SEVIER COUNTY, Tenn. — If you enjoy people watching, then the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has some volunteer jobs that will be right up your alley!
The park is in need of volunteers to monitor visitor traffic and observe patterns in the most popular sections of the park in Tennessee and North Carolina.
People can volunteer for a variety of tasks that align with their interests and preferred locations, including recording observations on popular hiking trails, monitoring park availability, and checking the flow of traffic in busy locations like Clingmans Dome.
The information will help park managers address safety, congestion, crowding and parking issues in spots like Clingmans Dome, Deep Creek, Laurel Falls Trail, Rainbow Falls, and Cades Cove.
Visitation in America's most popular National Park continued to jump to new records year-over-year, and has increased by more than 30% in just the past decade.
The GSMNP said roadside parking issues have become more common, leading to damage along the road shoulders and potentially unsafe conditions for visitors walking along busy roads.