May 2019
Happenings from
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
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Are you Bear Aware?
All visitors to Great Smoky Mountains National Park should be prepared to safely observe bears without disturbing them. We ask that you please take necessary precautions while in bear country, including hiking in groups of two or more, carrying bear spray, complying with all backcountry closures, properly storing food regulations and remaining at a safe viewing distance from bears at all times. Feeding, touching, disturbing or willfully approaching wildlife within 50 yards (that's half a football field) or any distance that disturbs or displaces wildlife is illegal.
Learn More HERE
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Photo by Joye Ardyn Durham
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Park's spring opening schedule announced
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Most campgrounds, picnic areas and roads in Great Smoky Mountains National Park opened in time for Easter weekend. The remainder of the park's facilities will open between now and Memorial Day weekend in preparation for the busy summer season.
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Back of Beyond:
Meet the Authors
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Meet the Author events featuring either George Ellison or Janet McCue or both are planned for the following dates and times:
- 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Sylva, North Carolina's Greening Up the Mountains Festival, Saturday, April 27
- 3-4 p.m. at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville, NC, Saturday, May 4
- 1 p.m. at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva, NC, Sunday, May 5
- 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Sugarlands Visitor Center, Sunday, May 19
- 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Swain County Visitor Center, downtown Bryson City, NC, Saturday, June 8
- An evening event at the Fryemont Inn in downtown Bryson City, NC, Saturday, June 8 (Please call the Fryemont Inn at 828.488.2159 for more information)
- 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Oconaluftee Visitor Center, Sunday, June 9
- 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Swain County Visitor Center, downtown Bryson City, NC, Thursday, July 4
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Our Park's Wondrous Diversity of Wildflowers
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Wild geranium
(
Seranium maculatum
)
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Squirrel Corn
(
Dicentra canadensis
)
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Dwarf Crested Iris
(
Iris cristata
)
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Do you have a favorite wildflower? If so, our
Wildflower Report will most likely point you in the right direction once it's seen blooming in the Smokies. Bookmark it and check back often, at least until the first frost. –
GSMA images by Logan Boldon
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Creature Feature
presents Mayflies
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Text and Artwork
By Emma DuFort
Have you ever seen a giant group of insects stuck to the side of a gas station or some other building near a body of water? You may have found the sight off-putting, but take pity on the humble mayfly – they live for only about 24 hours in their adult forms, with no mouth parts to bite or eat.
They emerge from the water as adults only to find a mate and quickly reproduce. This fleeting nature is the source of the name for the order of mayflies,
Ephemeroptera
. These ancient insects are thought to be about 350 million years old. Mayflies live most of their lives as aquatic nymphs, feeding on pieces of dead plant and animal matter. They cannot tolerate polluted waters, making them excellent indicators of stream quality.
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They’re also an important food source for fish and amphibians, to the point where many fishing lures are modeled after their forms, along with stoneflies (hence the phrase “fly fishing”). Mayfly nymphs can be found in virtually all of the swift-moving waters of the Smokies.
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Horace Kephart: Man or Myth
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By Logan Boldon
Quiz Master
GSMA is celebrating the long-awaited release of
Back of Beyond: A Horace Kephart Biography.
How well do you know this southern Appalachian icon and the books he authored? Take our quiz and find out! Use of his publications is permitted.
Our winner will be chosen at random from all those who correctly answer 10 questions by 5 p.m. Friday, May 17. That individual will receive a copy of the new book! Good luck!
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Horace Kephart photo from Western Carolina University's Hunter Library, Special and Digital Collections
Last month's winner of the
Birds of the Smokies quiz was LeAnne Jennings of Maryville, TN.
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Little Sluice of Heaven
:
Goshen Prong at #23
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By Lisa Duff
Three years ago, as Mother’s Day was approaching, I decided it was high time my daughter and I started a new tradition in recognition of the day dedicated to mothers everywhere. No more would she need to worry herself about what tangible item or simple gesture might make an appropriate gift, I informed her. No shiny trinket, small kitchen appliance or fancy meal out would be necessary for me to feel appreciated.
Instead, I told her, I’d rather we both strap 30-pound packs to our backs, hike six or seven miles from our car, pitch a tent, and start a fire. After a dinner of Ramen noodles and Graham crackers, we’d crawl in our sleeping bags and think about anything except wild hogs until we fell fast asleep. The next morning we’d sip hot coffee until our eyes fully opened, after which we’d pack everything up and head back to the car.
“You’re joking, right?” she said. “No, really,” I said. “I want us to go backpacking."
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Our home on Goshen Prong. Before turning in for the night, we hung our packs on the bear cables provided by the park service.– Photo by Lisa Duff
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Editor's Note: We call our hiking column
Little Sluice of Heaven
in honor of Dry Sluice Gap: Named for a small hollow or valley called a sluice, which has a spring-fed stream that sinks beneath the surface for several hundred yards before re-emerging. Hence, the upper part of the sluice is generally dry.
