Tom Harrington is a lifelong resident of Fountain City and a weekly hiker in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, where he says he “rarely misses a week.”

A graduate of Knoxville Central High School and East Tennessee State College, Tom served in the U.S. Army for two years before joining the family business.

He spent decades immersed in the Harrington Insurance business, which his father had founded in 1942. However, upon Tom’s retirement in 1982, he began his weekly hiking, mostly in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

His love of the Smokies began at an early age. When he was 7 years old, his parents’ friends took them to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park for a picnic in their Ford convertible. He says, “From that point on, I fell in love with the national park and cannot get enough of it.”

When he got his driver’s license, he asked his father if he could go to Cades Cove. His father said, “No, but you can go to the grocery store for your mother.”

Not to be dissuaded from getting to Cades Cove, Tom went into another part of the home and called his grandmother, who he said, “loved the park almost as much as I did.” He asked her if she would like to go to Cades Cove for a picnic.  Tom says he knew her answer would be yes and that his father would not say Tom couldn’t take her.

For several years, Tom’s vacations were spent hiking in Grand Teton National Park. Then his love of Cades Cove and the Smokies evolved into a volunteering opportunity in April 2000, where he continues today. Duties in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park include interpreting, conducting programs at the Cades Cove Primitive Baptist Church, and assisting park visitors in planning enjoyable activities during their visit. Additionally, (as KnoxTNToday features on Fridays), Tom provides trail, wildflower, and fall foliage reports for the national park.

Tom Harrington on Alum Cave Bluff Trail

He reflects on the rewards: “It is super fulfilling to be in the beautiful national park assisting park visitors to have a more enjoyable and meaningful experience than they might otherwise have had.  Secondly, it is a true honor to assist national park professionals as they perform their duties.”

Tom believes a visit to the national park can help with daily stress. “If folks only knew that when facing a challenging problem, being angry about something, or when in a lot of stress, a visit to the national park can alter your demeanor significantly, especially when you get out on a trail. Being in nature helps one to feel even closer to God. Many medical sources state that walking is one of the most beneficial activities one can engage in for their health. How can one exceed walking in the beautiful Great Smoky Mountains National Park.”

This new chapter in Tom’s life offers not just physical challenges but a profound sense of fulfillment as he reconnects with the earth and the community around him. His goal is to continue hiking and volunteering in the national park so long as “the Lord enables me to do so.”

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