{"id":5674,"date":"2019-10-09T09:06:10","date_gmt":"2019-10-09T13:06:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cabinsforyou.com\/blog\/?p=5674"},"modified":"2026-06-25T14:45:34","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T14:45:34","slug":"make-a-difference-smokies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cabinsforyou.com\/blog\/attractions\/make-a-difference-smokies.htm","title":{"rendered":"Make a Difference Day \u2014 Volunteer in the Smokies"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cast one glance at the rolling peaks, lush forests, sparkling rivers, historic structures, cascading waterfalls, and incredible wildlife of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park<\/a>, and you\u2019ll fall in love instantly. Not to mention, the wonderful people found in nearby Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg are fun to be around and easy going to boot. So, what are we getting at here? Rounding the corner soon is Make a Difference Day, which began as an encouragement to do good on the extra leap year day in 1992 by USA Weekend and expanded into an unofficial holiday celebrated on the 4th Saturday of October ever since. Show your love for the Smokies by making a difference this 2019 on October 26 \u2014 as a volunteer!<\/p>\n

How YOU Can Help the Smokies<\/strong>
\nTaking time to be a Great Smoky Mountain volunteer will be one of the best decisions of your life. No, we\u2019re not being dramatic in the slightest. We truly believe volunteering in the Smokies is something you\u2019ll never forget and always treasure. Knowing you helped better a community and preserve a wondrous national park for your and future generations is priceless. As a volunteer in the Smokies, you\u2019ll be part of something much bigger than yourself, truly making a difference.<\/p>\n

Anyone can be a Smoky Mountain volunteer! From clearing forest trails<\/a>, maintaining cemeteries, and cleaning campgrounds to assisting charitable organizations, documenting new species, and educating the community, there\u2019s something for everyone. And if you really don\u2019t have the time or physical ability to volunteer but want to help, you can still make a difference by donating funds to nonprofit organizations \u2014 every penny counts<\/em> never held more true as all the money collected is used to support research efforts, repair and preserve park grounds, and increase public awareness.<\/p>\n

Ready to help the Great Smoky Mountains for Make a Difference Day? Check out the volunteer opportunities below!<\/p>\n

Smokies Volunteer<\/strong>
\nLove animals and all things nature? Help keep their homes clean and healthy as a Smokies Volunteer. As a VIP (volunteer in park), you\u2019ll have the ability to aid in the important care of the most-visited US national park. Smokies Service Days are held as half-day volunteer opportunities on weekends, perfect for those wishing to combine serving with an educational experience plus the ability to earn community service hours.<\/p>\n

Volunteer Opportunities (to name a few)
\n\u2022 Campground Host
\n\u2022 Laurel Falls Rover
\n\u2022 Mingus Mill Volunteer Resource Educator
\n\u2022 Cultural Resources Interpreter
\n\u2022 Native Plants Gardener
\n\u2022 Litter Patrol
\n\u2022 Fence Removal
\n\u2022 Overlook, Campground & Picnic Area Clean-up<\/p>\n

How to Volunteer: Download the VIP application, select what interests you most, and submit it to the Parkwide Volunteer Coordinator (address below).<\/p>\n

Contact Info<\/strong>
\nGreat Smoky Mountains National Park<\/em>
\n107 Park Headquarters Drive<\/em>
\nGatlinburg, TN 37738<\/em>
\n865.436.1265<\/em><\/p>\n

Friends of the Smokies<\/strong>
\nAssisting the National Park Service in its stout mission to preserve and protect Great Smoky Mountains, Friends of the Smokies is a nonprofit organization with a heart for nature and education. If hiking, biking, and horseback riding are your jam in the mountains, you\u2019ll really love volunteering with their Trails Forever<\/a> program, which aims to rehabilitate and maintain trails throughout the Smokies.<\/p>\n

Volunteer Opportunities
\n\u2022 Adopt-A-Trail
\n\u2022 Appalachian Trail Maintenance
\n\u2022 Discover Life in America\/All-taxa Biodiversity Inventory Volunteer<\/p>\n

How to Volunteer:<\/strong> Fill out their online volunteer application<\/a> \u2014 it\u2019s that easy!<\/p>\n

Contact Info<\/strong>
\nPO Box 1660<\/em>
\nKodak, TN 37764<\/em>
\n865.932.4794<\/em><\/p>\n

Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont<\/strong><\/em>
\nConnecting people with nature is the primary goal of the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont. With now 50 years of dedication to experiential education, the institute is a great place to spend your time volunteering.<\/p>\n

Volunteer Opportunities
\n\u2022 Office Assistant
\n\u2022 Photography
\n\u2022 Kitchen Assistance
\n\u2022 Gift Store Support
\n\u2022 Cleaning and Facilities Maintenance<\/p>\n

How to Volunteer:<\/strong> Simply fill out their online Tremont Volunteer Application<\/a> to receive announcements on upcoming projects that need volunteers, then follow the sign-up instructions in the corresponding email.<\/p>\n

Contact info<\/strong>
\n9275 Tremont Road<\/em>
\nTownsend, TN 37882<\/em>
\n865.448.6709<\/em><\/p>\n

How else can you make a difference?<\/strong> Along with donating time, you can donate funds, or simply keep everything taken care of when you\u2019re in the park. If you don\u2019t have time to volunteer, spread awareness of the national park with emphasis on keeping it clean and upkept. You can even purchase a few gifts from the nonprofit Great Smoky Mountains Association store!<\/em><\/p>\n

Where to Stay<\/strong>
\nWhen volunteering, you\u2019ll appreciate a cozy cabin to return to and relax each evening. Whether you\u2019re bringing a volunteer brigade and need a cabin that sleeps 55 guests or donating time with a smaller group of 2+, Cabins for YOU<\/a> has you covered! Soothe tired muscles in the steamy hot tub, admire the rolling mountain views from the rocking chairs, play games in the rec room, sip cocoa by the wood-burning fireplace, and settle in for sweet dreams in a king-size bed.<\/p>\n

Volunteer for Make a Difference Day this October in the Great Smoky Mountains \u2014 YOU won\u2019t regret it!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Cast one glance at the rolling peaks, lush forests, sparkling rivers, historic structures, cascading waterfalls, and incredible wildlife of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and you\u2019ll fall in love instantly. Not to mention, the wonderful people found in nearby Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg are fun to be around and easy going to boot. So, what are we getting at here? Rounding the corner soon is Make a Difference Day, which began as an encouragement to do good on the extra leap year day in 1992 by USA Weekend and expanded into an unofficial holiday celebrated on the 4th Saturday […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":5675,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[289],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5674","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-attractions"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cabinsforyou.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5674","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cabinsforyou.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cabinsforyou.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cabinsforyou.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cabinsforyou.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5674"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.cabinsforyou.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5674\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10012,"href":"https:\/\/www.cabinsforyou.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5674\/revisions\/10012"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cabinsforyou.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5675"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cabinsforyou.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5674"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cabinsforyou.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5674"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cabinsforyou.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5674"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}