsm/parknews/nfg-reopens.htm Mon, 15 Apr 2013 11:47:02 EST Park officials announced the completion of road repairs to Newfound Gap Road (US-441). The road has been closed since the January 16th landslide that washed away approximately 200 feet of the road. http://www.nps.gov/grsm/parknews/music-of-mts-2013.htm Thu, 11 Apr 2013 11:55:44 EST Great Smoky Mountains National Park will hold its 9th annual “Music of the Mountains” celebration Friday, April 19 through Sunday, April 21. http://www.nps.gov/grsm/parknews/svc-renovation-opening.htm Thu, 11 Apr 2013 11:45:07 EST Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials are pleased to invite the public to a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Sugarlands Visitor Center to view the recent renovations to the main lobby and visitor contact area of the 50-year-old facility on Friday, April 12th at 10:00 am. http://www.nps.gov/grsm/parknews/svc-renovations1.htm Mon, 01 Apr 2013 08:16:00 EST Park officials are pleased to invite the public to a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Sugarlands Visitor Center to view the recent renovations to the main lobby and visitor contact area on Friday, April 12th at 10:00 am. http://www.nps.gov/grsm/parknews/spring-opening-2013.htm Tue, 12 Mar 2013 09:56:36 EST Great Smoky Mountains National Park has altered the facility opening dates for many park facilities for the 2013 season. The delayed openings are a direct result of staffing and hiring limitations which impacted the Park’s ability to conduct preseason preparation work on its facilities. Because of the five percent budget reduction http://www.nps.gov/grsm/parknews/burns-spring-2013.htm Thu, 07 Mar 2013 11:31:31 EST Fire management officials at Great Smoky Mountains National Park have announced plans to conduct several prescribed burns across the park this spring including areas near Wears Valley, Lynn Hollow, and Cades Cove. The burns will occur between the months of March through May as weather conditions permit. http://www.nps.gov/grsm/parknews/experience-smokies-ncarolina.htm Mon, 04 Mar 2013 07:44:09 EST Officials at Great Smoky Mountains National Park in conjunction with the Friends of the Smokies and the Great Smoky Mountain Association are announcing an opportunity to immerse yourself in the national park. The program, Experience Your Smokies, is a unique opportunity to get to know the park and its employees in a whole new way. http://www.nps.gov/grsm/parknews/tourism-local-benefits.htm Mon, 04 Mar 2013 07:35:51 EST Gatlinburg, TN – A new National Park Service (NPS) report for 2011 shows that the 9,008,830 visitors to Great Smoky Mountains National Park spent $818 million in communities surrounding the park. This spending supported 11,732 jobs in the local area. http://www.nps.gov/grsm/parknews/flood-damage.htm Mon, 11 Feb 2013 09:32:38 EST The park suffered significant damage to roads and trails following a flood event last week, resulting in the temporary closure of sections of gravel roads within several popular areas. http://www.nps.gov/grsm/parknews/nfg-road-incentives.htm Fri, 08 Feb 2013 09:54:00 EST Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) have partnered together to offer an early completion incentive for repairs to Newfound Gap Road (US 441) which was closed due to a January landslide. http://www.nps.gov/grsm/parknews/info_on_vandalism.htm Thu, 07 Feb 2013 11:12:16 EST On January 31st, Great Smoky Mountains National Park visitors reported the defacement of natural stone features and masonry stone walls at the Sinks. The Sinks is a popular roadside waterfall located on Little River Road between Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area and the Townsend Wye. Vandals spray painted pictures and profanity along the walkways, stone walls, and natural rock throughout the area. http://www.nps.gov/grsm/parknews/landslide-update-1-24-12.htm Thu, 24 Jan 2013 14:11:43 EST Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials have been working with the Federal Highways Administration (FHWA) to assess damage to Newfound Gap Road (U.S. 441) as a result of a January 16 landslide. http://www.nps.gov/grsm/parknews/backcounty_system_changes.htm Tue, 22 Jan 2013 13:21:44 EST Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced today that changes to its current backcountry reservation and permitting process will take effect on February 13, 2013. As reported last March, the National Park Service approved the park’s proposal to begin collecting fees for use of the park’s backcountry campsites and shelters. http://www.nps.gov/grsm/parknews/nfg-landslide-update.htm Thu, 17 Jan 2013 07:49:17 EST The first assessment of the landslide which occurred in Great Smoky Mountains National Park along Newfound Gap Road in North Carolina shows that the landslide is approximately 90,000 cubic yards of material or 350-400 feet. The slide is still active and an assessment team, made up of Park Staff and Federal Highways employees, observed debris continuing to fall. http://www.nps.gov/grsm/parknews/nfg-landslide.htm Wed, 16 Jan 2013 12:12:20 EST Great Smoky Mountains National Park has closed Newfound Gap Road (U.S. 441) due to a landslide which undercut the road near mile marker 22 between Collins Creeks and Webb Overlook at 9:40 am.The slide is estimated to be a 200 foot section of road extending 1000 foot down slope, but the full extent of the damage is not yet known. http://www.nps.gov/grsm/parknews/park-stewards-youth-pro.htm Fri, 30 Nov 2012 09:14:00 EST Great Smoky Mountains National Park, through Friends of the Smokies, is one of twenty national parks to be awarded grants as part of the 2012 Park Stewards program. http://www.nps.gov/grsm/parknews/eab-confirmed.htm Wed, 21 Nov 2012 07:47:07 EST Park Resource Managers recently confirmed the Smokies first backcountry emerald ash borer infestation. http://www.nps.gov/grsm/parknews/spence-reservations.htm Tue, 12 Jun 2012 13:14:17 EST Spence Cabin in the Elkmont Historic District has been restored to its historic apperance and is available for day-use rental. http://www.nps.gov/grsm/parknews/eab-found.htm Thu, 07 Jun 2012 07:29:27 EST Officials recently confirmed the presence of invasive emerald ash borer beetles in the park. Last week, beetles were discovered near Sugarlands Visitor Center and in the Greebrier area, on the Tennessee side of the park. http://www.nps.gov/grsm/parknews/fhp-dec-10.htm Fri, 03 Dec 2010 06:18:00 EST Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials have announced the award of a $33.8 million contract to continue construction on the “Missing Link” of the Foothills Parkway