Great Smoky Mountains NP

🌸 Visiting Great Smoky Mountains this spring? Spring is a bustling and beautiful time in the Smokies! As the weather begins warming up, wildflowers emerge, wildlife becomes more active, and migratory birds return to the mountains. To make the most of your visit, plan ahead — and always have a back-up plan. 🅿️ Don’t forget your parking tag Parking for 15 minutes or more? You’ll need a parking tag. https://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/fees.htm 🚧 Check current conditions Stay informed about road closures, weather alerts, and trail updates before heading out. https://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/conditions.htm ⛈️ Check the weather Mountain weather changes fast! Rain can lead to flash flooding and hazardous stream crossing— always check the forecast. https://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/weather.htm 🗺️ Plan your visit Discover must‑see spots, insider tips, and everything you need to know before exploring the park. https://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/index.htm 📱 Download the free NPS app Access maps, guides, and park info — even offline! Search for “Great Smoky Mountains” in the app. https://www.nps.gov/subjects/digital/nps-apps.htm ⏳ Beat the crowds Check out our guide to navigating traffic and avoiding the busiest times in the park. https://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/trafficandtraveltips.htm Photo by John White #GreatSmokyMountains #PlanYourVisit #Smokies #Spring

🥾 You turn a corner on a trail… and there in the path is a black bear. What now? (“Outrun my hiking partner” is the wrong answer.) With more than 1,900 bears in the Smokies, there’s a good chance you may see one while exploring the park. Here’s what you should do to keep both you and the bear safe: 🐾 If you encounter a black bear -Stay calm and alert. -Do not approach the bear. If the bear is just doing bear things, keep your distance and stand quietly. Enjoy watching the bear from a distance in its natural habitat. -If the bear stops, watches you, or changes direction toward you, you’re too close. -Back away slowly while facing the bear. Never run. 🐾 If a black bear approaches or follows you -Stand your ground. Do not run or turn your back. -Shout and act aggressively to scare it off, and make yourself look big by raising your arms or lifting your trekking poles into the air. -Throw non‑food objects (like rocks or sticks) at the bear only if necessary. -Never feed a bear or leave food behind. -Use bear spray only as a last resort and only if the bear is within 20 yards. 🐾 If a black bear attacks you -Fight back. Do not play dead. 📢 When to file a bear incident report -If you experience unusual bear behavior—such as a bear lingering around campgrounds, picnic areas, or parking lots; showing stalking behavior; or any incident in which a bear obtains human food or garbage—please file a bear incident report on our website using the link below. -For significant incidents, call 865‑436‑1230. For emergencies, call 911. https://www.nps.gov/grsm/learn/nature/black-bears.htm NPS Photo

Pack it In, Pack it Out! When gear gets left behind in the backcountry, it doesn’t vanish- someone has to carry it out. And more often than not, that someone is a backcountry ranger. In 2025 alone, Great Smoky Mountains National Park backcountry rangers packed out more than half a ton of trash and abandoned gear. What gets left behind? Everything from hiking poles and tents to stoves, tarps, horse gear, fishing poles, clothing, trash, food, water bottles, electronics, and even portable toilets. 💡 Backcountry Ranger Tip: Pack smart. Only bring what you can confidently carry in and out of the backcountry. Thoughtful packing helps protect park resources, prevents wildlife impacts, and keeps both you and our rangers safe. Planning a trip? Need help building a realistic packing list? Our Backcountry Office staff is here to help you prepare for a safe, enjoyable adventure. Learn more about backcountry camping on our website (link in bio). #BackcountryCamping #LeaveNoTrace #GreatSmokyMountains #Smokies NPS Photos

Thanks to Smokies Life writer Holly Kays for getting the COOP on the chickens at the Oconaluftee Mountain Farm Museum! 🐓 Learn more about these chickens, the rangers who care for them, and how they play into the history of the Great Smoky Mountains 🔽 /share/p/1NphTYkPf6/ Smokies Life photo by Holly Kays

Great Smoky Mountains National Park will temporarily close the Ramsey Cascades Trail due to aggressive bear activity in the area. Please respect the closure as rangers continue to monitor bear behavior. Looking for another hike this weekend? Visit the park website to learn about more than 800 miles of trails across the park. Wherever you adventure in the Smokies, stay bear‑aware throughout the park by always staying at least 50 yards away from bears, storing food properly, and staying alert on trails.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park will complete essential maintenance on the Gatlinburg Spur beginning Monday, May 11. Visitors can expect single lane closures May 11-14 and May 18-21, from 7 a.m.-3:30 p.m. each day. These lane closures may cause traffic delays. During this time, crews will complete needed roadside work including mowing and pruning, ditch and culvert cleaning, litter pick-up, and debris removal.

