by Great Smokies | Activities, Nature
Like most national parks, Great Smoky Mountains NP has a kids ‘Junior Ranger’ program with activities and experiences unique to the Smokes. Dating back to the 1930s, Junior Rangers is a nationwide program where kids can learn about a park through self...
by Great Smokies | Activities
Congratulations! You’ve volunteered to plan this years’s family reunion. Your only job is to make your relatives happy with the destination, the budget, the activities and the lodging. No big deal, right? Before you lose your mind with internet searches,...
by Great Smokies | History & Culture
The Quintessential Mountain Lodge In 1923, timber baron Amos Frye built a hotel on a hill above Bryson City — a rambling, rustic, 2-story mountain lodge with massive stone fireplaces in both the lobby and dining hall. It offered 62 guest rooms, built to accommodate...
by Great Smokies | History & Culture
Spend any time in the Smokies and you’re bound to encounter a lot of names unique to the area. Many were derived from the Cherokees who have called this place home for thousands of years. Other names were coined by the Europeans that settled in Western North...
by Great Smokies | History & Culture
Enjoy books? Stroll through downtown Bryson City and you find books for sale on almost every block. These are not Barnes & Noble big box stores, but local retail stores with sections for readers young and old. Most offer selections reflecting the theme of the...
