Nancy and Bob Furlow in their park camp host uniforms.

Unsung heroes of the Smokies: Camp hosts Nancy and Bob Furlow

When they drove into Smokemont Campground earlier this year, Nancy and Bob Furlow had never been to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. As full-time RVers, the couple, married for over three decades, thought Smokemont would be just another stop on their long-running tour across the country. “We noticed that the

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Walt Evans September 18, 2023
Photo of hikers in Great Smoky Mountains in the fall.

Fall glamping eco-adventure supports biodiversity nonprofit

As the lush green hues of summer fade, yielding to the crisp crimson colors of autumn, the Great Smoky Mountains undergo a breathtaking transformation. Under the canopy, golden sunlight filters through a kaleidoscope of leaves, casting a warm, ethereal glow on the landscape. Small animals ‘shuffle-crunch-snap’ through the leaf litter,

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Hayley Benton September 14, 2023
summertime on Andrews Bald

Now accepting applications for 2024 Steve Kemp Writer’s Residency

Great Smoky Mountains Association is now accepting applications for its fourth Steve Kemp Writer’s Residency. The annual residency hosted by GSMA is designed to help writers of any medium connect in meaningful ways with Great Smoky Mountains National Park by providing space for successful applicants to focus on their craft

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Aaron Searcy September 5, 2023
mountain gentian

Wildflowers 101: White snakeroot and mountain gentian

Have you ever heard of “milk sickness”?  What could something like that possibly have to do with wildflowers found in Great Smoky Mountains National Park? Read on to find out.  The first wildflower we shall examine is white snakeroot. White snakeroot generally grows from one to four feet tall, and its white

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Tom Harrington September 2, 2023
From mid to late September, residents of Western North Carolina and East Tennessee have the opportunity to see hundreds of broad-winged hawks at a time in large groups called ‘kettles’ circling higher and higher into the air currents and moving south along the Blue Ridge Mountains. Provided by Richard Crossly.

Coming soon: The broad-winged hawk migration

As we prepare for the arrival of fall, we can also be on the lookout for a breathtaking wildlife spectacle that is a part of life here in the Southern Appalachian Mountains: the migration of the broad-winged hawk. Small forest-dwelling birds of prey, broad-winged hawks migrate annually to South and

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Frances Figart August 29, 2023
The North Carolina-based artist Tray Wellington is a rising star of contemporary bluegrass. In 2019, he won the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Momentum Instrumentalist of the Year award, and in both 2022 and 2023 he was a finalist for the association’s New Artist of the Year award. Photo by Rob Laughter, courtesy of the artist.

Blue Ridge artist Tray Wellington builds bridges with bluegrass

Late last month, I was lucky enough to catch a special musical performance in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It was a fine morning in high summer, and on the back porch of the Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee, North Carolina, a four-piece string band launched into the first swirling

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Aaron Searcy August 17, 2023
Newfound Gap

“The Green Tunnel” through the Smokies

The Appalachian Trail (AT) is an iconic American long-distance path. In Great Smoky Mountains National Park, it runs over 70 miles along the park’s high ridges and gaps, including Clingmans Dome, the highest point on the AT. For many hikers, it’s the premier trail in the park. And while the

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Arthur "Butch" McDade August 13, 2023
A recent study by Marshal Hedin and Marc Milne identified three new-to-science species of the spider genus Nesticus living in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This photo shows an adult female Nesticus nasicus carrying her egg sac. Provided by Marshal Hedin.

Dykeman namesake among three new Smokies spiders

Although the word “spider” may elicit a “yuck” or an “ew” from many readers, the true nature of these oft-feared critters is not as icky as one might suppose. Arachnids provide essential services for humans and play key roles in balancing our ecosystems by keeping herbivorous insects in check. At

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Frances Figart August 9, 2023

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Photo courtesy of Joye Ardyn Durham

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GET THE LATEST FROM THE SMOKIES

By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive eNews from Great Smoky Mountains Association, P.O. Box 130, Gatlinburg, TN, 37738, US, http://www.smokiesinformation.org. You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact.

GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS ASSOCIATION

is a proud partner of Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the National Park Service

115 Park Headquarters Rd. Gatlinburg, TN 37738
865.436.7318    mailorder@gsmassoc.org

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