by Jim Matheny
Hello, Friends! To have this monthly newsletter delivered directly to your inbox, please sign up! We want to highlight some of the accomplishments from the last month you can take pride in as a supporter of Friends of the Smokies. If you’re already a Friend, thank you! If you’d like to learn how to help, visit our website to get a bear license plate or make a donation. You are making a positive difference by investing in the wonder of our beloved national park!
Park cuts ribbon on restored Ramsey Cascades Trail
The three-year project to improve the trail to the park’s tallest waterfall is complete! Your generous donations to Friends of the Smokies provided more than $1 million to the Trails Forever crews to build new log bridges, stone staircases, and reroute a flood-prone portion of Ramsey Cascades Trail. On our blog, writer Julie Dodd posted an excellent recap of the work and shared a full Q&A with crew supervisor Josh Shapiro about what went into the restoration. Below is a video touring the work with Shapiro posted to our YouTube channel.
Loop Lope nets more than $90,000 to help Smokies
Congratulations to all the runners and volunteers who made the 2024 Cades Cove Loop Lope 10-mile and 5K race a huge success! Special thanks to RT Lodge and all our sponsors of this wonderful event. See the full race results on this post on our blog. Here’s a quick video recap from Nov. 10, 2024, of the only footrace held inside the national park.
Since 2017, the Cades Cove Loop Lope has raised more than half a million dollars to benefit Friends of the Smokies and fund needed projects in the national park. We also sincerely thank the many volunteers, including our many photographer Friends who helped us capture this scenic event. The three photos below are by Knoxville photographer Bruce McCamish.
Wonderful webcam views all winter (and year) long
We love the views of the new webcams funded by your gifts to Friends of the Smokies. Check out this link to the new year-round camera the park installed at Kuwohi (formerly Clingmans Dome) on Nov. 14. It’s the easiest way to see the view from the highest peak in the Smokies, especially now that the road to Kuwohi is closed for the winter. In addition to providing some great views to the east, the camera will collect weather and air quality data for the park. There’s also a great camera at Newfound Gap.
It’s dark in the park at night. The image will be black if you visit when there’s no daylight. You can click “archive” on either webcam to see a gallery of the previous day’s photos.
Support our North Carolina Friends in a time of need
The national park’s gateway communities in Western North Carolina continue working hard to recover from the devastation of Hurricane Helene. The storm hit during an incredibly important time of year for local economies that depend on tourism. Our Outreach Coordinator, Olivia Wright, combed through our databases and created this list of Friends supporters who are open for business and ready to welcome you. The list is organized by county. It shares the status of businesses from Asheville to Bryson City for shopping, dining, playing, or staying. Your visit can make a real difference to help people get back on their feet. Thank you, Friends!
Year-end donation requests to help the park
Our year-end fundraising plays a big part in helping us meet our goals to be able to help the park. We will be asking for your help throughout December. We try our best not to overdo it but expect a few emails and a letter at home.
Keep an eye on your mailbox for the envelope pictured above. It contains a letter from CEO Dana Soehn along with a card and return envelope to make a year-end tax-deductible contribution to Friends of the Smokies. You can also make your year-end gift online.
In 2025, with your support, we’re providing more than $3.9 million to pay for projects and programs that would otherwise go unfunded in the Smokies. Thank you for your understanding and generosity! We are so appreciative of all your donations, license plates, and overall support of Friends of the Smokies.
Ornament sales benefit Friends of the Smokies
National Park Magic is donating all profits from its $32.99 Friends of the Smokies ornament to help us help the park! Having one on your tree can help us protect and preserve the Smokies.
As always, thank you for being a Friend of the Smokies!
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Visit these links for details on how to get a bear license plate or make a donation.
