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Jackson County woman found in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

73-year-old Ann Houghton was reported missing on Saturday, after she failed to return from a two-day hike that began on Jan. 28 near the Smokemount Campground in Cherokee.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park Service
73-year-old Ann Houghton was reported missing on Saturday, after she failed to return from a two-day hike that began on Jan. 28 near the Smokemount Campground in Cherokee.

A Jackson County woman who went missing while hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has been found dead.

73-year-old Ann Houghton was reported missing on Saturday, after she failed to return from a two-day hike that began on Jan. 28 near the Smokemount Campground in Cherokee.

Law enforcement and search and rescue personnel searched along Bradley Fork, Chasteen Creek, Hughes Ridge and Enloe Creek trails.

Her body was discovered Sunday afternoon about a quarter mile off the Enloe Creek Trail, according to a news release from the National Park Service. No additional details have been released.

According to the Park Service, Houghton volunteered in Great Smoky Mountains National Park for more than 20 years and In 2022, she was nominated for a national outstanding volunteer award.

Acting Superintendent of Great Smoky Mountains National Park Charles Sellars shared condolences for her friends and family on Sunday afternoon.

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

Lilly Knoepp is Senior Regional Reporter for Blue Ridge Public Radio. She has served as BPR’s first fulltime reporter covering Western North Carolina since 2018. She is from Franklin, NC. She returns to WNC after serving as the assistant editor of Women@Forbes and digital producer of the Forbes podcast network. She holds a master’s degree in international journalism from the City University of New York and earned a double major from UNC-Chapel Hill in religious studies and political science.