• Approximately 1,500 black bears live in the national park.

    Great Smoky Mountains

    National Park NC,TN

Trails and Backcountry Volunteer Opportunities

Adopted Trail in the Park

Adopted Trail in the Park.

Adopt-a-Trail Program
There are 848 miles of trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park! The Adopt-a-Trail program allows volunteers to adopt a trail, hike it throughout the year and report on its condition.

 
Adopted Campsite along Deep Creek Trail

Adopted Campsite in Deep Creek.

Adopt-a-Campsite Program
With 89 backcountry campsites and a significant amount of backcountry users, the campsites at Great Smoky Mountains National Park need to be maintained. The Adopt-a-Campsite program allows individuals and groups to adopt particular sites to inspect, maintain and clean up throughout the year.

 
UVA volunteer moves big rock

Volunteer moves a big rock.

Trails Forever Program
Many of the trails in Great Smoky Mountains are in need of rehabilitation. This program, a partnership between the park and the Friends of the Smokies, gives volunteers the opportunity to get involved in trail construction projects along-side National Park Service trail crew staff. 

[By clicking on this link you will be leaving the official NPS website and entering a partner organization's site.]

 
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Volunteers working on during National Park Week.

Special Volunteer Events
Special volunteer events are held throughout the park to celebrate things like National Park Week, National Trails Day, and National Public Lands Day!

  • Become a VIP Become a VIP

    Help your favorite park by volunteering your time and talents. Read More

  • Weather Forecast Weather Forecast

    Current weather forecasts are available by phone and online. Read More

  • Black Bears Black Bears

    An estimated 1,500 black bears live in the park. Read More

  • All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory

    Join other citizen scientists and volunteers in discovering new species in the park. Read More

Did You Know?

Visitors can often spot bears in trees at the edges of forests.

Approximately 1,500 black bears live in the park. This equals a population density of approximately two bears per square mile. Bears can be found throughout the park, but are easiest to spot in open areas such as Cades Cove and Cataloochee Valley.