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Hiker, 65, Dies After 60-Foot Fall on Smokies’ Alum Cave Trail

Officials report a fifth fatality this year at the nation’s most-visited park.

"Views of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are seen in Tennessee, United States on November 10, 2018. (Photo by Patrick Gorski/NurPhoto via Getty Images)"
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Overview

  • The woman fell from a roughly 60-foot cliff along the Alum Cave Trail near Gatlinburg, and rangers were unable to resuscitate her.
  • Park staff have not released her name as they work to notify her family.
  • A rockslide the day before seriously injured two visitors when boulders hit their vehicle. Both are expected to survive.
  • This marks the park’s fifth death in 2026, compared with 16 in 2025 and nine in 2024, according to figures cited in reports.
  • The National Park Service warns that Alum Cave becomes very steep near Mount LeConte and says most fatalities in the park involve vehicle crashes or drownings.