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Take our Butterfly Quiz
Click HERE to test your knowledge of Smoky Mountain butterflies.
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Mountains-to-Sea Hike
set for May 4
GSMA board member Danny Bernstein will lead a hike on a section of the Mountains-to-Sea trail from 10 a.m. until noon on Saturday, May 4. Those wishing to hike with Danny should meet at the Mingus Mill parking area 10 minutes prior to the hike's start.
The Mountains-to-Sea Trail begins at Clingmans Dome and ends 1,000 miles away at the ocean's edge at the North Carolina coast.
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Take our Poll:
"The perfect peanut butter companion is..."
Click HERE to take the poll. Last month's poll results are shown near the end of this newsletter.
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Video by Valerie Polk
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A rain-drenched winter and early spring have spurred a "Super Bloom" of spring wildflowers in the Smokies.
One of the finest short loops in the park formed by Little River Trail, Cucumber Gap Trail and a small portion of Jakes Creek Trail features a lovely riverside stroll, easy hiking through rich forest and a wide array of wildflower species. Visitors are also raving about the wildflower displays at sites such as Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail and Porters Creek Trail, saying the flowers are richer than they have ever seen before.
Wildflowers blooming in May include painted trillium, foamflower, columbine, bleeding heart, and May-apple, mountain laurel, silverbell and umbrella magnolia.
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Your  Matters!
We NEED your help! Watch your inbox in early May for the arrival of our Membership Survey.
Your honest feedback will go a long way toward helping us design a program that meets your needs, from enhanced benefits to special events and more. Plus, one individual who completes our survey will win a free annual membership, just for giving us a piece of their mind.
Thank you in advance for your feedback. We're listening.
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Calling All Volunteers
Are you a park lover with time on your hands? Do you want to support the park in new and exciting ways? Consider volunteering for GSMA today!
Click HERE and answer these questions:
Your name?
Tell us a little about your background?
When are you available?
Would you like to:
- Help with weekend special events?
- Work in one of our store locations?
- Lead a hike or special program?
- Help organize/recognize our volunteers?
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Go birding with Kevin Burke
Best to get your reservations in early for this one, folks.
GSMA member Kevin Burke will lead a birding adventure from Park Headquarters Saturday, May 4, starting at 8 a.m. Now's the best time to see spring migrants including vireos, warblers, tanagers, swallows and grosbeaks, Kevin said. Need some supplies? Check out these items: Cost to bird with Kevin is $10 for non-GSMA members, $5 for members. The program is limited to 16 participants, so get your reservations in today. Call Judy or Marti at 865.436.7318, Ext. 222 or 254, to reserve your place on this walk.
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By the time most of you see this newsletter, the Spring Wildflower Pilgrims will have gathered and began their quests - to find and document the wonders only the Smokies offer, from flowers to ferns, birds to beetles.
There's still time to take part, especially if you're planning to attend the Smokies Life Reception Thursday night in honor of the latest GSMA magazine. We hear something special is being planned for this event.
If you missed the window this year, start planning for next year!
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Official Park Store
Buy Here to Help the Park!
NEW: Scavenger Hike Adventures by Kat and John LaFevre, illustrated by GSMA's own Lisa Horstman
The Mountains To Sea Trail Across North Carolina, by GSMA board member Danny Bernstein
Park Logo Cap is the perfect topper for all your hiking needs!
The Cades Cove Story is available in paperback edition online and as an eBook at iTunes.
NEW!Smokies Life Magazine will hit the newsstands soon! Order your copy today.
Shop the Smokies 24/7 for unique Great Smoky Mountains National Park-themed products, educational information, items for the young and young at heart. All purchases support this park!
