Friends of the Smokies
@SmokiesFriends
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Official nonprofit partner of @GreatSmokyNPS & @NatlParkService since 1993.
Great Smoky Mountains, NC/TN
Joined February 2009
Do you want to be one of three Appalachian Trail Ridgerunners we help fund in the Smokies in 2026? The deadline to apply with the ATC is this Friday, Nov. 7, 2025. Writer Julie Dodd's latest post on our blog has all the details:
friendsofthesmokies.org
Three Ridgerunners will be hired to monitor the 72-mile section of the Appalachian Trail that runs through Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
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The Cades Cove Loop Lope presented by RT Lodge and these great sponsors will proceed as planned Nov. 9, 2025! Just a reminder, access to Cades Cove will be closed to the public Sunday morning for the race until approximately 11 a.m. Full schedule link: https://t.co/pjCdadOAQt
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Friends of the Smokies will help keep Great Smoky Mountains National Park open through Jan. 4 with basic visitor services and limited staffing amid the ongoing federal government shutdown. Full press release on the partnership agreement at the link: https://t.co/wmcpTYjOaB
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We get lots of questions about our work to keep the Smokies open during the government shutdown. How are we able to do this? Why keep the park open in the first place? What happens after the current agreement expires? Find details at this link to our blog: https://t.co/MKxvHIfmVl
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Friends of the Smokies continues to provide funding to keep Great Smoky Mountains National Park @GreatSmokyNPS fully open and operational through Nov. 2, 2025. The full news release on the funding partnership with state and local entities is at this link: https://t.co/OCyjpvmXl7
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Sevier County has announced a nine-day extension to the agreement that will keep Great Smoky Mountains National Park open and fully operation through Oct. 19, 2025. Link:
friendsofthesmokies.org
An extension will keep the national park fully open and operational through Oct. 19 during the federal government shutdown.
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Tomorrow/Saturday, @GreatSmokyNPS is fully reopening amid the government shutdown thanks in part to your support of @SmokiesFriends! The park will be open Saturday, Oct. 4 through Friday, Oct. 10 due to work from state and local partnerships. Full info: https://t.co/3vIYEM5GRg
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In addition to the hard copy in the mail, you can also read the annual report as a PDF on our website at this link: https://t.co/w9JC8owLnO
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Be on the lookout for our 2024-25 Annual Report in your mailbox. It's full of stories about how your donations and license plates are helping the Smokies along with a full 2024 financial recap. Thanks to Eddie Johnson for our great bear cub cover photo! https://t.co/PBjhnEfdFi
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The grass is greener in Cades Cove thanks to your support of Friends of the Smokies. This year your donations and license plates provided more than $78K for the park to carry out prescribed fires and other field restoration projects. Thank you, Friends!
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Your license plates and donations support the Trails Forever crew restoring Bullhead Trail. Writer Julie Dodd digs into the project in our latest blog post. Thank you to the workers and everyone who supports Friends of the Smokies! (Photo by Josh Shapiro) https://t.co/zIfjXrvy3Z
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It's been one year since Waynesville unveiled its "Gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains" arch. Private donations paid for the arch. The Downtown Waynesville Association donated the remaining $5,000 from the fundraising campaign to Friends of the Smokies! We are so appreciative!
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You may not come out of your shell. You may think inside the box. Yet, we shellebrate you, eastern box turtle! You're the shy state reptile of both North Carolina and Tennessee, and a vital part of the ecosystem. Happy World Turtle Day! (Image: NPS photo of eastern box turtle)
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You may not come out of your shell. You may think inside the box. Yet, we shellebrate you, eastern box turtle! You're the shy state reptile of both North Carolina and Tennessee, and a vital part of the ecosystem. Happy World Turtle Day! (Image: NPS photo of eastern box turtle)
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On your mark. Get set. GO register June 2 at 10 a.m. ET for the 2025 Cades Cove Loop Lope held Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025! The 5K and 10-mile race is the only organized footrace held inside the national park. More info on the race here: https://t.co/pjCdadOAQt
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Cades Cove Vehicle-Free Wednesdays return June 18, 2025. They will continue every Wednesday through Sep. 24. Vehicle-free days allow people to walk, run, hike, and bike the 11-mile scenic loop without motor vehicles. Learn more at the park's website: https://t.co/F0uEQwb1Ci
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You underestimate the power of the PARK SIDE. Maintain a safe distance of 50 yards from bears and elk in the Smokies. Don't approach, disturb, or feed wildlife. Thanks for being a Friend of the Smokies and May the Fourth be with you! https://t.co/VzTyAMxf0x
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Your Friends of the Smokies license plates make a big difference. That includes funds for the Forever Places crew. They've been hard at work replacing the Cable Mill flume in Cades Cove and are reconstructing the dam. Thank you to the crew and to all Friends of the Smokies!
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Our 'Trails Forever Hikes' series is off to a smashing start in 2025. Our wonderful volunteer hike leader and writer Danny Bernstein recaps the trek on Bradley Fork Trail in our latest blog post. Check it out and reserve your spot on a hike at the link. https://t.co/vj4v5O3Py6
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Wishing you a happy and peaceful Easter Sunday. Photo of Little Cataloochee Baptist Church in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, built in 1889 and bell tower added 25 years later.
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