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kevin naylor bear salad
Bear at an Aerial Salad Bar Photo by Kevin Naylor

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Catawba Rhododendrons in Bloom
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Catawba Rhododendron by Tom Harrington

Watching the Fireflies at Elkmont
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Firefly Photo by Judd Patterson

Transportation for the Elkmont Firefly Event will be running from June 5-13.


Synchronous fireflies can also be viewed at Greenbrier, Cataloochee, Cades Cove, Cherokee Orchard Road.

The show starts late at night about 10:15 pm.

Prime viewing conditions are in open areas, at lower elevations, near streams, and at the bottom of a slope.  But they can be seen in many places.


Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials have announced that the Elkmont entrance road will be closed to motor vehicles and pedestrian use every night from 5:00 p.m. until midnight, June 5-13, except to registered campers staying at the Elkmont Campground.  The closure is to accommodate transportation service for visitors planning to spend the evening viewing the natural-occurring, synchronous firefly beetles at Elkmont.

The City of Gatlinburg, in partnership with the Park, will provide the trolleys for this activity.  The trolley service, coinciding with the expected peak flashing period, will be the sole transportation mode for visitor access during this period; no private vehicles will be allowed to enter Elkmont.  For safety purposes, restrictions will be in place to prohibit motor vehicles from parking along roadsides, pullouts, or any other areas besides at the Sugarlands Visitor Center parking area for the purposes of viewing fireflies at Elkmont.  Only those visitors parking at the visitor center will be allowed to ride the trolleys.  Because of safety concerns, visitors will  not be allowed to walk the Elkmont entrance road.

The trolleys will begin picking up visitors from the Sugarlands Visitor Center RV/bus parking area at 7 p.m.  The trolleys will run continually until the Sugarlands Visitor Center parking area is full or until 9 p.m., whichever comes first. The last trolley to return visitors from Elkmont to the Sugarlands Visitor Center is scheduled at 11 p.m.  The cost will be $1 round trip per person as in previous years.

For those riding the trolleys, it is recommended that visitors bring flashlights with red cellophane covers to reduce white light.  Visitors can bring lawn chairs, and carry food and water in backpacks which can fit on their laps in the trolleys; there are no services available at the site.

Visitors are prohibited from bringing coolers, alcoholic beverages, or their pets.

Horses and Coyote in Cades Cove
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Peaceable Kingdom by Bruce Davis


Yes, it's a real photo.  No, it's not Photoshopped.
New Products
New Commemorative Quarters from the Nation's Very 1st National Park:  Hot Springs, Arkansas
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Clingman's Dome Cap
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Adult Black Bear T-Shirt
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Bear Pepper Spray
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Check out the synchronous firefly items:
Firefly Print, Firefly Poster

Click on the link to check out all our New Items.

Little River, Jakes Creek & Elkmont Fix
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Jakes Creek Photo by Doug Sutherland


A $1,301,847 contract was awarded on April 6 to Lexington Contracting, LLC of Lexington, KY to pave three parking areas and to repave all the connecting roads between the Little River Trailhead and the Elkmont Historic District. 

During the early phases of construction, visitor access to Jakes Creek and Little River Trails will be provided, but the area will be closed between July 6 and August 31 when safe passage can no longer be possible through the construction zone.

The result of the work will be better hiker parking for both Little River and Jakes Creek trails.

Our New Business Members
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NOC's Great Outpost

1138 Parkway
Gatlinburg TN 37738
tel: 865.277.8209
Adam Metzger
email: [email protected]
www.noc.com
 
NOC's Great Outpost is Gatlinburg's gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains, offering all the gear, services and free advice guests need to take full advantage of the area's great outdoors. The store offers area visitors free attractions-including a 25-foot tall climbing wall, a swinging rope bridge and a kid-friendly "bear den"-as well as gear from a variety of famous brands like The North Face, Columbia Sportswear and Mountain Hardware.
At NOC's Great Outpost GSMA members in good standing will receive a 10% discount on non-sale merchandise.

Below you will find several new GSMA Business Members who support our park. Please visit them when you're in the area. They, as well as our individual members, support the Great Smoky Mountains National Park by being members of GSMA.
 
You can see all of GSMA's Business Members by clicking on Our Business Members. To see the discounts offered to GSMA members, go to our website and click on Discounts & Freebies. Then pick your favorite category and shop.

If you own a business and would like to be included in this newsletter and our website, contact Westy Fletcher at 423.487.3131 or [email protected]


Misty Mountain Soap Company
849 Glades Road
Suite 2C6
Gatlinburg TN 37738
tel: 865.325.8084
Cindy Heinemann
email: [email protected]
www.mistymountainsoap.com
GSMA Members in good standing will receive a 10% discount on products.
 
Best Western Zoder's Inn
402 Parkway
P.O. Box 708
Gatlinburg TN 37738
tel: 865.436.5681
Denise Russell
email: [email protected]
www.zoders.com
 
Hike America
P.O. Box 5684
Redwood City CA 94063
tel: 800.880.4453
Roy Klebe
email: [email protected]
www.hikeamerica.com

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Tremont Waterfall Photo by Charlie Choc

New Clingmans Dome Information Center Under Construction
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Photo by Terry Maddox


Renovation at the new Clingmans Dome Information Center is proceeding at a necessarily fast pace.  The roofing is complete, the concrete floor is poured.  Windows and doors are being installed, as well as the power generation system and lightning protection for the building.  Interior painting and building fixtures are slated for completion in early June.  We are on track to open to the public on Saturday, June 19.
New Cades Cove Road
Yippee!
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Photo by Sue Ann Cassidy Tarkenton
Video Hike to Charlies Bunion
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Join Valerie Polk on a hike to Charlies Bunion and check out the view in her newest video.
New Oconaluftee Visitor Center Under Construction
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Photo by Terry Maddox

Construction of the new Oconaluftee Visitor Center is progressing smoothly with the majority of underground and foundation work completed.  Visitors will start seeing a noticeable difference in a couple of weeks, when the steel framing starts going up.  We anticipate a late October/early November move-in.
New Free Guide to the Park Via iPhone 
Enter the Sweepstakes and Win Cool Stuff

nomad-tanDo you have an iPhone or iTouch?