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Featured Business Members
Scenic Helicopter Tours
113 Helicopter Blvd.
Sevierville TN 37876
tel: 865.868.0550
dan@scenichelicoptertours.com
See the awe-inspiring vast expanse of Great Smoky Mountains National Park from the unmatched vantage point of a Scenic Helicopter Tour. Shorter sightseeing flights offer amazing views of various rivers, Douglas Lake and gentle rolling farmland. Midrange flights put you above Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, surrounding high mountain valleys, pristine estuaries and the adjacent foothills of the national park. Our most popular flight, The Gatlinburg, not only covers the areas mentioned previously, but also puts you above Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The longer tours extend further into the national park with views of such places as Cades Cove, The Chimneys, Clingmans Dome, The Sawteeth and Mt LeConte. Each of our flights promote our mission to raise guests' awareness of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park by providing entertaining and educational aerial adventures that leave them with a greater connection to the region.
GSMA members in good standing
receive a 15% discount on tours.
New Business Members
Super 8 Pigeon Forge
114 Pickel Street
Pigeon Forge TN 37863
tel: 865.453.2999 Reservations
email: super8pf@gmail.com
Above the Mist Weddings
865.436.1630
Gatlinburg TN 37738
tel: 866.280.1933 Megan
email: abovethemistweddings@yahoo.com
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240,000+ Fans on Facebook!
We'll get to 1/5 Million with your help. Share our posts and invite your friends to join us on FACEBOOK We have a NEW Twitter
If you'd like to receive online newsletters from us, as well as other periodic information, click HERE.
**We never share your address with anyone, and we never send spam.
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Then: After Jan. 16 slide
 NOW: U.S. 441 reopens April 15
NPS Photo
U.S. 441 Reopens - Nearly three months to the day that a major landslide closed U.S. 441 to through traffic, Newfound Gap Road reopened on April 15, providing park visitors the opportunity to once again drive from Tennessee to North Carolina through Great Smoky Mountains National Park. For more on the story, click HERE.
The Road NOT Traveled causes visitation decline - According to NPS, total visitation for March was down 23.8% as compared with March last year. During March 2013 a total of 465,594 visitors came into the park as compared with 611,326 in 2012, a decrease of 145,732 visitors. The sharp decrease was likely due to the road closure, a park official said.
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Some Facilities Not Opening
Only seven park campgrounds will open to visitors this year. Look Rock, Balsam Mountain and Abrams Creek campgrounds will remain closed indefinitely. Balsam Mountain and Heintooga Ridge roads, Heintooga Picnic Area, and Tow String Horse Camp will also remain closed.
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Membership Contest
Win a whitewater rafting adventure this month!
Becoming a member of GSMA this month could be the best decision you make all year. Not only will you feel great about stepping up to support the park you love, but you'll be entered into our May Membership Contest - You could win a whitewater rafting adventure!
Our extra special Thank You to GSMA business partner Rafting in the Smokies for providing complimentary tickets for two. Click HERE to learn how to enter our contest.
The winner of last month's Membership Contest was Michelle Spicher of Richmond, IN. Congratulations!
With shrinking federal funding of national parks, now more than ever Your Smokies Needs You! Become a new member during our anniversary year, and we'll "sweeten" the takeaway. Along with our monthly New Member Contests, we will upgrade 10 memberships to LIFETIME status at year's end.
Just think - lifetime benefits could be yours for showing your support. Please JOIN US today. And Thank You!
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Junior Ranger Day is April 27
All three GSMNP visitor centers will host special activities in honor of National Junior Ranger Day on Saturday, April 27, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Find out more about this exciting program HERE.
"National Junior Ranger Day provides a great opportunity for children and families to spend time together learning about the Park while doing fun activities," said Park Superintendent Dale Ditmanson. "We hope that our local residents will take advantage of this program to interact with our staff and the resources, and, at the same time, plan a full day in the Park."
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GSMA enters the disco era 
Our GSMA history project continues with a look at the organization during the disco years. In particular, have a glance at 1972... interesting!
1970 - At the annual membership meeting, it was pointed out that the association's ox used in the sorghum-making demonstration at Oconaluftee was "possibly the only ox-powered sorghum mill anywhere."
1971 - Association members learn of progress being made in the University of Tennessee's wild boar study, a project financially supported by GSMA.
1972 - "Moonshining was a new demonstration this year and performed on an unscheduled basis one day a week." The story continues; find out the latest on moonshining HERE.
