Great Smoky Mountains National Park saw 1,202,056 visitors during June which represents a 7.2 percent increase over June 2011.
Year-to-date visitation is up by 11.5 percent which works out to 410,767 more people than during the same time last year.
All of the three main entrances were up during June:
Gatlinburg: +4.3 percent
Townsend: +4.1 percent
Cherokee: +9.5 percent
The 13 outlying entrances were up 10.7 percent over June 2011.
The first half of 2012 is approximately 3.6 percent above the five-year average of number of visitors during the same time period.
June marks the beginning of summer, school breaks, and the start to the popular summer season in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The May to June statistics reflected the increase in visitation and continues to contribute to the above average visitation year in the Park.
– NPS