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From
Place Names of the Smokies
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Branch Out with GSMA this May
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Great Smoky Mountains Association invites our members to participate in Branch Out Events each month. (Not a member yet? No problem. Get started
HERE.)
This May, Membership Events Specialist Dana Murphy has designed 12 exciting, educational events to choose from in these four categories:
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OAK Programs: Observe. Ask. Know.
Learn more about our park’s and our region’s wondrous diversity of life through expert-led sessions focusing on naturally and culturally significant topics.
Hiking 101: Explore this Hiker’s Paradise.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is known the world over as a paradise for people who like to walk in the mountains.
Backpacking: Discover the ‘Back of Beyond.’
Spend days and nights in the backcountry apart from worldly distractions. Immerse yourself in the sights, sounds and smells of the outdoors and deepen your connection to nature.
Acorn Adventures.
Kids 14 years and younger, together with a chaperone, are invited to leave the distractions of daily life behind and escape to the Smoky Mountains for a professionally guided educational adventure.
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May is for Mayhem!
E-Book available
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NOW AVAILABLE
in e-Book format: Great Smoky Mountains Association is proud to partner with Apple Books to bring
Into the Mist
to your Apple devices.
Download today
, take along on your next hike tomorrow. Winner of the Public Lands Alliance Partners Choice Award,
Into the
Mist
is tales of
Death and Disaster, Mishaps and Misdeeds, Misfortune and Mayhem in Great Smoky Mountains National Park!
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Yellow Lady's Slipper
adorns our spring mug
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The artists at Deneen Pottery have done it again. They've created exclusively for Great Smoky Mountains National Park this high-quality pottery mug featuring our very own Yellow Lady's Slippers, an orchid like no other!
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We're playing games in the Smokies!
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It's all fun and games in the Smokies, as long as no one looses the Jenga
pieces. Or the Monopoly bison. Show off your knowledge with National Park Trivia. Play a round of Camp or toss the Yahtzee dice. Any game you choose, your family will be assured of having a good time while learning more about America's Best Idea!
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Membership: Fits all Moms, Dads, Grads and Newly Weds
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- Mother's Day is May 12
- Father's Day is June 16
- High School and College graduations are coming soon
- June brides (and grooms) love the Smokies!
A Great Smoky Mountains Association membership is the single gift that pairs perfectly with all these occasions.
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Member Pricing
Member pricing above is based on a 15% discount offered to GSMA members at the entry level; additional discounts are available at higher membership levels.
Member discounts are not available on clearance items.
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A note for Members
When using our website, GSMA members have access to
two login
areas. Your membership portal sign in is separate from your web store sign in, which is found in the tan bar at the top of our website. Your membership portal sign in is found
only
after accessing these areas:
- Membership Signup
- Event Registration
- Legacy Fund Donations
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All purchases support the park!
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Firefly viewing dates announced
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This year's National Park Service firefly lottery will open to the public online Friday morning, April 26, at 8 a.m. EST and will remain open until Monday, April 29, at 8 p.m. EST. Lottery winners will be annouced on May 10, 2019.
Firefly viewing dates are May 30 – June 6
Synchronous fireflies (
Photinus carolinus
) are one of at least 19 species of fireflies that live in Great Smoky Mountains National Park and one of only a few species in the world known to synchronize their flash patterns. This insects' reproductive display occurs for a couple of weeks every year throughout its range (southern Appalachians), and is typically in late May or early June in the Elkmont area of the park.
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During the peak firefly display period, the park organizes a shuttle service from Sugarlands Visitor Center to the Elkmont viewing area where a large population of synchronous fireflies occurs. Visitors who wish to view the fireflies must acquire a parking pass for the Sugarlands Visitor Center and ride a shuttle to the viewing area.
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SPECIAL NOTE FOR ACORNS: Great Smoky Mountains Association will host an educational night-time event for our youngest members in mid-June. Participants should expect many bioluminescent encounters. Space is limited. Register
HERE.
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Science at Sugarlands:
Wildflowers with Rock
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By Frances Figart
You couldn’t pick a more perfect month than May to head out on the trails to spot wildflowers. T
o help you learn more about them, Discover Life in America will host
Wildflowers: Gems of the Smokies
Friday, May 17, from 1–3 p.m. at Sugarlands Visitor Center.
Leading this free program will be wildflower expert Janet Rock, who studied biology
with an emphasis on botany
at Western Carolina University. Co-author of the popular GSMA field guide
Wildflowers of the Smokies
,
Janet recently retired after 28 years as an National Park Service botanist. We asked her to tell us more about herself and the park’s amazing plant diversity.
Frances:
How did you first become interested in wildflowers?
