Emotional Rescue LLC

03/13/2026

How many people do you think hiked the Spruce Flats Falls Trail last year?

About a year ago, we installed a trail counter to better understand how many visitors make the trek to our favorite waterfall each year. We now have the numbers, but we’re not sharing them just yet.

Drop your guess in the comments below. ✨ The closest guess without going over (Price-is-Right style!) will win a Spruce Flats Falls t-shirt. ✨ We'll pick a winner and share the final number on Monday, March 16.

Hints: this isn’t an official park trail. It’s maintained by Tremont and isn’t shown on National Park Service maps, so it is often considered a "hidden gem" in the Smokies. The trail was also closed for the month of May last year for renovations, thanks to generous support from the Blackberry Farm Foundation and Athletic Brewing Company.

Photo by Holly Kays.

03/12/2026

Wow! Several inches of snow fell at LeConte Lodge on Mt. LeConte last night.😲

Photo credit: LeConte Lodge

02/05/2026

01/17/2026

Update, Jan. 18: US 441/Newfound Gap Road, from Gatlinburg, TN to Cherokee, NC is now open.

Use caution and watch for ice and snow.


Previous post:
Newfound Gap Road remains closed after receiving an additional 3–4 inches of snow at Newfound Gap. Crews are working to clear the roadway.

❄️ For the latest updates on road conditions, visit our website: https://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/conditions.htm



NPS Photo

01/04/2026

Happy New Year from the Smokies! 🎉

2026 is here, and Smokies rangers have been thinking about our New Year’s resolutions to make this the best year yet — for us and for you! Here are a few of our goals:
💧 Pack enough water (and drink it!)
🗺️ Explore a new part of the park — there are more than 800 miles of trails to discover.
📚 Learn something new — being one of the most biodiverse places on the planet makes the Smokies an easy place to see something you’ve never seen before!
📖 Read a new book about the Smokies.
🌞 Wear more sunscreen — even on those shaded trails.
🐝 Avoid stepping in any wasp nests (or being the person behind the person who does!).

We hope you have a great year too — and look forward to seeing you in Great Smoky Mountains National Park!

Plan like a ranger and learn the best times to visit the Smokies on our website: https://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/trafficandtraveltips.htm



NPS Photo

11/20/2025

Brrr… it’s getting chillier in the Smokies! 🥶

Planning a visit? Don’t forget to pack your warmest gear! 🧤🧣

Weather in the mountains can be unpredictable, with significant temperature changes between different elevations. Temperatures can vary 10-20°F from mountain top to base.

Additionally, snow and ice can lead to road closures and make trails more hazardous. Always check the latest weather and road conditions on our website before heading out.

🔗 https://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/conditions.htm
🔗 https://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/weather.htm

NPS Photo (2024)

09/28/2025

This morning in Gatlinburg. Please remember that bears are wild animals. Don’t feed them or try to pet them. This guy was just living his best life on the parkway.

09/28/2025

There’s no need to edit the colors on this wild brookie that Glenn caught yesterday. Fall spawning colors will be showing soon.

02/11/2025

DID YOU KNOW??? The distinctive hue that inspired the Blue Ridge Mountains' name comes from the incredible diversity of trees and other vegetation the range is known for.

Lower elevations offer deciduous forests of oak, sourwood, hickory, maple, yellow birch, yellow buckeye, American beech, and tulip poplar. At elevations above 4,500 feet, evergreens such as Fraser fir, balsam, and red spruce are more abundant.

These trees release volatile hydrocarbons such as isoprene, which interacts with other molecules in the atmosphere to create the distinctive blue haze that envelopes the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Check out the gorgeous color palette of blue shades featured in this photo, which was shared by the Blue Ridge Parkway!