26 Visiting The Smokies Spring 2020
PHOTO BY ROBERT BERLIN Cars exit the Wears Valley end of the Foothills Parkway that opened in November 2018 for the first time after the completion of bridges that eliminated the “missing link.”
Smokies park sets visitation record at 12.5M Great Smoky Mountains National Park can now put a number on the record visitation last year — 12,547,743
The park already knew when the November 2019 stats came in that the Smokies had set an annual visitation record by topping the 1,126,540 total for 2018 even without the December numbers. Recent data gave it the official stamp. Superintendent Cassius Cash said he was proud of park employees and volunteers who helped enhance visitor experiences while protecting the park’s resources during this period of growth. “With growing visitation, this has become more challenging. In 2020, we’ll be inviting people to help us thoughtfully look at how we can improve access and continue caring for this very special place,” he said. As noted by park officials, finishing construction of the bridges that filled in the “missing link” of the parkway allows visitors to experience more mountain views with less congestion. The higher numbers were no surprise. Continue to page 27
