GATLINBURG, Tenn. — A bilingual Storybook Trail will be launched across Gatlinburg parks on Friday, May 19, according to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
A Storybook Trail is an educational outdoor activity that takes the pages from a children's book and places them on signs along trails.
The Storybook Trails will be available in English and Spanish along Fighting Creek Nature Trail at Sugarlands Visitor Center in the GSMNP and along trails at Mills Park and Mynatt Park in Gatlinburg, GSMNP said.
The trails will feature three stories, all from books published by Great Smoky Mountains Association: "We’re Going to the Mountains" ("Vamos a las Montañas") by Steve Kemp, "The Great Smoky Mountains Salamander Ball" ("El Baile de las Salamandras en las Montañas Smokies") and "The Troublesome Cub" ("El Osezno Problematico") by Lisa Horstman. Each month, the stories will rotate among the three parks.
“We are excited to bring the Storybook Trails back to the Smokies and connect with our local Gatlinburg community,” GSMNP Superintendent Cassius Cash said. “We hope that this initiative will continue to promote literacy and the desire to explore the outdoors.”
The public is invited to a community celebration event at Mills Park at 4 p.m. on Friday. Attendees can read the stories along the trail, become a Junior Ranger and enjoy fun children’s activities and light refreshments.
Buses will transport anyone who is interested from Mills Park to the Fighting Creek Nature Trail at 5:15 p.m. Buses will return to Mills Park at 7 p.m.
The Storybook Trails will remain installed and available to the public through August 31.
