Public addresses Smokies overcrowding
Fees, reservations noted as possible solutions
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Austin “Gus” Zimmerman dreams of Deep Creek in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
The 24-year-old who lives in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, said he can “hear the leaves rustling in wind with the sweet smell of the mountain air gently streaming by ... watch the water trickle as I walk along the creek and ... walk through the creek without fear of being run over by a tube.”
But it’s just a dream.
In reality, the Deep Creek area has become so overcrowded that it’s nearly impossible to not be run over by other tubers on the river, or not be bumped by someone on the clogged hiking trails. And finding a parking spot? That’s just crazy talk.
Zimmerman was one of more than a dozen people who took part in a Smokies public input Zoom workshop on Thursday.
The park held four virtual workshops last week to address the unprecedented crowds, traffic congestion and resource damage.
The Smokies – the most visited national park in the country – had a record-breaking 12.5 million visitors last year. And even with coronavirus-related closures for six weeks this spring, the park is seeing enormous crowds this year, leading to less than desirable visitor experiences, said park spokeswoman Dana Soehn.
During the workshop, Soehn said the visitor numbers are “inspiring but a little daunting. Challenges present tension. It’s time to pay attention to the tension.”
In the past decade, the park has seen a 30% increase in visitation, but at the same time, its staffing has decreased from 320 employees in 2010 to 260 today.
Even with an army of nonprofit and other volunteer help, it’s not enough to control the massive crowds and over
flowing parking lots at the highly popular places like Cades Cove, Clingmans Dome, Alum Cave/chimney Tops, Rainbow Falls and Laurel Falls.
Deep Creek has been particularly hard hit, with a more than 50% increase in visitation this June over June 2019. It is an iconic destination with easy hiking trails to three waterfalls and a clean, cold, clear stream that just begs to be tubed.
After parking lots fill, people make their own parking on the roadsides, causing severe erosion and deeply rutted shoulders and destroyed split-log fences, Soehn said.
Cars can back up for three to four hours at Cades Cove to drive the 11-mile loop past historic buildings if there is a “bear jam.”
And at Clingmans Dome, she recently counted more than 80 people in line to use the bathroom.
More than 80 people attended the first three workshops, with 54 more scheduled for the final session Thursday evening, Soehn said.
Workshop attendees were broken into smaller groups, each focusing on one of the troubled areas of the park and asked to describe their ideal visitor experience in these areas, the actuality of
the experience and their suggestions for improvement.
Zimmerman, who says he can see the Smokies from his home, and goes hiking there several times a week, is passionate about Deep Creek and the destruction he has seen.
He said while he thinks the trails and bridges are well maintained, “the elephant in the room is tubing.”
“It’s great people are allowed to tube, but they’re contributing to congestion, and leaving tubes and shoes everywhere,” he said.
The safety factor is also worrisome and detracts from an enjoyable experience, he said.
Susan Sachs, resource education specialist in the park, said she noticed how much people have moved rocks around in rivers across the park, to create little dams or the trendy “rock stacks,” or cairns.
Sachs said this is prohibited in the park because the rocks form necessary habitat for hellbender salamanders, a species of special concern in North Carolina.
Bob Mreen, a retiree who lives in Inman, South Carolina, but loves to visit the Smokies with his wife, said there is a general lack of respect for the park environment and other visitors.
“Rules aren’t being enforced, plain and simple, and that feeds into lack of respect. People can feel like they can get away with things,” Mreen said.
What specific ideas could improve visitor experience and reduce congestion?
“I think charging in the park can be a really good solution. Why are we allowing people to flood into the park when businesses are taking economic advantage, but not the park?” Zimmerman said.
Soehn said there is Tennessee legislation dating back to the park’s establishment in 1934 that prohibits charging an entry fee. The park sits about equally in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina.
But others mentioned that legislation can be changed. Many Western parks like Yellowstone, Yosemite and the Grand Canyon charge entry fees and get to keep a portion of that revenue. The Smokies relies instead on a congressionally set budget of $20 million a year, although it generates more than $1 billion in economic impact to nearby communities.
Zimmerman said he thought the vehicle-free days in Cades Cove, on the Tennessee side, was a “phenomenal idea,” allowing people to enjoy the park simply by walking, hiking or bike riding, where permissible, and might work for Deep Creek.
“It reduces the amount of people on the road, brings back the serenity of it all. And I almost would suggest to keep that a permanent installation. And then even add in small little shuttle buses for people with disabilities, so they can even come through and see the park as well,” he said.
Mreen suggested a numbers-driven approach to the problem – doing an environmental impact study of specific activities (such as hiking, biking or driving) and translating them into economics – the more impact, the larger fees should be charged.
But people in the forums expressed interest in innovative solutions to allow for choosing the times to visit and their destinations in the park. Soehn said comments will be accepted through Oct. 31.