Unlike other pussytoe species, the solitary pussytoe has only one flowering head on each stalk. Provided by Holly Kays.

When spring comes into focus

The stream of flowers is mere inches from my face, but I see nothing remarkable as I peer through the camera lens. A bed of brown leaves, beaten down from months of freeze and thaw. A smattering of twigs and protruding rocks. Occasional pockets of moss, a rare shot of

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Volunteers ensure veterans buried in the Smokies are never forgotten

Since 2020, Marilyn Childress, a US Navy veteran and president of the Veterans Heritage Site Foundation in Knoxville, Tennessee, has organized Wreaths Across America in Great Smoky Mountains National Park—working to ensure the names of veterans buried in the park are spoken aloud each year. “We have a saying that

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Wild blue phlox (pictured), fire pink, purple wakerobin and yellow trillium are among the many colorful flowers in bloom throughout Great Smoky Mountains National Park in mid-to-late April. Eco-Adventurers can expect to see these and many more wildflowers along the trail on the April 21-23 excursions. Photo provided by Ralph Daily.

‘Gradient of spring’ offers opportunity for exploration

By the third week of April, spring is in full bloom throughout the picturesque valleys of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. In these lower elevations, trails burst with color—blue phlox, yellow trillium, fire pink, purple wakerobin—vibrant and vivid, like a palette of paints beneath a canopy canvas of white dogwood.

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Tremont Writers Conference returns October 23–27

Walker Valley near Townsend, Tennessee, is one of the most strikingly beautiful havens of biodiversity in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Nestled here just beside the Middle Prong of the Little River and not far from the impressive Spruce Flats Falls, Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont has been connecting

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Daron K. Roberts

Daron K. Roberts selected as 2024 Kemp Writer in Residence

This year’s Steve Kemp Writer-in-Residence, Daron K. Roberts, has arrived in the Smokies for part of his six-week stay. During his time in the Smokies, Roberts will explore diverse stories of individuals who spent their prime years building and maintaining the foundation of Great Smoky Mountains National Park as part

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From left: Jeremy Lloyd, Richard Powers, Janet McCue, Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle, and Frank X Walker. Provided by Michele Sons.

Scratch-made lit conference comes to the Smokies

Last autumn, as the leaves were changing color in Walker Valley, Tremont Institute held a writers conference for the first time. I had the rare pleasure of designing the conference from start to finish alongside my co-coordinator Frances Figart, creative services director at Smokies Life (formerly Great Smoky Mountains Association),

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The spring four-flasher is a widespread species of firefly found in various grassy habitats, including hay fields and meadows, across the eastern United States. The most common flash pattern for this species is a string of three or four pulses of greenish-yellow light about a half second apart followed by four seconds of darkness. Provided by DLiA.

DNA barcoding confirms firefly species in the park

Anyone who watches murder mystery TV shows or listens to true-crime podcasts has probably heard of the use of DNA analysis in forensic science to exonerate or implicate a suspect. But what if DNA analysis could also be used to solve the mystery of who lives in Great Smoky Mountains

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Smokies Life launches national search for next CEO

Smokies Life, formerly Great Smoky Mountains Association, has launched a national search for its next Chief Executive Officer. This campaign follows a retirement announcement, made public at the end of 2023, from current CEO Laurel Rematore. Respected as an innovator throughout the network of U.S. public lands, Rematore has been

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Scenic photo of fog taken by Michele Sons.

The art of fog

From swirling clouds enveloping Clingmans Dome to mystical mornings in Cades Cove, fog and mist play a leading role in the story of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Fog can be found here throughout the year and across all elevations, delivering both immense beauty and mood as well as playing

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Recent Posts

Photo courtesy of Joye Ardyn Durham

Scenic photo of fog taken by Michele Sons.

The art of fog

From swirling clouds enveloping Clingmans Dome to mystical mornings in Cades Cove, fog and mist play a leading role in the story of Great Smoky

Read More >

Great Smokies

Welcome Center

Hours of Operation

(subject to change)

Open year round (closed December 25)


January - February

Open Daily 9:00 am - 4:30 pm

March - November

Open Daily 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
December

Open Daily 9:00 am - 4:30 pm

The Great Smokies Welcome Center is located on U.S. 321 in Townsend, TN, 2 miles from the west entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Visitors can get information about things to see and do in and around the national park and shop from a wide selection of books, gifts, and other Smokies merchandise. Daily, weekly, and annual parking tags for the national park are also available.

Physical Address

7929 E. Lamar Alexander Parkway Townsend TN 37882

Contact

865.436.7318 Ext 320