Displaying items by tag: elkmont

Public land in the Cumberland region includes Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, seen here from the Yahoo Falls Trail Overlook. Yaeger Rich via National Park Service

Celebrate our common natural and national heritage this weekend

ONEIDA — Get outdoors and take part in the celebration of National Public Lands Day with Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area on Sept.27.  All  backcountry camping permits are half off for this date.

Elsewhere, Great Smoky Mountains National Park offers several volunteer opportunities and is suspending fees for the day. A Leave-No-Trace popup educational exhibit is planned for 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Sugarlands Visitor Center.

Enjoy a night under the stars in the backcountry of Big South Fork NRRA by obtaining a backcountry camping permit in person at one of our contact stations or online. These permits are good for a stay of up to 14  days.  

National Public Lands Day is the nation’s largest, single-day volunteer event in which federal  agencies as well as other groups partner together to maintain and care for the environment.

Share your experience on social media with the hashtag #NPSVolunteer, #FindYourPark and #NPLD.

Elkmont company town circa 1912.  National Park Service

GATLINBURG — Great Smoky Mountains National Park rangers and volunteers invite the public to Daisy Town Day in the Elkmont Historic District on Saturday, Nov. 4 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Daisy Town Day is a celebration honoring those who lived, worked and played in the area before the creation of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

As part of the celebration, volunteers in historical clothing will share stories and photos of the Daisy Town area in its heyday. At the Appalachian Clubhouse, visitors can watch a 1928 home movie showing the Daisy Town area, listen to music by local band Wild Blue Yonder, and explore exhibits spotlighting daily Daisy Town life. All cabins will be open to the public. 

For almost 150 years, the Elkmont area was home to Little River Lumber Company, one of the largest logging companies that operated in the pre-park years. But by the early 1900s, the area became a popular vacation destination for members of Knoxville’s Appalachian Club. Beginning in 1910, the Appalachian Club leased land from the lumber company to create a hunting and fishing camp and build vacation homes. At one time there were over 80 structures in the area, including Daisy Town and nearby Society Hill and Millionaire’s Row. Today 18 restored buildings tell the story of the history of tourism in the Smokies. Friends of the Smokies, the park’s philanthropic partner, has helped fund restoration of many of the Daisy Town buildings. 

Daisy Town is near Elkmont Campground, which is approximately 6 miles west of Sugarlands Visitor Center near Gatlinburg, Tennessee.  For more information call the visitor center at 865-436-1291. 

ELKMONT — A 9-year-old girl died early Wednesday after a tree fell on a tent she was occupying in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The unidentified child was among a group of people camping in Elkmont Campground when the red maple, 2 feet in diameter, fell shortly after midnight and crushed the girl in her tent, according to the National Park Service.