Nature-deficit disorder may be impacting the GSMNP, suggests a Charlotte Observer news story.

While it is still the nation's most-visited national park, the number of visitors to the Smokies has dropped for a decade. Last year's count of 9 million people was 12 percent smaller than in the peak year of 1999.

As park numbers dropped, tourist spending rose in the park's gateway towns of Cherokee, Gatlinburg, Tenn., and Pigeon Forge, Tenn., where attractions such as Harrah's casino and the Splash Country water park beckon.

The article speculates on some causes, including nature-deficit disorder.