Photo by Don McGowan

Since 1953, the park's cooperating association, Great Smoky Mountains Association, has been supporting the educational, scientific, and historical efforts of the National Park Service through cash donations and in-kind services. In 2005 alone, the association provided over $1.5 million worth of assistance to the park. Projects the association helped to fund include the elk reintroduction, seasonal park rangers, oral history projects, bear research, and backcountry services.


Join the Association
Members of the association receive a number of benefits which help them keep informed about special events in the park and issues affecting the Smoky Mountains. These benefits include:

• Subscriptions to the award-winning quarterly park newspaper, Smokies Guide and the Association's newsletter, The Bearpaw
• A 15% discount on books, music, gifts, and other products sold at visitor centers in the national park 
• Discounts up to 20% at other national park bookstores across the country
• Special discounts at Dollywood, Smoky Mountains Railroad, Ripley's Aquarium, hotels and motels, and much more.

Memberships start at just $25 per year. Join today by visiting www.SmokiesInformation.org