Grandfather Mountain: Cougar Exhibit Temporarily Closed

Grandfather Mountain's popular cougar exhibit will be temporarily closed until sometime in June while construction continues. The re-designed habitat will include a 5-foot wall of glass allowing better viewing of the stunning cats.

Tour de Falls

May 9-10 Brevard, Dupont Forest. The Friends of DuPont Forest will again sponsor the Tour de Falls, a 12 mile tour by shuttle bus to four of DuPont Forest’s most spectacular sites: Triple Falls, High Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, and Lake Julia. Visitors are encouraged to bring their cameras, take short hikes, or just enjoy the beauty of the falls and lake, all of which provide beautiful backdrops for family or scenic photographs. Easy-to-enter shuttles will run from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m, allowing visitors the chance to enjoy each site for as long as they like. Three of the sites have shelters with picnic tables and benches. The Cedar Mountain Fire Department Auxiliary will operate a concession stand in the parking area where tickets for the tour are available.

A $10 per person donation is requested. The tour generally takes about 2 hours, depending on how long participants choose to spend at each stop. http://dupontforest.com

Wildflower Day at the Parkway

May 23 Asheville area, The Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center, located at Parkway Milepost 384 will be the site for Wildflower Day at the Blue Ridge Parkway. Music, traditional dance, a guided Discovery Walk and other hands-on activities will be included. It's a great way for kids and their families to get out into nature and learn about the plants blooming around them. The high definition movie, "Blue Ridge Parkway, America's Favorite Journey," will be shown on the half hour, and the gift shop will be open with books, educational gifts and edible and scented products from local farms.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Filled with Rare Creatures

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is known for its panoramic views, winding hiking trails and natural beauty. But thanks to a continuing study, the park is now known for its bio-diversity. According to the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI), there are 16,570 species in the park, including 6,129 species that are new to the Smokies and 890 species new to science.

GSMNP Celebrates 75 Years

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park celebrates its 75th Anniversary with a year-long series of events, hikes, music performances and festivals. Check out the complete schedule of 75th anniversary events in Bryson City and surrounding North Carolina communities. Information on all 2009 events is available on the Park's 75th anniversary web site.

For more information on the event, call the Chamber at 828-488-3681 or 800-867-9246.

Blue Ridge Parkway Receives $13.3 Million

The Blue Ridge Parkway, portions of which run through Asheville, was awarded $13.3 million in federal stimulus money. The Blue Ridge Parkway will use the funds for repairs including reconstructing historic stone guard walls, removing vegetation and hazardous trees and repairing trails.The money is part of the $750 million allocated to more than 750 projects at national parks across the United States.

3rd Annual National Junior Ranger Day

April 25 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 75th anniversary event. Special activities at the Park's three visitor centers from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Children and their families can join in a variety of free hands-on activities that range from searching for salamanders to making dinner bells at a blacksmith shop. Competing in the "animal olympics", making historic toys, brooms, cornshuck dolls, and other natural and cultural opportunities will be available.

Gorges State Park

Park Alert: Grassy Ridge Access (hwy 281s) is closed due to construction
Grassy Ridge Access on Hwy 281s in Sapphire is closed for construction of phase 1A of the Park Master Plan. Grassy Ridge Access is expected to reopen in early May, 2009. Hwy. 281s around the new park entrance is posted “No Parking”& “No Trespassing”, and is strictly enforced. Visitors wishing to access the Horse Pasture River area (USFS property) will need to secure legal parking in the community.

Frozen Creek Access off of Frozen Creek road near Rosman is open.

NC Parks ---Alerts

Statewide Alert
The Reservations System is Live. Visit http://www.ncparks.gov
Call 1-877-7-CAMP-NC or select a park from the drop down box on the left to navigate to the reservations page for that park. Online and call center reservations can ONLY be made for July 15 and thereafter.

Visitors can continue to make reservations for week-long stays and Falls, Jordan and Kerr lakes, for picnic shelters and community buildings for arrival dates of July 14 and earlier by calling or visiting the park.

Crowders Mountain State Park

Ridgeline Trail, Boulders Area, and Lake Closed;
The Ridgeline Trail and the Boulders Access Area are not open at this time. The Ridgeline Trail is not marked, maintained nor routinely monitored, but visitors may hike the trail if they park in designated parking areas at the visitor center only. Roadside parking is not allowed anywhere in the park.

For your safety, please call or stop by the visitor center and let park staff know if you are going to be hiking the trail. Also, remember that only foot traffic is allowed on the trail, and all visitors must leave the park by posted gate closing hours.

On July 21, 2008, draining of the park lake at Crowders Mountain State Park began in preparation of repairs to the dam. This project is expected to take the rest of the year. The lake area, including the canoe concession and most of the lake hiking trail, will be closed during this time.

Call the park office at 704-853-5375 with any questions.

Blue Ridge Parkway Closure Update

The Blue Ridge Parkway is open to Mount Mitchell from the northern access only via highway 80. All southern Parkway access (from Asheville) will be closed into the spring of 2009 due to a retaining wall failure. To reach the park from Asheville, take I-40 E. to 70-E at Old Fort. Take 70 to 80-N to the Parkway. Head south on the Parkway to state highway 128 (Mount Mitchell State Park road).

The restaurant is expected to reopen for the season on May 15.