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Welcome to the Thirteenth Edition of the Great Smoky
Mountains Association Online Newsletter.
We hope you will enjoy the latest news from the
Smokies as well as information about interesting
people, places, and things to do!
| Mountain Laurel in Bloom |
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Come enjoy the glory of the Smokies when the
mountain laurel is in bloom.
The spectacular display of mountain laurel is just
starting.
The vibrant blossoming of this native shrub is predicted
to last for the next 2-3 weeks.
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| Roads, Campgrounds & Picnic Areas Reopened at Balsam Mountain & Heintooga |
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Balsam Mountain and Heintooga Ridge roads are now
open.
Balsam Mountain Campground and Heintooga Picnic
Area are also open.
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| Cosby in the Park |
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Celebrate Cosby in the Park on May 19 at the Cosby
Picnic Area and Amphitheater.
Enjoy live music, crafts, children's games,
history and culture programs, and guided hikes.
From 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.
It's free!
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| New Black Bear T-Shirt for Kids |
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| Lightning Bugs Perform Magic Act! |
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Don't miss the trolleys to Elkmont to see the
synchronous fireflies!
From June 8-16, parking will be restricted, so plan
ahead for viewing this rare treat.
Trolleys will depart from Sugarlands Visitor Center
starting at 6:00 pm.
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| Park Passes -- Regular and Senior |
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This official National Park Service Pass allows you free
admission to every National Park Service site in the U.S.
(including U.S. Territories).
Good for national parks, monuments, historic sites,
seashores, lands overseen by the BLM and Fish &
Wildlife Service, etc.
Since many national parks now charge $25 per
vehicle, this pass quickly pays for itself. Buy the pass
from us and proceeds go directly to Great Smoky
Mountains National Park!
Age 62 or older? Stop at one of our Park Stores for your
$10 Senior Pass that lasts a lifetime.
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| Bird Songs on Amazing 2-CD Set |
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Experience the thrills and trills of these exquisite new
audio CDs Bird Songs of the Smokies.
You'll love these high-quality recordings of 67 different
species of birds made inside Great Smoky Mountains
National Park.
Each species is on its own numbered
track for quick reference, followed by narration about
how to find the bird and descriptions of some of its
habits.
Over 2 hours of songs and a 10 page booklet with
information about the birds and how the recordings
were made.
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Horace Kephart's Cabin Found! |
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Remains of the foundation of the historic Hall cabin
where Horace Kephart stayed were just discovered by
park archaeologist, Erik Kreusch during a study for the
revamping of the Derrick Knob Shelter on the
Appalachian Trail.
The photo above is a 1919 view from the collection of
Harvey Broome.
Kephart told wonderful stories of stormy nights spent in
remote places like the Hall cabin in his famous book
Our Southern Highlanders.
Wanna see how "backpackers" looked in 1919? Click here!
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