If you do, then check out the new applications created by GSMA and Nomad Mobile Guides! 

The Smokies Visitor Guide App is totally FREE!

It includes:
  • visitor services info including restrooms, campgrounds, safety info, and more
  • an offline map of the park
  • a beautiful photo gallery
The Best of the Great Smoky Mountains  App is $4.99.

It includes in addition to all the info in the Smokies Visitor Guide:
  •  Auto Touring Favorites
  •  Cades Cove Tour
  •  Day Hike Favorites
  •  Self-Guiding Nature Trails
  •  Waterfall Favorites
If you buy the "Best of the Great Smoky Mountains" App and review it on iTunes, you can enter to win your choice of a $200 REI.com gift certificate for gear or apparel or the entire PBS series "National Parks: America's Best Idea" on DVD, as well as the CD soundtrack and Ken Burns' coffee table companion book.
Fire on the Mountain
But It's Not What You Think, It's a GSMA Members' Hike
yellow azalea harringtonYellow Azalea by Tom Harrington

We're looking for some enthusiastic individuals who want to stand on one of the high spots in the Smokies and drink in not only a bird's-eye view of Fontana Lake and the surrounding mountains, but also be mesmerized by the stunning flame azaleas and Catawba rhododendrons!  Marti Smith will lead the hike and is a "900-miler", having hiked every trail in the park.

The almost 4-mile round trip hike to Andrews Bald offers an opportunity that any visitor to the park simply should not miss.  Though considered to be an easy to moderate hike, the trail is extremely rocky with a steep descent and an upward climb before reaching the Bald.  Andrews is the highest grassy bald in the park and the only one that is completely located on the North Carolina side.

The hike will begin at the Clingmans Dome parking area at 9:00 am on Saturday, June 19.  Wear good hiking boots, bring rain gear (hopefully you won't need it), water and a lunch to enjoy when you arrive at the bald.  And don't forget a camera and binoculars, especially if you're a birder.  A hiking stick may be advisable for added stability.  GSMA is not liable for any mishaps on the trail.

Registration is limited to 20 people and there is a $10 registration fee per person. Call Judy or Marti at 865-436-7318, Ext. 222 or 254 to register.
Two Special Occasions to Purchase Gift Memberships!
Need a Father's Day or Graduation Present?
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Baby Bunny in Clover Photo by Doug Sutherland

With the month of June comes Father's Day and Graduations!  What better way to honor your father, grandfather, or brother... especially if they are Smokies' enthusiasts?  Maybe they enjoy hiking, fishing, photography, the flora and fauna of the Smokies, or perhaps they're history buffs. 

A membership in GSMA has benefits to meet all these interests.  Our quarterly Smokies Guide, twice a year Bearpaw and Smokies Life magazine... plus our monthly e-newsletter, The Cub Report, all have information at hand to help make their next visit to the park more enjoyable.  Plus they receive a 15% discount on items purchased at our sales locations and through mail order. These are just a few of the benefits of being a member!

The same holds true for the young graduate who is starting out on life's great adventure!  There's no better way to get them on the "right path" than having them experience this park!

For further information and to order a membership by phone call 865-436-7318, Ext. 222 or 254!

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Yearling Deer Photo by Deb Campbell

Firewood Quarantine
Leave Home Without It!

There is a firewood quarantine in the park.  Firewood from Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec may not be brought into GSMNP. 

The fines are $250,000 and/or imprisonment.

This is to prevent the further spread of these destructive non-native insects:  Asian Longhorn Beetle, Emerald Ash Borer, and Gypsy Moth.

For questions about this or to report suspected violations, call (865) 436-1250.  If you have any of this wood, burn it as soon as possible.

So, don't bring firewood from home.  Buy it locally.
Fogbow Off Hyatt Lane in Cades Cove
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Photo by Deb Campbell

Isn't this amazing?  It's all part of the "smoke" in the Smokies.  To see this and a lot more wonderful and funny photos of animals and park landscapes, join us on Facebook.
Gift Memberships


Give a membership in Great Smoky Mountains Association for a present.  Not only does the recipient receive a variety of benefits, including the Smokies Guide newspaper, Bearpaw newsletter, and Smokies Life magazine, and a 15% discount on merchandise, but there's the added benefit of knowing you're helping the park!

And of course, if we're given the recipient's e-mail address they can look forward to receiving the Cub Report e-newsletter, just like the one you're reading now ... full of good articles, information, photos, and wonderful videos to help them enjoy the Smokies even when it's impossible for them to visit in person!

Gift memberships are great for events like birthdays, anniversaries, and other special occasions.  No shopping, no wrapping, no mailing!  Just a thoughtful and useful gift straight from your heart to theirs.
Contact [email protected]
Any Questions?
For questions about online purchases, click here and Doug will help you.
For questions about membership, click here and Judy or Marti will help you.

For questions about business membership, click here and Westy will help you.