Tag: Friends of the Smokies

Hikers Train To Lead ‘Trails Forever Hikes’ in 2025

February 21, 2025

by Danny Bernstein In 2011, Holly Demuth was the North Carolina director of Friends of the Smokies and wanted to[…]

Volunteer as a ‘Friends Ambassador’

December 20, 2024

Calling all Friends of the Smokies enthusiasts! We’re looking for passionate volunteers to represent Friends of the Smokies at community[…]

December 2024 Friends of the Smokies Newsletter

December 3, 2024

by Jim Matheny Hello, Friends! To have this monthly newsletter delivered directly to your inbox, please sign up! We want[…]

Cades Cove Loop Lope nets more than $90,000 for Smokies

December 2, 2024

by Jim Matheny The 2024 Cades Cove Loop Lope netted more than $90,000 to benefit Great Smoky Mountains National Park.[…]

Support our N.C. gateway Friends during a time of need

November 21, 2024

(Updated Nov. 27, 2024) As the national park’s gateway communities in Western North Carolina work to recover from the devastation[…]

November 2024 Friends of the Smokies Newsletter

November 5, 2024

by Jim Matheny Hello, Friends! To have this monthly newsletter delivered directly to your inbox, please sign up! We want[…]

Trails Forever Hikes Recap: Appalachian Trail and Mountains-to-Sea Trail at Clingmans Dome (Aug. 13, 2024)

August 22, 2024

by Danny Bernstein The August “challenging” Trails Forever Hike was a twofer around Clingmans Dome. Continuing the flexible theme for[…]

Trails Forever Hikes recap: Noland Creek Trail

July 16, 2024

by Danny Bernstein There are several reasons to love the Noland Creek Trail. It is an easy trail on an[…]

Meet the Trails Forever Hike Advisory Team

June 25, 2024

Meet our hike advisory team! These volunteers make the Trails Forever Hikes happen by helping lead and sweep the hikes.[…]

2024 ‘Plein Air Smokies’ artists, soiree, and quick draw announced

May 23, 2024

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Get ready for a week of fantastic artists painting scenes in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Plein[…]

Trails Forever Hikes recap: Mountains-to-Sea Trail

May 20, 2024

by Danny Bernstein When hiking in the Smokies, flexibility is almost as important as hiking ability. The Trails Forever Hike[…]

Trails Forever Hikes recap: Porters Creek in the rain

April 12, 2024

by Danny Bernstein April showers bring May flowers. But first they bring a lot of rain. The first hike in[…]

‘Trails Forever Hikes’ Hiking Program

March 15, 2024

by Danny Bernstein Spring is almost here and so is the Friends of the Smokies (FOTS) hiking program. This year,[…]

Anderson Design Group Interviews Friends of the Smokies CEO!

March 5, 2024

Our President and CEO at Friends of the Smokies, Dana Soehn, had a chance to share what makes our park[…]

Nancy East and Chris Ford complete Tour de Smokies; their PSAR fundraising continues

November 13, 2020

by Julie Dodd Nancy “Seal Mom” East and Chris “Pacer” Ford completed their Tour de Smokies by walking through an[…]

2019 Classic Hikes of the Smokies

January 12, 2019

by Julie Dodd Start planning now to join the 2019 Classic Hikes of the Smokies. The hikes are each Tuesday[…]

Snow changes December Classic Hike destination

December 21, 2018

by Julie Dodd Snow closed US 441 through the Smokies, but that didn’t keep FOTS hikers from getting in a[…]

Double your Donation on #GivingTuesday

November 15, 2018

For the past few years, Friends of the Smokies has participated in #GivingTuesday, a worldwide movement to encourage people to[…]

GSMNP high school internship program provides career insights and inspiration

September 15, 2018

Stuart Hemmer-Skidmore, a senior at the School of Inquiry and Life Sciences in Asheville, NC, participated in the Great Smoky[…]

Cades Cove provides special hikes & views for Classic Hike of Smokies two-day event

July 10, 2018

by Julie Dodd Friends of the Smokies held a special Classic Hikes of the Smokies two-day event, June 11-12, in[…]

My Volunteer Experience with FOTS

June 3, 2018

Guest blog post courtesy of Mary Duggan, University of Tennessee ’18 My name is Mary Duggan and for the past[…]

“Everybody’s National Parks” explores the Smokies

May 9, 2018

Everybody’s National Parks is a podcast dedicated to family adventure in our national parks and a few weeks ago, I[…]