Janet:
When I was growing up in northeastern Ohio, our Girl Scout troop members would challenge one another to identify all the plants we encountered on camping and hiking trips. My passion for wildflowers continued at Maryville College, where my all-time favorite course was Plant Identification. Then I decided to pursue my masters in botany to fully immerse myself in the plant world.
Frances:
What are some typical May blooming wildflowers that we might recognize?
Janet:
This is one of the few national parks in North America that have over 1,700 species including the spectacular spring flora. There are so many examples depending on what your elevation is. May is a great time to see trillium at higher elevations, the start of flame azaleas, pink lady’s slippers, and Indian cucumber root...
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Janet Rock was named one of the 100 Most Influential People in the History of Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 2016. - GSMA photo by Logan Boldon
Before she retired, Rock contributed her expertise to our Smoky Mountain Explorer film series
Mount Le Conte
. Click below to watch a portion of that film.
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Wildflower Pilgrims
visiting this week
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Officials heading up this year's Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage in Great Smoky Mountains National Park estimate up to 900 participants are taking part and learning everything from flower identification to bird songs to the best edible mushrooms.
This year's event gets underway today (April 24) and runs through Saturday, April 27.
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Your minute of bear cub delight
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It's bear season in the Smokies, which means it's important for all visitors to slow down while driving, keep a safe distance between you and our park's bears, and delight in the playful nature of these iconic creatures when you're lucky enough to encounter them. Click on the image to watch 50 seconds of the most adorable footage you'll see all week.
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National Park Week
runs through Sunday
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Each day of National Park Week has a theme:
- April 20 - Junior Ranger Day
- April 21 - Military and Veteran Recognition Day
- April 22 - Earth Day
- April 23 - Transportation Tuesday
- April 24 - Wild Wednesday
- April 25 - Throwback Thursday
- April 26 - Friendship Friday
- April 27 - Bark Ranger Day
- April 28 - Park Rx Day
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Follow Great Smoky Mountains Association on Facebook and Instagram for our tribute to National Park Week as seen in the Smokies.
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park Visitation
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park welcomed a record 11,421,203 visitors in 2018. Who will 2019 bring to the Smokies?
January: 496,743
February: 421,770
March: 786,305
Total So Far: 1,704,818
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Support Our Business Partners
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Every business is important in the support of the Smokies. This month we travel to Cherokee to visit with another a long-standing member of the Lookout League:
Native American Craft Shop
has been
supporting GSMA since 2011. Located on the Cherokee Indian Reservation, Native American Craft Shop features the Southeast's largest collection of Native-made crafts and art. A Cherokee owned and operated business, they offer outstanding basketry, pottery, beadwork, carvings and cornhusk dolls made by skilled artists of the Eastern Band of Cherokee and a number of other tribes. Next time you head to Cherokee, stop and visit with this longtime supporter
.
New Businesses
Look Rock Level ($250 annually)
Renewing Businesses
Shuckstack Level ($500 annually)
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Look Rock Level ($250 annually)
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If you own a business, please contact
Breckenridge@GSMAssoc.org to learn how your business can be part of the Great Smoky Mountains Association Lookout League.
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Flash those pearly whites,
support your park
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Great Smoky Mountains Association carries more than 6,000 products designed to enrich your relationship with this national park. We know, however, that we cannot supply you with everything you need. When that happens and you consider Googling your way to Amazon.com, add a SMILE to your URL window.
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When you start with
Smile.Amazon.com and choose to support GSMA, the online superstore will give .5% of your purchase back to Great Smoky Mountains Association.
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The most recent issue of
Smokies Guide
, Great Smoky Mountains National Park's official park newspaper, is available to read online and can be mailed to you for free (S&H charges apply). Call 865.436.7318, Ext. 226 for mailing details.
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Great Smoky Mountains Association's Cub Report e-newsletter is published on or about the last Wednesday of each month, with the exception of January.
Laurel Rematore, Chief Executive Officer
Lisa Duff, Cub Report Editor
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Writers and graphic contributors to this issue include Logan Boldon, Emma DuFort, Frances Figart, Karen Key, Breckenridge Morgan, Valerie Polk and Peyton Proffitt.
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In addition to our web store, Great Smoky Mountains Association operates 11 visitor contact stations in and around Great Smoky Mountains National Park, including Cable Mill near Cades Cove Visitor Center. GSMA team members, including Bobby
Dannelley,
are available to help you find educational materials designed to enhance your park experience and deepen your appreciation for this special place.
Cades Cove is a showcase for some of the most inspiring natural and cultural treasures the Southern Appalachian Mountains have to offer. Native Americans were the first to visit the Cove, hunting and traversing many miles of trails in and out of the valley.
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The first people of European descent settled in Cades Cove around 1818-19. Throughout the 19th century and into the early 20th century, a community of churches, schools, mills, and general stores ourished. With the establishment of Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 1934, most Cove families left their homes. Many home sites, outbuildings, and a working grist mill have been preserved.
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Save with our card when you visit other
national parks, too.
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