February 2020
News and Happenings from
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
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Park Hosts Record 12.5 Million Visitors in 2019
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
welcomed a record 12,547,743 visitors in 2019, which is 1,126,540 more visitors than in 2018. The park’s three primary entrances near Gatlinburg, Townsend and Cherokee all had increased use, accounting for about two-thirds of total park visitation. Secondary park entrances experienced tremendous growth, due primarily to the new section of the Foothills Parkway between Walland and Wears Valley. Over one million visitors enjoyed this new scenic driving experience.
“I am very proud of our employees who work hard each day, along with our volunteers and partners, to help provide outstanding visitor experiences and to protect the resources that people come here to enjoy,” said Superintendent Cassius Cash. “With growing visitation, this has become more challenging. In 2020, we’ll be inviting people to help us thoughtfully look at how we can improve access and continue caring for this very special place.”
Monthly visitation records were set during January, March, April, May, June and December. In both April and May, approximately one million people visited. Before 2015, park visitation had not exceeded one million visitors per month until the summer and fall months. Another traditional shoulder season month, September, has now exceeded one million visitors since 2015. Visitors are more consistently reporting traffic congestion, busy restrooms, and over-full parking areas throughout the year. These are some of the issues the park will be exploring over the next year in an effort to provide better access, experiences, and stewardship of the park.
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Projects Nominated for Public Lands Alliance Awards in March
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It’s our great pleasure to announce that three Great Smoky Mountains Association projects are in the running for Partnership Awards, a program of the
Public Lands Alliance
.
The Partnership Awards
celebrate the best in public lands partnerships, recognizing individuals, organizations, publications, products, programs and services that embody leading-edge achievements in the preservation of public lands and the enrichment of visitors.
This year, GSMA has these projects up for awards:
Millers Historical Demonstrations
for Outstanding Public Engagement;
Species-a-Day Perpetual Calendar
for
Innovative Product of the Year; and George Ellison and Janet McCue’s
Back of Beyond: A Horace Kephart Biography
for Publication of the Year.
An additional nomination for Agency Leadership remains confidential until winners are announced on March 4 at a ceremony at the annual PLA conference in Arlington, Virginia. Click the link below to read more about the projects.
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CAN'T MISS
2020 Historic Photograph
Calendar
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Despite already being five weeks into the new year, the
2020 GSMA Historic Photograph Calendar
is a can’t-miss for history buffs, photography aficionados, and park enthusiasts alike. Now on sale for $8, the calendar features a variety of classic black-and-white images that tell the story of the early days before the Smokies were protected and became our park. Here are a few of the amazing photos that can be found within.
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Members of Smoky Mountains Hiking Club at Myrtle Point—photograph by Jim Thompson
When the Smoky Mountains Hiking Club was formed in 1924, its members agreed to work for the protection of the natural beauty of the mountains. The club began to publish annual handbooks with hiking tips, sample hikes and recommended foods. In the days before the creation of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, a hike to Mount Le Conte from Knoxville, where the club was based, was usually an overnight trip.
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John Jones, miller at Mingus Mill—photograph by E. E. Exline
Mingus Mill was built in 1886 and operated for nearly 50 years. It served not only as a mill for grinding local farmers’ corn into meal and wheat into flour, but also as a social gathering place for many of the locals. John Jones was a local miller who operated the mill on lease from the National Park Service in the late 1930s, shortly after it was restored, until the early 1940s, when it closed once more. NPS reopened the working mill as an attraction in the late 1960s.
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Winter Stream—photograph by Jim Thompson
Around World War I, Jim Thompson began photographing the Smokies to take pictures back to his mother. In those days, it was a two-day drive to get into the mountains from Knoxville. He camped one night along the way and sometimes motored up the middle of a creek; if it rained hard, he had to wait for the high water to recede. Thompson’s images were an attempt to convey how he saw things. He took plenty of time setting up and waiting before taking a picture, and his perfectionism still shows in his superlative images of the Smokies.
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Cherokee Family—photograph by George Masa
Photographer George Masa often visited the Cherokee Fair in the fall season and also took many trips to Cherokee throughout the year, photographing families and sporting competitions. This Cherokee family was probably attending the fair. The basket the mother holds was likely not for competition but for carrying the family’s meal for the day.
Photo courtesy of the Horace Kephart Family Collection
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SNEAK PEEK
Smokies Life
Spring 2020 Issue
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In of July 2019, a man went missing in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, prompting Search and Rescue teams from all across the region to spring into action. After five days and four nights in the national park backcountry, the man was found alert and responsive near the Cataloochee Divide Trail.
Chief Ranger Lisa Hendy is thrilled with this happy ending. But she hopes to help our park prevent most Search and Rescue operations from having to happen in the first place. Hendy’s background and focus lie in Preventive Search and Rescue — and, with a record 12.5 million annual visitors to the park in 2019, it appears Hendy has arrived in the Smokies at just the right historic moment.