2018 Classic Hikes of the Smokies

February 16, 2018

by Julie Dodd The Classic Hikes of the Smokies series, starting its eighth year, offers a way to hike trails[…]

5 Things to Do If Great Smoky Mountains National Park is Shut Down

January 19, 2018

Updated: Monday, January 22, 11:00am Please understand that if you visit GSMNP during a government shut down, services will be[…]

Hikers explore Elkmont area for December Classic Hike

January 2, 2018

by Julie Dodd The Classic Hikes of the Smokies wrapped up 2017 with a hike in Elkmont on Dec. 14.[…]

Trails Forever restores Rainbow Falls Trail

December 14, 2017

by Josh Shapiro Trails Forever Crew Supervisor 2017 was a productive year on Rainbow Falls Trail. The NPS Trails Forever[…]

November Classic Hike includes tunnel on ‘Road to Nowhere’

December 1, 2017

The November Classic Hike of the Smokies was led by Gracia Slater, who lacks just three short hikes to complete[…]

The park needs you this Giving Tuesday

November 21, 2017

By now I’m sure you’ve heard of Giving Tuesday in the news or on social media. Following Black Friday and[…]

FOTS hikers explore historic Lakeshore Trail area

November 9, 2017

by Julie Dodd Friends of the Smokies hikers had the opportunity to explore trails in the Fontana Lake area and[…]

Parks as Classrooms helps students discover GSMNP, develop appreciation for Park

October 18, 2017

by Julie Dodd Helping elementary, middle school and high school students who live in counties near the Great Smoky Mountains[…]

Rainbow Falls restoration work underway

August 30, 2017

by Julie Dodd The Trails Forever crew is hard at work restoring the Rainbow Falls Trail, one of the popular[…]

GSMNP high school summer internship provides life changing experience

July 31, 2017

by Bryce Trull Blount County High School Five Tennessee high school students participated in a four-week summer internship that focuses[…]

Alum Cave Trail improvements highlight July Classic Hike of the Smokies

July 25, 2017

Steve Pierce was the hike leader for the July Classic Hike of the Smokies to Mt. Le Conte. Steve has[…]

Volunteer with Friends of the Smokies events to support GSMNP

July 7, 2017

by Julie Dodd Volunteer to help Friends of the Smokies at two upcoming fundraising events that will support the Great[…]

Great views from Charlies Bunion highlight June Classic Hike

June 27, 2017

Steve Winchester was the hike leader for the June Classic Hike of the Smokies. Steve and his wife, Judy, both[…]

Alum Cave Trail restoration improves hiking experience

June 15, 2017

by Julie Dodd An added bonus of a recent hike to Mt. Le Conte was being able to see the[…]

Wildflowers on Big Creek Trail for April Classic Hike of the Smokies

April 25, 2017

by Julie Dodd The April Classic Hike of the Smokies, on April 11, was  Big Creek Trail and provided the[…]

Parks As Classrooms: So Much More Than a Field Trip

April 13, 2017

Kelsey Reese is an Ecology and Biology teacher at Fulton High School in Knox County, TN who recently took her[…]

Mingus Creek Trail launches 2017 Classic Hikes of the Smokies

April 1, 2017

by Julie Dodd A hike on the Mingus Creek Trail launched the 2017 Classic Hikes of the Smokies. Thirty-two hikers[…]

Smokies Centennial Hike 100 Challenge inspires & promotes service to park

March 10, 2017

by Julie Dodd More than 2,275 hikers completed the Smokies Centennial Hike 100 Challenge to celebrate the 100th anniversary of[…]

Classic Hikes of Smokies 2017 schedule

February 21, 2017

by Julie Dodd The Classic Hikes of the Smokies 2017 hiking season begins on March 14 March 28, with a hike[…]

Giving Thanks and #GivingTuesday

November 23, 2016

This time of year, we can’t help but be reminded of all the wonderful things we have to be thankful[…]

Noland Creek Trail — November’s Classic Hike

November 18, 2016

by Julie Dodd The November Classic Hike of the Smokies was on a beautiful fall day — ten miles on[…]

Classic Hikes of Smokies help hikers add miles toward Hike 100 Challenge

October 25, 2016

by Julie Dodd Hikers can add 10 miles toward the Hike 100 Challenge by joining the Friends of the Smokies Classic[…]

