Smokies visits strong in January

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s distinctive natural mist rises in Walland, Tenn.

The unusually mild winter continues to translate into improved attendance figures for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Park officials said on Tuesday that nearly 266,000 people came to the park on the Tennessee-North Carolina border last month, compared with just over 214,000 in January 2011 — a 23.8 percent increase.

The numbers continue a trend noted in December when visits jumped 37.7 percent, compared with the same month in 2010.

The park entrance at Cherokee, N.C., led in traffic last month with a 44.7 percent increase.

Park officials noted that U.S. 441 through the park was closed just six times last month, compared with being shut down on 17 days in January 2011.