1973 - The association hires an architect to improve sales space at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center by adding 14 feet of new countertop.
1974 - Aid-to-Park funds total $85,000+ and include repairs to Mingus Mill, several educational programs, living history demonstrations at Oconaluftee and Cades Cove, as well as employment of a photographer to improve the park's slide files.
1975 - Association sales assistants don uniforms for the first time. Today, most folks see GSMA staff members and assume we are park rangers. While we are not, we are all proud to work in the park and enjoy assisting visitors with a variety of needs.
1976 - Any stamp collectors out there? GSMA earns $10,000+ on stamp sales during the year.
1977 - Listed as a major project for the year is the Smoky Vista, the precursor to today's Smokies Guide, the park's newspaper.
1978 - GSMA's 25th anniversary year! Sales approach $500,000.
1979 - A computerized bibliography of the park's natural history - including orchids, birds, ferns, fungi and general vegetation - is listed as a major project undertaken during the year. Could this have been the start of the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory?
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Although the GSMA Endowment for Sustained Interpretation, Research and Resource Protection (I know, that's a mouthful; let's call it the GSMA Fund) is primarily supported by member's dues, it is most appreciated when our members want to do more. The ultimate goal for the GSMA Fund is to enable us to allocate 100% of our net sales revenue to Great Smoky Mountains National Park programs and services.
To learn more about the GSMA Fund and how you can help, call Lisa Duff at 865.436.7318, Ext. 325 or toll-free at 888.898.9102, Ext. 325.
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First GSMA anniversary event
to be June 22
The date, location and activities have been set (mostly) for the first GSMA event to celebrate our 60 years of supporting this national park.
Most aspects of the daylong event in North Carolina are free and open to the public, including the official anniversary program at 2 p.m., the GSMA book signing beginning at noon and the GSMA historic photo exhibit.
However, only GSMA members will be invited to take part in the day's other planned activities, which means if you join GSMA anytime prior to or during the day on June 22, you'll be eligible to participate in all the events planned during the day.
GSMA members should preregister for the following, as space is limited:
8 a.m. - GSMNP Ranger Jason Fisher will give an elk program, limit 50
9 a.m. - Bryson City artist Elizabeth Ellison will conduct an outdoor watercolor class (or participants can opt to bring the medium of their choice), limit 10
9:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. - Individuals and teams are invited to participate in a scavenger hunt at Oconaluftee, Mingus Mill and Smokemont, prizes to be awarded
10 a.m. - GSMA volunteer Westy Fletcher will lead a hike along the Oconaluftee River, limit 20
1 p.m. - Indoor storytelling and artistic program by Sylva's Ammons Sisters, limit 50
4 p.m. - Naturalist Liz Domingue will lead a Salamander Safari, limit 20
To preregister for any of these activities, call the GSMA Membership Department at 865.436.7318, Ext. 222 or 254 by June 17.
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 Because our members love this national park enough to donate their hard-earned green, we're making an important change in how we honor these contributions.
Starting with the summer Smokies Guide park newspaper in June, two of our member premiums will be coming to an inbox - instead of a mailbox - near you.
"Our members - those dedicated to preserving this national park - understand the value of a green forest, a green leaf and a green approach to preservation," said GSMA Executive Director Terry Maddox. "Switching our delivery system for the Smokies Guide and the Bear Paw newsletter not only reduces waste, it allows us to apply more funds where our members want them - into park programs and services."
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Look no further for a Mother's Day gift
Gary Wilson Photo
Thank you to GSMA Board Member Cheryl Light for sharing this memory with us...
Are you fresh out of ideas for Mother's Day (May 12) gifts? Take mom on a hike.
One of the best Mother's Day gifts my son Aaron ever gave me was the suggestion of going on a hike together - just the two of us. He was 19 at the time and in school at the University of Tennessee. We hiked the Chimneys on that pretty spring day in May. (Unfortunately, the Chimneys Trail is closed due to storm damage.) The great thing was that the phones, iPods and the rest of the world stayed behind in the parking lot.