Alum Cave Trail restoration work nears completion

October 7, 2016

by Julie Dodd Restoration work on the Alum Cave Trail, one of the most popular trails in the Smokies, will[…]

Mt. Cammerer provides view for Classic Hike of the Smokies

September 21, 2016

Mt. Cammerer was the goal for the FOTS Classic Hike of the Smokies on Sept. 13, with the Mt. Cammerer[…]

Celebrating 100 Years of America’s Best Idea

August 25, 2016

When President Woodrow Wilson signed the National Park Service Organic Act on August 25, 1916, there were only 35 national parks in[…]

Summer internship program offers opportunity to explore GSMNP and NPS career options

August 5, 2016

by Hannah Ensley GSMNP Intern Senior at Pisgah High School — Canton, North Carolina If you live in the Eastern[…]

Classic Hikes of the Smokies – Charlies Bunion and Mt. Sterling

July 25, 2016

by Julie Dodd Hikers of the Classic Hikes of the Smokies for June and July added 15.4 miles toward the[…]

Volunteer with Trails Forever Crew on Alum Cave Trail

June 26, 2016

by Julie Dodd Being a Trails Forever crew volunteer is a great way to be a part of restoring some of the[…]

Clingmans Dome Restoration: What’s it all about?

June 17, 2016

For the last few weeks, we’ve been pushing you all to vote for Clingmans Dome in a grant competition hosted[…]

Welcome to the team, Marielle!

June 6, 2016

As you may know from our previous blog posts, we have had some exciting staffing changes in our North Carolina[…]

Hyatt Ridge Trail provides challenge

May 23, 2016

by Julie Dodd Challenge was the key theme for the May Classic Hike of the Smokies to Hyatt Ridge. The hike[…]

Elkmont area restoration funded, in part, by FOTS

May 2, 2016

by Julie Dodd The news that the Wonderland Hotel Annex in the Elkmont area of the park was destroyed by[…]

Porters Creek Trail provides view of spring wildflowers

April 27, 2016

by Julie Dodd The April Classic Hike of the Smokies was the Porters Creek Trail in the Greenbrier, Tennessee, section of[…]

Friends of the Smokies President, Board Members Named Among 100 Most Influential in Park History

April 13, 2016

In honor of the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, Great Smoky Mountains Association (GSMA) has released a list[…]

Little Cataloochee Trail: March’s Classic Hike of the Smokies

April 6, 2016

by Julie Dodd The Classic Hike of the Smokies hikers logged 6.6 miles on the Little Cataloochee Trail on March 8,[…]

Spring is a time for new beginnings…

March 28, 2016

It’s not too often that our small organization has staffing changes, but we have some happy and sad news to[…]

2016 Evergreen Ball Raises $500k in Celebration of NPS Centennial

February 9, 2016

The Evergreen Ball is always a special event, but this year, it was really something else. We were joined by[…]

Hike 100 challenge encourages you to hike 100 miles of trails in GSMNP during 2016

February 2, 2016

by Julie Dodd A great way to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service is by taking the “Hike 100”[…]

In The Words of Our Friends: Randall Pope

December 15, 2015

It is no small feat to put together a fundraising organization to support the country’s most-visited national park. But when Randall[…]

Asheville’s Give!Local Guide

November 18, 2015

This year, we are excited to participate in Mountain Xpress’ Give!Local Guide, Asheville’s easiest path to year-end giving. Mountain Xpress[…]

FOTS Classic Hike to Chimney Tops provides views and insights on trail restoration

November 12, 2015

  by Julie Dodd Trail renovation, mountain-top views, and life in the area before the establishment of the GSMNP were[…]

GSMNP Adds DC Fast-Charging to Green Alternatives

October 1, 2015

Superintendent Cassius Cash joined representatives from East TN Clean Fuels Coalition, Land of Sky Clean Vehicles Coalition, US Dept of[…]

3 Ways to Leaf Peep in the Smokies

September 25, 2015

Expedia teamed up with Friends of the Smokies to provide tips for witnessing the fall foliage in the Smoky Mountains[…]

Battling Hemlock Wooly Adelgid with Dept. Superintendent Jordan

September 19, 2015

With more than 500,000 acres and 10 million annual visitors to manage, work at Park Headquarters can certainly keep you[…]

High school interns learn about GSMNP wildlife, staff and programs

September 8, 2015

by Martina Junod Rising Senior, William Blount High School – Maryville, Tenn. The six weeks of the internship for high[…]