What do you think these foresters and researchers are looking at? 👀 Whatever it is, it’s clearly rooting for their attention! Park foresters and researchers continually treat Eastern Hemlock trees in their fight against the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA). This tiny, non-native insect poses a severe threat by feeding on the sap of eastern hemlock trees, leading to the death of the tree. Ongoing monitoring is crucial to understanding the health of hemlock trees and developing conservation strategies. Monitoring to evaluate HWA populations and tree health will ensure the presence of hemlock trees in the national park. The park's acclaimed Hemlock Conservation Program has safeguarded hundreds of thousands of hemlock trees. The presence of healthy hemlock trees throughout the park shows the effectiveness of the program. Thanks to park partners Friends of the Smokies, Smokies Life and conservation funds for their support of the park's efforts! NPS photos by Erin Gilliland

✨ The Smokies has entered its blooming shrubs era One of the first blooming shrubs in Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the beautiful mountain laurel. This shrub is known for its glossy evergreen leaves and clusters of delicate blooms ranging from bright white to soft pink. Mountain laurel is often confused with a similar shrub, rosebay rhododendron, so here are a few ways to tell them apart: 🕒Timing: Mountain laurel typically blooms in early May at low to mid elevations, while rosebay rhododendron usually blooms in June. 🌸 Flowers: Mountain laurel has small, star‑shaped flowers. Rosebay rhododendron flowers are larger, with a bell or tube‑shaped form. 🌿 Leaves: Mountain laurel leaves are narrower and smaller. Rosebay rhododendron leaves are broader and larger. So if you’re seeing white and pink blooms right now, there’s a good chance you’ve found mountain laurel. Caught the Smokies blushing? Tag us in your photos! Learn more about blooming shrubs in the Smokies on our website (link in bio). #MountainLaurel #BloomingShrubs #Smokies #GreatSmokyMountains NPS Photos of different shades of mountain laurel blooms

🚵Vehicle-Free Day begins tomorrow, May 6! If you plan to walk or bike the Cades Cove Loop on any Wednesday through Sept. 30, remember these tips for a safe and fun day: • Wear a helmet when cycling. Rangers respond to several bike accidents every year in the Cove—helmets make a difference! • Consider arriving later in the day to avoid traffic congestion. After parking spaces are full, vehicles will be turned away and asked to return later in the day. • Remember that walking or biking Cades Cove Loop Road is more physically demanding than most people expect! Plan for hills and little tree cover. • Pack what you need, including water, a first aid kit, sunscreen and biking essentials. Click here to learn more about how to prepare for vehicle-free days: https://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/cades-cove-vehicle-free-days.htm

🐎 Mules may have a reputation for being stubborn, but here in the Smokies, they're better known for being a valuable and beloved part of our team. Last week, we celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the Great Smoky Mountains Animal Packer Program! This team of horses, mules, and rangers was established in 1976 after the Smokies were proposed as a wilderness area, meaning that vehicles would be limited in the backcountry. Ever since, pack animals have carried on the long tradition of supporting life in the mountains. From hauling heavy logs and tools for trail work to transporting supplies for backcountry camps and even carrying native fish species to new habitats, these animals help us care for the park and improve the visitor experience. The Smokies are the only national park in the Eastern U.S. that still uses pack mules today. So if you’ve hiked a trail in the Smokies, chances are you’ve followed in the hoofprints of our animal packer team as they travel where wheels simply can’t go. NPS photos by Erin Gilliland

Beginning today, Bullhead Trail will be closed Mondays through Thursdays for trail rehabilitation. Hikers who still wish to enjoy the trail, which is one of several routes to Mt. Le Conte, may still do so on Fridays and federal holidays. Rehabilitation is scheduled to be completed in November. This rehabilitation is part of our ongoing Trail Forever partnership with Friends of the Smokies, and will enhance overall trail safety by repairing tread surfaces, improving drainage, regrading areas, constructing stairs, and more. Learn more: https://home.nps.gov/grsm/learn/news/great-smoky-mountains-national-park-continues-rehabilitation-of-bullhead-trail-to-mount-leconte.htm

If you've visited the Smokies recently, you may have been mesmerized by a whimsical sight: numerous fluttering butterflies, especially swallowtails! One standout species is the eastern tiger swallowtail, a common butterfly across eastern North America. Eastern tiger swallowtails are dimorphic, meaning they come in distinctly different color morphs or variations—not only between males and females, but even among females themselves. Males 🟡 Always bright yellow with four bold, black tiger-like stripes on their forewings. Females 🟡🔵 Yellow morph: Similar to males but with a beautiful band of blue across the hindwings. ⚫️ Dark morph: Almost entirely black, often mistaken for spicebush or pipevine swallowtails (which are also active this time of year)! If you're out exploring the Smokies this season, take a moment to observe these important pollinators. Learn more about pollinators on our website (link in bio). NPS Photos of male and female yellow morph eastern tiger swallowtails. #Smokies #GreatSmokyMountains #Butterflies #Swallowtail