Mission

Founded in 1993, Friends of the Smokies assists the National Park Service in its mission to preserve and protect Great Smoky Mountains National Park by raising funds, building awareness, and mobilizing volunteers for critical park projects and programs. Friends of the Smokies provides more than $3 million annually to support environmental education, wildlife conservation, historic preservation, trail rehabilitation, and visitor outreach in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Since its founding, the organization has raised more than $100 million to support the park and its programs. One of Friends’ proudest accomplishments was establishing the Trails Forever endowment in 2012, which has now generated more than $7 million to fund sustainable rehabilitation and ongoing maintenance of the Smokies’ 848 miles of hiking trails. Friends also established the Forever Places endowment, which has raised more than $9 million to support preservation efforts for the park’s historic structures. Support from Friends of the Smokies helps conserve black bears, elk, brook trout, and other native wildlife; rehabilitate hundreds of miles of trails; restore historic cabins and churches; protect old-growth forests; educate thousands of students and park visitors; and preserve America’s most-visited national park for future generations.