The Environmental Journal of Southern Appalachia

Displaying items by tag: cades cove loop lope

Cades Cove Loop Lope finish line 2023Debi Nixon of Belton, Missouri crosses the finish line at the Cades Cove Loop Lope.

750 people from 27 states participated in the 7th Annual Cades Cove Loop Lope

On Sunday morning, Nov. 12, Friends of the Smokies hosted approximately 700 runners and walkers for the 7th Annual Cades Cove Loop Lope to support Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Through registration and sponsorships, the experience generated more than $110,000 to support a wide range of park programs including historic preservation, wildlife protection, search and rescue efforts, and Parks as Classrooms education programs.

“Experiencing Cades Cove on foot is an incredible opportunity to unplug and enjoy the splendor of the mountains, while also raising critically needed funds to support their care,” said Friends of the Smokies President Dana Soehn.

Published in News

Star-spangled banner over the Great Smoky Mountains

GATLINBURG — In commemoration of Veterans Day, visitors to Great Smoky Mountains National Park will not be required to purchase or display a parking tag on Saturday, Nov. 11. This will be the last fee-free day of the year at the Smokies and across the National Park Service.   

Visitors who wish to buy a weekly or annual tag on Saturday may continue to do so online, in the park or at various locations in park communities. Park rangers will continue their parking enforcement efforts on fee-free days, such as issuing warnings and citations for vehicles parked in marked no-parking areas. The Smokies participated in three other fee-free days this year: National Park Week in April, the anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act in August, and National Public Lands Day in September. 

On Sunday, Nov. 12, Cades Cove Loop Road will open at 11 a.m. Friends of the Smokies, the park’s philanthropic partner, is hosting the annual Cades Cove Loop Lope, a foot race that gives registered runners a chance to run a 3.1- or 10-mile loop course in Cades Cove. 

Loop Lope sign up banner.jpgThe Cades Cove Loop Lope is the only organized footrace held inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park, to benefit Friends of the Smokies. All funds raised benefit park projects and programs such as historic preservation, wildlife conservation, native plant and grassland restoration, and much more.

Published in Event Archive