On the trail, we both had lots of time together, time to be quiet, time to think our own thoughts, time to appreciate the beauty around us, and, most importantly, time to have real conversation. If you are a mother of busy children (and they all are), you often receive succinct answers to your questions while you hunger for the details and the rest of the story of their lives. I learned lots that day about mundane things like classes and professors but also some about his real interests and thoughts. Trust me: It will only take a few miles together on that trail to make your Mother's Day special.
Other May Hikes
May is a great time to take in the mountain laurel blooms. Unlike the rhododendrons, mountain laurel seems to blossom extravagantly each and every year. It you want to enjoy the floral fireworks, try some hikes on the west end of the park, trails such as Schoolhouse Gap, Rich Mountain Loop, Abrams Falls, Cove Mountain and Chestnut Top.
And don't forget your hiking Bible - Hiking Trails of the Smokies is an essential.
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Speaking of mothers... Scholars' Corner
The five Walker Sisters are, l-r, Margaret, Polly, Martha, Louisa and Hettie. - NPS Photo
Rachel Lanier Roberts recently completed her master's thesis at Appalachian State University on some of the "Founding Mothers" of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Her thesis addresses how Anne Davis, Laura Thornburgh, and the Walker Sisters shaped their definitions of nature and actions towards it, looking closely at class, broader developments in American and Appalachian cultures, and gender.
Understanding how each of these women defined nature - whether as a commodity, a moral authority, a means of extraction, or a combination of these - allows one to understand not only how, but why the movement to create the Great Smoky Mountains National Park succeeded.
Want to know more? Click HERE to find Rachel's thesis. Mountain Home is another great choice, especially for those who love old photos.
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Answers
to Last
Month's
Bird
Quiz |
1. This bird's name is a misnomer. It is a cavity nester and often tops off its nest with a shed snakeskin. Great Crested Flycatcher
2. Look for this bird on the ground or on low perches just above it. It resembles a miniature thrush, but has an orange patch on its crown and a thinner bill. Ovenbird
3. This bird is both an uncommon transient and summer resident of the park, generally found in lower elevations. The males are burnt-orange above and below with black hoods, wings, and tails. The nest is an open pouch. Orchard Oriole
4. This fairly common summer resident is in the same family as the Northern Mockingbird. It likes low, dense undergrowth and in coloration is plain, dark gray with a long tail. Gray Catbird
5. It's literally impossible not to recognize this handsome specimen. In the park rhododendrons are a favorite nesting spot. Males often share incubation duties and are known to softly sing while covering the eggs. During fall migration they'll pay some visits to fruit-bearing trees. Rose-breasted Grosbeak
6. This fairly common summer resident is easily distinguished by its long tail, long decurved bill, and heavily streaked breast. It spends much of its time on the ground where it turns over leaf litter in search of invertebrates. Brown Thrasher
7. This pretty little bird is the smallest of its kind in the park. It prefers wooded areas bordering streams. Its song bursts forth from a thrown back head and trembling body. Northern Parula
8. This is the only warbler to be found in any numbers in the park during the winter months. It begins to arrive from the north in late September and remains into May. In winter it thrives on the fruits of poison ivy. Yellow-rumped Warbler
9. Locals know this bird as the "rain crow" because its singing is thought to signal coming showers. It is one of the few species in the park that will eat tent caterpillars. Yellow-billed Cuckoo
10. This active warbler is often seen catching insects in mid-air. The males are unmistakable with black and white bodies contrasted by large patches of orange on their sides, wings, and tail. American Redstart
WINNER: Don Farris of Georgia
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Results of
Last Month's Poll | On a perfect spring morning would you rather....?
- Drive the Cades Cove Loop: 35%
- Bicycle the Loop: 26%
- Hike in the Loop area: 33%
- Ride a horse in the area: 7%
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| Any Questions? | - For questions about online purchases, click HERE and the Mail Order department 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. |
Join
Us! | Become a MEMBER of Great Smoky Mountains Association today. You'll receive discounts at our park stores of up to 25% and receive premiums like Smokies Life magazine and the Bearpaw newsletter. Most importantly, you'll be helping protect nature and history in the Smokies. |
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