Missing hiker found dead off popular trail in Great Smoky Mountains, NC park says

A North Carolina woman has been found dead after going missing inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park, officials say.

Ann Houghton, 73, was discovered just before 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 2, “roughly a quarter mile off of Enloe Creek Trail,” the National Park Service said in a news release.

A cause of death has not been released.

“Houghton was reported missing to the park on Feb. 1. She had planned to hike in the park Jan. 28-29,” the park reported.

“Her vehicle was located at the Smokemont Campground. Law enforcement and search and rescue staff began a search for her on Feb. 1 in the Smokemont area, focusing efforts along Bradley Fork, Chasteen Creek, Hughes Ridge and Enloe Creek trails.”

Houghton was known to park staff as “a long-term park volunteer, avid hiker and beloved member of the Smokies Community,” officials said.

She lived in Jackson County, just east of the park, and served as a volunteer for more than 20 years, the park said.

“Ann was an enduring and beloved member of our Smokies Community,” acting park Superintendent Charles Sellars said in the news release. “She was a dedicated volunteer and avid hiker who shared her passion for the park with many visitors.”

The Enlow Creek Trail is a “strenuous” 6.5-mile round trip and “requires a grueling 1.9-mile climb ... just to reach the trail head,” Garden & Gun reports.

This story was originally published February 3, 2025 at 7:25 AM with the headline "Missing hiker found dead off popular trail in Great Smoky Mountains, NC park says."