Wilma Maples, the 86 year old owner of the historic Gatlinburg Inn is donating 104 acres of woodland to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The property is located near Cove Mountain between Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. She has always considered the property as a special getaway for her and her late husband, R.L. Maples.
This is the largest private land donation to the park in a decade.
Maples was quoted in The Mountain Press as saying “I get so sick of seeing midnight rentals on every hillside.”When I die, I didn’t want the land to be sold and have the same thing happen up there. I don’t want to be part of tearing up the earth.”
Park officials say that the property could become part of the final path on the uncompleted Foothills Parkway Project.
Kudos to Mrs. Maples on her generous donation in a time in which alot of the landscape surrounding the national park as sliced, diced and sold off to developers.
Our hats are off to you Mrs. Maples!
Tags: Gatlinburg, Gatlinburg Inn, Land Donation, National Park
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