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Park Ranger Brad Free points out specifics about the history of Elkmont to the EYS alumni from North Carolina and Tennessee. Image by National Park Service.

GATLINBURG, TN -- The newly established North Carolina Experience Your Smokies, in its second year, and Tennessee Experience Your Smokies (EYS), with its 13th class in progress, recently gathered for its first joint event with a walking tour of Elkmont on the Tennessee side of the Park. Participants took a trip back in time experiencing the vivid history of the former mountain town.

“The Experience Your Smokies Alumni program to learn about at Elkmont back in its heyday was fantastic,” said Donna Dixon, 2008 EYS alumni graduate. “Ranger Brad Free brought the story of Elkmont to life and it’s amazing to imagine a railroad/lumber company town there for twenty years.”

The walking tour began with Park Ranger Brad Free in the Elkmont campground. Ranger Free provided the history about Elkmont as a turn-of-the-century logging boomtown. The group toured the Spence Cabin grounds and enjoyed a moment of reflection on Elkmont's past residents in Jake's Creek Cemetery. The tour ended with a leisurely stroll through Daisy Town with the final destination at the historic Appalachian Club for lunch with several past Elkmont residents sharing memories and their love for this special place.

“It was a joy to share memories of life in Elkmont and to hopefully contribute to the continuing compilation of the history of this wonderful spot,” said Mike Miller, an EYS alumni and former Elkmont resident who spoke at the event. “The unique thing about the gathering was that everyone from both states plus the National Park Service staff shared a love for the Smokies.”

Approximately 50 North Carolina and 350 Tennessee alumni have completed the six session program. The goal of Experience Your Smokies is to foster appreciation for the national park and provide opportunities for the community and park to engage in issues of mutual interest. The National Park Service provides subject experts who lead hands-on activities related to such topics as park management, air quality, citizen science, historic preservation, and wildlife management. In 2001, the National Park Service presented the Great Smoky Mountains National Park with the Keeper of the Light Award in recognition of its work with EYS, which has become a model for similar programs across the country.

EYS, a non-profit organization, lists several accomplishments of the organization that go beyond experiential learning. Each year, alumni gather to support a variety of service projects, including restoration of grounds at the John Oliver Cabin in Cades Cove, installation of anti-graffiti signs, collection of native seeds for restoration projects, trail maintenance, and eradication of invasive plants.

For information on the EYS NC program, visit www.friendsofthesmokies.org/events.html or call 828-452-0720 for an application. For information on the EYS TN program, call Kathy Wilbanks at 865-982-2466.

Published September 19, 2013