Tag Archives: National Park Service

City leaders, National Park Service, and DOE mark milestone with ceremony at Conference Center OAK RIDGE, Tenn. — The City of Oak Ridge marked a major milestone Thursday afternoon, hosting a special ceremony to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park. The event, held at the …

GATLINBURG, Tenn.—Beginning May 4, Great Smoky Mountains National Park will close Bullhead Trail from Monday through Thursday each week, excluding federal holidays, through November 19. During this time, the park will continue the rehabilitation of the Bullhead Trail in partnership with Friends of the Smokies.   Hikers are welcome to hike Bullhead Trail Friday through Sunday and on federal holidays. The park plans to reopen …

Photo by P. Driessche GATLINBURG, Tenn.—Great Smoky Mountains National Park will host its annual synchronous firefly event at Elkmont from May 20-27.  A lottery for vehicle reservations opens at 10 a.m. April 24 EDT and closes at 11:59 p.m. April 27 EDT. Visitors can enter the lottery at recreation.gov for a $1 fee.  Every year, in late May or early June, hundreds …

GATLINBURG, Tenn.— Rangers in Great Smoky Mountains National Park responded to three bear‑related incidents at Ramsey Cascades Trail this past weekend, including two encounters in which a bear approached visitors and took two backpacks, and a third in which a bear displayed aggressive behavior and briefly chased a group. Ramsey Prong Road and Ramsey Cascades Trail are …

New report shows visitor spending impacts  GATLINBURG, Tenn.—A new National Park Service report shows that approximately 12.2 million visitors to Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 2024 spent more than $2 billion in communities near the park. That spending had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of more than $2.8 billion.  “People come to the Smokies to do many …

National Park Service launches month-long traffic safety and enforcement operations campaign this August GATLINBURG, Tenn.—The National Park Service (NPS) reminds visitors to slow down and enjoy the views in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Over the next month, park rangers in cooperation with partner agencies will conduct increased traffic safety …

Cades Cove Loop Road will be closed to visitors Jan. 20-24 GATLINBURG, Tenn.— Great Smoky Mountains National Park will remove hazard trees in Cades Cove on Jan. 20-Jan. 24. This includes removing brush from the side of the road to keep vegetation from hitting passing vehicles and removing all hazard …

Trail now open to visitors seven days a week Josh Shapiro, Trails Forever supervisor, cuts the ribbon for Ramsey Cascades Trail – NPS Gatlinburg, TN – In collaboration with Friends of the Smokies, the National Park Service (NPS) has a completed a three-year restoration of the Ramsey Cascades Trail in Great Smoky …

GATLINBURG, Tenn.—The Flint Gap Fire is 46 acres as of the last estimate. Although the fire is presently 0% contained, only a few areas are actively burning within the perimeter. Once firefighter access and safety in this remote and steep terrain is addressed, a full suppression strategy will be executed. …

GATLINBURG, Tenn.—Starting April 15, the National Park Service (NPS) will close Ramsey Cascades Trail on weekdays while trail crews finish the full-scale rehabilitation work started in 2022. The rehabilitation of this iconic Smokies trail is part of the Trails Forever program supported by Friends of the Smokies.The trail will be …