A Walk in the Woods Great Smoky Mountains

09/13/2026

Adventures Southeast. Multi-day backpacking and multi-sport expeditions designed to build skill, resilience, and connection with terrain.

09/13/2026

All those fireflies who lit up your summer nights like fairies carrying lanterns? 🧚✨ They’ve laid their eggs right in your backyard.Those future little lanterns are growing right now under the surface, but they need a safe place to sleep through the winter. They will come out next summer to put on their magical show all over again—but only if you leave your leaves! 🍂🏡This fall, skip the rake, leave a little mess, and protect the magic.

09/12/2026

The park will close the section of Little River Road between the Townsend Wye and Elkmont for essential road maintenance on September 15 and 17.

• On September 15, the park will close Townsend Wye to Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area from 7 a.m. to noon. Visitors can use Wears Valley Road (US 321) between Townsend and Line Springs Road as a detour.
• On September 17, the park will close Metcalf Bottoms to Elkmont Junction from 7 a.m. to noon. Visitors can use Wears Valley Road between Line Springs Road and Pigeon Forge as a detour.

Elkmont, Metcalf Bottoms, and Cades Cove will remain accessible during this closure but may require detours. Visitors should plan for increased travel time.
Motor homes, buses and vans longer than 25 feet, as well as any passenger vehicles towing a trailer, are prohibited on Wear Cove Gap Road from the park boundary to and including the Metcalf Bottoms bridge.

09/12/2026

Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s original B.A.R.K Ranger.

Smoky Jack, or Cumberland Jack, was a German Shepherd best known for his unwavering loyalty to Paul Adams and their adventures atop Mount Le Conte.

But his story began before that partnership. Smoky Jack was originally sent to be trained as a police dog. Tragically, the K9 officer who he would have partnered with was killed in the line of duty.

When Paul Adams was appointed to create a camp at the top of Mount Le Conte, he needed a trusted partner while being alone on the mountain. Who better than man’s best friend? Smoky Jack made the perfect companion. When the two met, they had an instant connection. Paul bought Jack for $250 in 1925, beginning their lifelong friendship.

Smoky Jack often traveled alone, traversing the rugged mountain terrain from Mount Le Conte, down what was then known as the Mill Creek Trail, part of today's Rainbow Falls Trail, and into Gatlinburg. He would pick up supplies from local stores in town and transport them via his custom fitted saddle bags.

Once the lodge on Mount Le Conte was constructed, Smoky Jack remained with his new caretakers while Paul returned to Gatlinburg. Yet the bond between Paul and Smoky Jack was so strong that Smoky Jack often ran off to Paul. Eventually, he moved in with Paul and his wife on their farm, where he lived out the rest of his 14 years. He was buried there and honored with a custom headstone.

And today, Smoky Jack’s story reminds us that dogs have always played an important role in these mountains. Modern B.A.R.K. Rangers help protect the park by following the B.A.R.K. principles: bag your waste, always leash your pet, respect wildlife, and know where you can hike with your dog. Is your dog a B.A.R.K. Ranger?

Learn more about pets in the Smokies: https://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/pets.htm



NPS Historic Photo

09/12/2026

09/11/2026

09/11/2026

From September 14 to 30, the park has multiple shoulder and single-lane closures planned on the Gatlinburg Spur that will affect traffic. If you plan to drive between Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge on these dates, please drive with caution and leave extra travel time in case of delays.

• On Sept. 14-17 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., a single-lane closure is scheduled for the southbound section of the Spur between the Gatlinburg Welcome Center and the Gatlinburg City Limit for storm damage repairs.

• On Sept. 14-16 from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., shoulder closures are scheduled for the north and southbound acceleration ramps near Huskey Grove Bridge for utility surveys for future construction. Personnel will be working behind the guardrails and medians of both the north and southbound lanes.

• On Sept. 21-30 from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., single-lane closures are scheduled for the north and southbound lanes near Huskey Grove Bridge for utility work. The park plans to start single-lane closures on the southbound lanes and then shift to the northbound lanes. The single-lane closure will affect the tunnel in the northbound lane. Work is scheduled to conclude for the day at noon on Sept. 25 and will not occur over the weekend.

Learn more about this roadwork: https://www.nps.gov/grsm/learn/news/upcoming-single-lane-closures-on-gatlinburg-spur-sept-14-30.htm

09/11/2026

Joro spiders, native to Asia but invasive in North America, have established populations across the South. Great Smoky Mountains National Park is asking visitors to help track sightings. See link below ⬇️

📸 Provided by Jarren Rendon, Smokies Life