A hike on one of Great Smoky Mountains National Park's best-known trails ended in tragedy when a 65-year-old woman fell roughly 60 feet from a cliff along the Alum Cave Trail, park officials said. Rangers who reached her tried to resuscitate her on the mountainside but could not revive her. Investigators have not released her name, and the park has not disclosed the exact spot on the trail where she fell.
Park Response and Investigation
According to The Charlotte Observer, rangers responded to an emergency call on the trail and performed lifesaving measures before the woman was pronounced dead at the scene. The outlet reports she was about 65 years old and that investigators have opened an inquiry into how the fall occurred. Park officials have not immediately provided further details on the circumstances leading up to the incident.
Steep, Narrow Trail Where Conditions Turn Fast
The Alum Cave Trail, on the Tennessee side of the park, is a heavily used route that reaches the Alum Cave Bluffs at about 2.3 miles in and can be part of a roughly 10-mile round trip to Mount LeConte, according to the National Park Service. The agency notes that the path includes narrow, rocky sections and steep drop-offs in places, conditions that can make both rescues and recoveries a challenge for rangers. Hikers are advised to prepare for exposed terrain and quickly changing weather whenever they head into the high country.
Deadly Fall Follows Rockslide That Injured Two
The fatal fall came just one day after another serious incident in the park, when boulders tumbled onto a vehicle and injured two people, The Charlotte Observer reported. That earlier rockfall injured Brad and Virginia Aytes, who were expected to survive, according to the paper. Park officials have said they will release additional information on the hiker's death as the investigation continues.
