Visits into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park dropped by 18.7 percent for April 2011 when compared with April 2010. Park officials relate
![IMG_0493](https://theonefeather.com/library/uploads/2011/05/IMG_0493-300x200.jpg)
Visits to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are down in April and in 2011 overall. (SCOTT MCKIE B.P./One Feather)
the decline is due to the I-40 rockslide at the Tennessee/North Carolina state line that closed the interstate for many months. Year-to-date entries into the Park are down 9.2 percent from a year ago. Visits to the Park via the Cherokee entrance were down 35.6 percent from last year and visits via the Gatlinburg entrance saw a 21.5 percent decline. Visits from the Townsend entrance saw a 16.4 percent increase – the only increase reported.
– ONE FEATHER STAFF REPORT