Katie Liming
Updated: Searchers find body of long-time park volunteer off trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Rangers find body of 73-year-old woman missing since she embarked on hike Jan. 28
(The original story is below).
GATLINBURG, Tenn. — Missing hiker Ann Houghton, age 73, was found deceased in Great Smoky Mountains National Park on February 2 at approximately 1:53 p.m. She was found roughly a quarter mile off Enloe Creek Trail.
Houghton was reported missing to the park on Feb. 1. She had planned to hike in the park Jan. 28-29. Her vehicle was located at the Smokemont Campground. Law enforcement and search and rescue staff began a search for her on Feb. 1 in the Smokemont area, focusing efforts along Bradley Fork, Chasteen Creek, Hughes Ridge and Enloe Creek trails. Several local agencies assisted the park with search operations, investigations and emergency services including Cherokee Fire and Rescue, BUSAR, Macon Volunteer Fire Department, Cowee Volunteer Fire Department, Appalachian Mountain Rescue Team and Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.
Houghton was a resident of Jackson County, NC. She volunteered in Great Smoky Mountains National Park for more than 20 years. In 2022, Great Smoky Mountains National Park nominated Houghton for a National Park Service George and Helen Hartzog Awards for Outstanding Volunteer Service.
“Ann was an enduring and beloved member of our Smokies Community. She was a dedicated volunteer and avid hiker who shared her passion for the park with many visitors,” said Charles Sellars, Acting Superintendent of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
“Great Smoky Mountains National Park offers condolences to her family and friends.”
Here is the original story:
GATLINBURG, Tenn. — Great Smoky Mountains National Park rangers and others are currently searching for overdue hiker Ann Houghton in the area of Smokemont Campground.
Law enforcement and search and rescue personnel are focusing efforts along Bradley Fork, Chasteen Creek, Hughes Ridge and Enloe Creek trails.
Houghton is described as a 73-year-old female with gray hair, approximately 105 pounds and 5 feet and 6 inches tall. Her planned itinerary was to hike in the park Jan. 28 until Jan. 29. Her vehicle was found at Smokemont Campground. Houghton was reported missing on Feb. 1.
If you have any information or see Ann Houghton, please contact Great Smoky Mountains National Park Dispatch at 865-436-1230.
ᎫᏬᎯ: Cherokee name restored to Tennessee’s highest mountain
The U.S. Board on Geographic Names approved the formal name change of Clingmans Dome to Kuwohi, which means ‘mulberry place’ in Cherokee. Simon Whitehurst/Great Smoky Mountains Association
Work already underway to replace signage related to peak named after Rebel general
Katie Liming is a public information officer at Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
GATLINBURG — The U.S. Board on Geographic Names voted Sept. 18 in favor of the formal request submitted by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to change the name of Clingmans Dome (FID #1326387) to Kuwohi.
Kuwohi is the Cherokee name for the mountain and translates to “mulberry place.” In Cherokee syllabary, the name is ᎫᏬᎯ. The National Park Service strongly supported the name restoration and applauds today’s decision, which also received support from local communities and governments.
Kuwohi is a sacred place for the Cherokee people and is the highest point within the traditional Cherokee homeland. Kuwohi is visible from the Qualla Boundary, the home of the Eastern Band. Efforts are already underway to update signage, website and other materials with the Kuwohi name.
Clingmans Dome has always been known as Kuwohi to the Cherokee. The mountain became known as Clingmans Dome following an 1859 survey by geographer Arnold Guyot, named for Thomas Lanier Clingman, who was a lawyer, U.S. representative and senator from North Carolina, and Confederate brigadier general.
Stubborn Flint Gap fire continues to burn in Great Smokies
That’s not the natural ‘smoke’ of the Smokies. The Flint Gap fire has burned about 50 acres south of Abrams Creek in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. National Park Service
Firefighters stage in Abrams Creek Campground in national park as more resources arrive
Katie Liming is a public affairs officer with Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
GATLINBURG — The Flint Gap Fire is 46 acres as of the last estimate. Although the fire is presently uncontained, only a few areas are actively burning within the perimeter. Once firefighter access and safety in this remote and steep terrain is addressed, a full suppression strategy will be executed.
The fire did not receive as much rain over the weekend as previously predicted; however, a local weather station did show that 0.34 inches fell on the fire early Sept. 17.
On Monday, the fire responded to decreasing relative humidities, 10 mph winds and afternoon direct sunlight with some increased activity and additional smoke. The fire is currently backing through fingers of available fuels with flame lengths of 1-3 feet in some areas. Fire activity is primarily in areas with pockets of pine litter and near drainages.
Park service: Economic impact of Great Smoky Mountains National Park reaches new heights
Fontana Resort, once the site of a Depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps camp and now home to a comfortable, low-key lodging destination, has numerous relics and mementos from nearby Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Included among them is this collection of badges indicating landmarks and completion of popular trails throughout the park. Visitors to areas close to the Smokies, such as Fontana Village, bring in an estimated $3 billion each year. Thomas Fraser/Hellbender Press
Cash-rich tourists flock to Smokies area; whether they set foot in the national park is a different story
Katie Liming is a public information officer at Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
GATLINBURG — A new National Park Service report shows that 13.3 million visitors to Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 2023 spent $2.2 billion in communities near the park. That spending supported 33,748 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $3.4 billion. (In 2020, albeit a year of peak COVID-19, that amount was $2 billion).
“People come to Great Smoky Mountains National Park to enjoy the scenic beauty and end up supporting local economies along the way,” said Superintendent Cassius Cash. “We’re proud to care for a national park that provides incredible opportunities for recreation but also creates jobs and positively contributes to local economies.”