Gone Fishing with Experience Your Smokies

September 5, 2015

The forecast had been calling for rain on Thursday the whole week running up to our second Experience Your Smokies[…]

Gran Fondo Asheville raises over $53,000 for Great Smoky Mountains National Park

September 1, 2015

The 2015 Gran Fondo Asheville attracted more than 390 cyclists and raised over $53,000 for the Great Smoky Mountains National[…]

Time Travel: Historic Preservation in GSMNP

August 26, 2015

by Brent McDaniel, Director of Marketing Our first session of Experience Your Smokies, “Historic Preservation & Elkmont,” promised to be[…]

Becoming a Working Part of Alum Cave Trail

August 18, 2015

by Peyton C. Proffitt “The morning, which is the most memorable season of the day, is the awakening hour. Then[…]

Mt. LeConte hike provides memorable experience

August 15, 2015

Sixty hikers took part in a special FOTS overnight hike to Mt. LeConte, July 20-21. The group departed from the[…]

Dragonfly Mercury Project — research initiative for GSMNP high school interns

July 28, 2015

by Bella Weeks Rising Senior Jackson County Early College –  Sylva, North Carolina During the Summer Internship with Great Smoky Mountains[…]

Experience Your Smokies: Class of 2015

July 27, 2015

by Brent McDaniel, Director of Marketing Between our 10 million visitors each year, there are plenty of ways to experience[…]

GSMNP Summer Internship Program provides learning opportunities for high school students

July 14, 2015

by Kyra Mehaffey Rising Senior Pisgah High School – Canton, North Carolina High school students scrambled to get their applications[…]

5 Summer Hikes You’ll Love

July 8, 2015

By Holly Scott Jones, Marketing Director Summer is the perfect time to take a hike! From beginners to expert backpackers,[…]

Trails Forever crew making progress on Alum Cave Trail

June 30, 2015

by Julie Dodd If you’ve hiked the Alum Cave Trail in the last few weeks, you know that The Friends[…]

Avent Cabin provides hiking treasure hunt and history lesson

June 19, 2015

by Julie Dodd If you’re looking for a Smokies hike that includes a treasure hunt, a trip back in time,[…]

86th Anniversary of the “Goodwill Tour”

June 9, 2015

On June 9, 1929, staff from the Knoxville News Sentinel​ and the Asheville Citizen-Times​ met on top of Clingmans Dome[…]

#FindYourPark Contest Winners

May 5, 2015

For National Park Week (April 18-26), we wanted to celebrate Great Smoky Mountains National Park and this year’s theme, Find Your[…]

Trail Review: Abrams Falls Trail

Jennfier Karrasch shared her review of Abrams Falls Trail with us for National Park Week. Thanks to everyone who entered[…]

Parks as Classrooms program benefits students, teachers, scientists and GSMNP

April 29, 2015

by Julie Dodd For the students, they are trying out the scientific method in the field – analyzing plants for[…]

Group hikes and hiking workshop provide support for Smokies hiking

March 24, 2015

by Julie Dodd Now is a great time of year for hiking in the Smokies. If you are new to[…]

800,010 reasons to get a Friends license plate

March 10, 2015

by Brent McDaniel In North Carolina and Tennessee, you see specialty license plates all the time while driving down the[…]

NPS Collections Preservation Center’s construction underway in Townsend, TN

February 24, 2015

by Julie Dodd Work is underway on the new NPS Collections Preservation Center, a facility to preserve more than 400,000[…]

2015 Evergreen Ball

February 5, 2015

January 31st was the 12th Annual Evergreen Ball to benefit Friends of the Smokies and it was a huge success![…]

Trailcams capture Chimney Tops Trail restoration work

January 28, 2015

by Julie Dodd Thanks to the photo planning and editing skills of Tobias Miller, Smokies Trail Crew Supervisor, you can[…]

Making It Clear: Understanding Water Quality Research

January 6, 2015

Friends of the Smokies has already contributed more than $600,000 to support water quality monitoring in Great Smoky Mountains National[…]

Restoring trails and supporting wildlife — FOTS highlights in 2014

December 30, 2014

by Julie Dodd This post shares highlights of some of the Friends of the Smokies projects for the Great Smoky[…]

Chimney Tops Trail re-opens Dec. 12, 2014

December 12, 2014

by Julie Dodd The Chimney Tops Trail is officially re-opening on Dec. 12, 2014, after three years of trail restoration.[…]