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The biggest challenge the park faces in the coming decade is the sheer volume of people it attracts and, as more and more visitors spend time along the Smokies’ beautiful trails, the odds increase that emergencies will occur at a higher rate. That’s why Hendy is intent on preventing the frequency of such incidents.
How, you might wonder, can Search and Rescue be
preventive
? Find out in the Spring 2020 issue of
Smokies Life
, in a feature story and profile written by Frances Figart, GSMA's creative director and the magazine's editor.
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Q&A
New GSMA
Team Member
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Join us in welcoming
Aaron Searcy
,
who joined the Great Smoky Mountains Association team in January as the new publications associate. A writer, editor and occasional farmhand based in Knoxville, Aaron comes to us fresh from a stint abroad in Australia, where he earned a master’s degree in writing, publishing and poetry from the University of Melbourne. Get to know Aaron below:
What is your role at Great Smoky Mountains Association, and what does that role comprise?
I couldn’t be happier to be stepping into the role of publications associate, which is a title also held by the talented Valerie Polk at GSMA . . .
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CREATURE FEATURE
Plant Rant
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Text and artwork
by Emma DuFont,
Publications Specialist
We’re still a month or two away from prolific wildflower blooms here in the Smokies, but in honor of Valentine’s Day, I couldn’t resist the chance to talk about the
bleeding heart wildflower
(
Dicentra eximia
). Its rosy pink flower is the inspiration for the name, with two large outer petals that form an elongated heart shape and inner petals that darken in color, creating the appearance of a “bleeding” drip. Though this perennial is somewhat uncommon within the park, you’ve probably seen its more abundant relatives, squirrel corn and Dutchman’s britches. Squirrel corn in particular shares a similar shape but can be easily distinguished from the bleeding heart by its white color.
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The three plants belong to the
Dicentra
genus, meaning “two-spurred” in Greek. Bleeding heart tends to grow in small groups and prefers rich, moist coves, where it attracts bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds as pollinators. Look for it on Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail or Cosby Nature Trail; even outside the blooming period from April to June, it can be identified by its delicate fern-like evergreen leaves.
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Mount Le Conte Llama Socks
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These whimsical socks are an ode to the llama train, which takes supplies to Mount Le Conte every week. Llamas have less of an impact on the trail and therefore cause less erosion. Support the park and keep your feet warm in these socks and
others.
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Perfect for a rainy day, this highly detailed poster-sized puzzle includes fun facts and an image reference. This unique die-cut puzzle features 550 pieces. Find other games and puzzles on our
web store.
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This lightweight hoodie, made of premium ring-spun cotton, is ideal for layering whether on the trail or off. Printed on the upper left chest is the bear, cabin and tree logo, which represents flora, fauna and historic areas of the Smokies.
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All purchases support the park!
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Park Announces Temporary Cataloochee Area Road Closures
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced that the main access road into the Cataloochee area, Cove Creek Road, will be closed by the North Carolina Department of Transportation to conduct road repairs from February 10 through May 20.
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Cataloochee Valley is home to the majestic elk and nine historic buildings, including the barn pictured above.
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The county roadway will be closed to stabilize a hillside just outside the park. The secondary access road into the area, Highway 284, will also be closed in the park throughout the duration of the construction project. Both roadways will be closed to all vehicles, cyclists and horseback riders.
The secondary access road into the Cataloochee area, Highway 284, is a narrow, winding gravel road leading from the Big Creek area of the park into Cataloochee Valley. This gravel route is often seasonally closed during the winter months due to hazardous conditions and is not recommended for low clearance vehicles or trailers. This road will be closed throughout the closure period at the park boundary, approximately two miles north of Mt. Sterling Gap. During the closure, there will not be any potable water, restrooms, trash removal or camping provided in the Cataloochee area.
Backcountry trails and campgrounds will remain open throughout the closure, but there will be no access to trailhead parking beyond the Big Creek area. Hikers and horseback riders should plan to start their itineraries from the Big Creek area or from other areas across the park. The Cataloochee Campground, Group Camp, Horse Camp and all services are expected to be operational by Memorial Day weekend.
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Support Our Lookout League Business Partners
Lookout League membership is a sign of a business's commitment to the perpetual preservation of GSMNP. This month we visit with another long-standing member of the Lookout League.
Ely's Mill
was built in 1925 as a tourist attraction and is one of the few remaining pieces of "Old Gatlinburg." Located along the Roaring Fork Creek, the mill features local crafts and antiques, as well as two overnight rental cabins. The mill is also available for small wedding parties and photo shoots. While the waterwheel no longer turns, the founding family, who still lives on site, hopes to one day get it back in working condition. Thank you to Ely's Mill for being a Lookout League member since 2011!
Renewing Businesses
Mount Sterling Level ($5,000 annually)
Mount Cammerer Level ($2,500 annually)
(7th year)
Shuckstack Level ($500 annually)
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Look Rock Level ($250 annually)
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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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Our members support Great Smoky Mountains Association, and, in turn, the park. Join or renew your membership
online
or by phone at 865.436.7318 ext 257, 254, or 222. If you have any questions regarding your membership, please contact us.
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