Man vanishes in Great Smoky Mountains. Car found at visitor’s center, park says
A search is ongoing for a man last seen 6 days ago at a visitor’s center in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, according to the National Park Service.
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Marcin Bachleda‑Blaszczak was reported missing the evening of Monday, Aug 24, the park said in an Aug. 28 news release.
“Following the initial report, his vehicle was located in the Sugarlands Visitor Center parking lot,” park officials said.
“Based on the initial investigation, the last known whereabouts of Bachleda‑Blaszczak is the Sugarlands Visitor Center parking lot on August 22. Rangers have completed a perimeter search around the Sugarlands area and continue expanding the search area.”
Bachleda‑Blaszczak has brown hair, blue eyes, stands 5 foot, 6 inches tall, and weighs about 170 pounds, officials said.
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Great Smoky Mountains is among the nation’s most visited national parks, and its many dangers include bears, timber rattlesnakes, sheer mountain cliffs and swift streams that rise rapidly during storms.
Sugarlands Welcome Center is about a two-mile drive south from Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
The park covers 522,427 acres (800 square miles) and is about a 150-mile drive northwest from uptown Charlotte.
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This story was originally published August 28, 2026 at 10:44 AM.
