Bugling will soon be heard in the Cataloochee Valley as the growing elk herd gears up for the rut.

Of the 15 or more elk calves born in the national park this year, at least 11 survived. More calves may be counted in the near future as their mothers bring them out of hiding.

This raises the park elk population to approximately 85!

This year's GSMA annual meeting will be held September 14, 15 & 16 (Friday, Saturday & Sunday) at Twin Creeks area off Cherokee Orchard Road near Gatlinburg.

Reservations must be made by Friday, August 31. The cost is $30 per person (children under 12 may attend for free).

A full array of outdoor and indoor activities are planned. Entertainment will be provided by singer Laura Boosinger and storyteller Elizabeth Rose.

Everything you want to know about bears in 23 new podcasts!

Kim Delozier, Supervisory Wildlife Biologist for the park, teaches you how to evaluate bear behavior and manage encounters with bears in and around the Smokies.

Best of all, you can enjoy several comedy episodes about times when Kim's interactions with bears didn't go quite the way he meant for them to!

"Most honey is made by bees. But sourwood is made by bees and angels." So said Carson Brewer and he knew what he was talking about!

This is Southern Appalachian Highlands health food. No preservatives.

The work needed to reopen the Park's flood-damaged Parson Branch Road is not expected to be finished until about mid-September.

The 8-mile-long gravel road, which leads from Cades Cove to U.S. 129 in Blount County, TN, has been closed since a May 2003 flood.

Repairs have been slowed because of the difficulty of moving large quantities of materials and equipment to the work sites via the narrow road.

Park Superintendent Dale A. Ditmanson said, "In repairing this road we were careful to preserve the leisurely, nearly trail-like experience that motorists find so appealing. But, the downside is that spots where the road is wide enough for trucks to meet and pass are few and far between, so all the work has to be closely coordinated."

Carolyn Jourdan, GSMA's own Bumbling Bushwacker and Webmaster, will be signing copies of her bestselling book, Heart in the Right Place at the Gatlinburg Welcome Center on Monday, September 10, from 11 am-2 pm.

The Welcome Center is on the Spur (U.S. 441) between Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg.

Proceeds will benefit the Park!

The photographs in this spiral-bound, large-format calendar will take your breath away.

Includes 13 images of rolling mountains, rollicking streams, wildflowers, and other stunning Smoky Mountains scenes.

Contains information on flora, fauna, and park special events.

Specially featured this year are photos and text about Smoky Mountains wildlife. Photography by Jerry Whaley.