Poaching in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Such senseless acts are often hard to comprehend. From the Charlotte Observer:

A Granville County man is suspected of illegally shooting a bull elk in Great Smoky Mountains National Park - the first case of elk poaching in the massive park, officials said Monday.

Rangers found the dead elk on Friday. He was one of the largest and most majestic breeding bulls in the herd that was reintroduced to the park's Cataloochee Valley several years ago, park officials said.

Read the full story here.

Poll Answer - Most Visited National Park

Thanks to all those who participated in the latest poll question: What is the most visited national park?

Answer choices included:

A. Grand Canyon National Park
B. Yosemite National Park
C. Great Smoky Mountains National Park
D. Yellowstone National Park
E. Rocky Mountain National Park

The correct answer is: Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The Park, established in 1934, is celebrating it's 75th anniversary this year.

From the National Park Service website:

"A Wondrous Diversity of Life - Ridge upon ridge of forest straddles the border between North Carolina and Tennessee in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. World renowned for its diversity of plant and animal life, the beauty of its ancient mountains, and the quality of its remnants of Southern Appalachian mountain culture, this is America’s most visited national park."

The Park receives almost 10 million visitors each year, far more than any other National Park (actual # for 2008 - 9,044,010 visitors).

Annual visitation (2008) for the other answer choices:


Grand Canyon National Park - 4.42 million
Yosemite National Park - 3.43 million
Yellowstone National Park - 3.06 million
Rocky Mountain National Park - 2.75 million

While the large number of visitors to National Parks is a good thing, it also means that Leave No Trace is more important than ever. Do your part to enjoy the parks you cherish in a responsible way.

For more information and statistics on National Parks, please visit http://www.nature.nps.gov/stats/.