This Week at Friends of the Smokies

December 5, 2014

It’s been a busy week here at Friends of the Smokies! Time to find a nice branch, up high out[…]

‘Exploring Curriculum Connections’ workshop provides hands-on activities for teachers

November 20, 2014

by Julie Dodd Teachers can join Great Smoky Mountains National Park rangers for “Exploring Curriculum Connections,” a free workshop for[…]

Park Projects Great and Small

November 7, 2014

Each year we get a funding request from the park with a list of programs and projects for the upcoming[…]

‘Making STEM Easy’ workshop for teachers at Knoxville Zoo, supported by Alcoa Foundation and Friends of the Smokies

September 17, 2014

by Julie Dodd Middle school and high school teachers in the Knoxville area can attend a free teacher workshop “Making[…]

Gran Fondo Asheville 2014

September 11, 2014

The first ever Gran Fondo Asheville was held on Sunday, Sept. 7, and it was a huge success, raising over[…]

2014 Friends Across the Mountains Telethon

August 26, 2014

Thank you again for your outpouring of support for our 20th Annual Friends Across the Mountains Telethon. Because of your[…]

Welcome our newest Friend, Anna Lee Zanetti

August 20, 2014

Friends of the Smokies is pleased to welcome another addition to its staff, Anna Lee Zanetti as the new Outreach &[…]

A Special “Thank You” to Holly Scott

August 12, 2014

Hello Friends, While we normally share scenic photos, hiking trails, and great stories from the park on our blog, I’d[…]

Volunteer with Trails Forever Crew on Chimney Tops Trail

July 10, 2014

By Holly Scott Jones, former Marketing Director of Friends of the Smokies   A Brief Look Back at Smokies Trails[…]

Celebrate National Trails Day with Appalachian Trail Workday in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

May 22, 2014

Would you like to improve the hiking conditions on the Appalachian Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park? Make some[…]

Favorite Spring Wildflower Hikes in the Smokies

April 23, 2014

by Holly Scott, Marketing Director On a recent ‘Get On the Trail with Friends & Missy‘ hike in Elkmont, several of my hiking companions[…]

Secretary Sally Jewell Hikes Chimney Tops Trail with Friends of the Smokies

March 3, 2014

By Holly Scott, Marketing Director March 3, 2014 United States Department of the Interior Secretary Sally Jewell visited the Smokies[…]

Travel Channel Presents Evergreen Ball- A Showcase of Hard Work + Generosity for Great Smoky Mountains National Park

February 21, 2014

By Lauren Gass, Special Projects Director Nearly four weeks have passed since the 2014 Evergreen Ball, but I am still[…]

Sweet Partnership with Sugarland Cellars Is a Big Win for the Smoky Mountains

November 20, 2013

by Holly Scott, Marketing Director In June of 2012 a unique and profitable partnership debuted in the form of an[…]

Hike to Rocky Top High Above Cades Cove

November 8, 2013

by Holly Scott, Marketing Director The days immediately following the much-celebrated reopening of Great Smoky Mountains National Park were glorious.[…]

Camping in the Smokies Today (Oct. 16) – What You Need to Know

October 16, 2013

by Holly Scott, Marketing Director Camping in the Smokies Today (Oct. 16th) – Edited This post was written on October[…]

UPDATED-5 Alternative Hikes for Fall Fun Near the Smokies

October 10, 2013

by Holly Scott, Marketing Director Week 2 of Great Smoky Mountains National Park Shutdown Oops. According to Bryson City, I’m[…]

5 Things You Can Do While Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s Shutdown

October 2, 2013

By Holly Scott, Marketing Director As you may have heard, due to the government shut-down, Great Smoky Mountains National Park[…]

Kick Off Fall Color Season with Friends of the Smokies

September 26, 2013

by Holly Scott, Marketing Director Here in the Smokies the whole month of October is celebrated as a holiday by[…]

Participate in Friends Across The Mountains Telethon on Aug. 15 to support Great Smoky Mountains National Park

August 12, 2013

by Holly Scott Friends of the Smokies, Marketing Director Join supporters of Great Smoky Mountains National Park by making a[…]

Smoky Mountains Parks as Classrooms Program

August 8, 2013

by Holly Scott Friends of the Smokies, Marketing Director More than 20,000 kids every year get to go to school[…]