TL;DR: The National Park Service is searching for 24-year-old Texan Sahil Jilani after he was last seen October 5 at a Townsend campground and his vehicle was later found October 7 at the Abrams Falls trailhead.

Search Active In Western Smokies

The National Park Service is searching for a 24-year-old Texas man who went missing this week in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, according to the Houston Chronicle publication on Chron.com.

The missing hiker was identified by the park as Sahil Jilani of Texas. According to WVLT, a search is underway for Jilani after he was last seen in the park area and could not be located.

Park personnel opened an investigation after Jilani could not be located, according to the original report carried by WIVK-FM. Searchers are focusing efforts in and around the Abrams Falls area while investigators seek information that could help locate him.

The park asked anyone with information regarding Jilani's whereabouts to contact the park by email at [email protected], according to WVLT. The same contact address was repeated in the park's social-media appeal for sightings.

Last Seen At Riverstone Campground

Jilani was last seen at the Riverstone Campground in Townsend at around 8 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 5, according to WVLT.

The campground is privately operated and sits west of the park's Tennessee boundary, according to the Charlotte Observer. That location matters for readiness planning because a front-country overnight site and a backcountry trailhead create two separate points that search teams must connect.

Riverstone Campground is located at 8277 E Lamar Alexander Pkwy in Townsend, Tenn., according to Google Maps as reported by Chron.com. The address gives family members, fellow campers, and store owners a fixed place to recall whether they saw Jilani, his clothing, pack, or vehicle on the evening of Oct. 5.

WLOS reported that the park posted on social media on Oct. 7 that Jilani had been missing since 8 p.m. on Oct. 5. The two-day interval between the last sighting and the public appeal shows why prompt check-ins matter when traveling in mountain country.

According to the original report carried by WIVK-FM, authorities became concerned after Jilani could not be located, leading to an investigation by park personnel. The report did not say whether he was hiking alone, and park officials have not released additional details regarding the circumstances surrounding his disappearance.

Vehicle Found At Abrams Falls Trailhead

Jilani's vehicle was located on Oct. 7 at Abrams Falls trailhead, according to WLOS.

WVLT reported that his car was found at the Abrams Falls trailhead on Wednesday. The Charlotte Observer reported that Jilani's abandoned vehicle was found Wednesday, Oct. 7, at the Abrams Falls trailhead, as stated in a Facebook post from the park.

For wilderness readiness, a vehicle at a trailhead is a critical clue. It tells rangers where a person may have started walking, which direction travel likely began, and where to look first. According to the original report carried by WIVK-FM, the discovery of Jilani's vehicle at the Abrams Falls Trailhead prompted search efforts in the area as rangers worked to determine his whereabouts.

The trailhead leads to a popular hiking destination within the park, according to the same WIVK-FM original report. Searchers continue to focus efforts in and around the Abrams Falls area while investigators seek information that could help locate Jilani.

Park officials have not said whether he was hiking alone, according to that original report. That unanswered question is common in the first days of a mountain search, when teams must cover both trail and off-trail ground.

Why The 15-Mile Gap Matters

The campground is about a 15-mile drive from the Abrams Falls trailhead, according to maps as reported by the Charlotte Observer.

Chron.com, citing Google Maps, also described Riverstone Campground as about a 15-mile drive from the Abrams Falls trailhead. The distance shows a clear shift between the last confirmed sighting and the place where the vehicle was later found.

For trip planning, that kind of gap is a reminder to leave a written itinerary. A note stating where you plan to drive, where you plan to hike, and when you expect to return helps others narrow the search area. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park attracts millions of visitors each year, and officials routinely remind hikers and campers to inform others of their travel plans and remain prepared for changing conditions in the backcountry, according to the original report carried by WIVK-FM.

Anyone retracing Jilani's possible route should consider who might have seen movement between Townsend and the trailhead on Oct. 6 or Oct. 7. Gas stations, camp hosts, other drivers, and day hikers can all provide useful sightings when they contact [email protected].

Description And How To Help

Jilani, who is from Texas, is described as being 5 feet 9 inches tall and 140 pounds with black hair and brown eyes, according to WVLT.

Chron.com gave the same description of a 5-foot-9, 140-pound male with black hair and brown eyes from Texas. WLOS reported that Jilani is 5 feet, 9 inches tall and approximately 140 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.

The park's message asked the public for direct help. "Have you seen this person?" the park service wrote, adding, "If you have any information or believe you have seen Jilani, please contact the park: [email protected]," according to Chron.com.

By Thursday afternoon, the post had more than 1,300 likes and 770 shares, with many commenters expressing hope that Jilani would be found safe, according to Chron.com. The volume of shares can expand the witness pool beyond park visitors to people who left the area before the search began.

If you were in Townsend or near Abrams Creek between Oct. 5 and Oct. 7, check phone photos, dash-camera files, and trail-register entries for time stamps. Send what you find to the park email rather than waiting to be certain. Investigators prefer to receive a possible sighting and rule it out.

Abrams Falls Trail Terrain

The trail to Abrams Falls is a 5-mile "roundtrip through rhododendron, hemlock, and pine-oak forest" in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, according to the Charlotte Observer.

Chron.com, citing the National Park Service website, described the Abram Falls trailhead as leading to a five-mile roundtrip hike through rhododendron, hemlock and pine-oak forest. Dense evergreen shrubs and mixed forest can limit sight lines, making it easier to lose visual contact with a trail, a partner, or a landmark.

The highlight is a 25-foot waterfall that flows over a sandstone ledge into a pool, according to the Charlotte Observer. Chron.com described the same feature as a 25-foot waterfall flowing over a ledge of sandstone into a deep pool.

Waterfall basins deserve extra caution in general readiness planning. Stay back from wet rock, stay on established viewing areas, and avoid entering pools and swift water. Keep to the marked trail, turn back when uncertain, and save energy for the return half of a roundtrip route.

The park says the trail leads through the forest types named above, which means shade, roots, and damp ground are likely. Wear sturdy footwear, carry water and food for the full roundtrip, and bring a light source if an afternoon start could extend toward evening.

Scale Of The Park

Great Smoky Mountains National Park covers 522,427 acres, "divided almost evenly between the states of North Carolina and Tennessee," according to the Charlotte Observer.

The same report described the park as the nation's busiest popular National Park in 2025, with 11,527,939 visitors. High visitation means trails can feel busy at midday but become quiet quickly in early morning, late evening, or bad weather.

Large acreage combined with dense forest complicates searching. Rangers must prioritize the trailhead where the vehicle was found, nearby drainages, overlooks, junctions, and places where a hiker might step off the path. That is why the park's request for tips is central to the operation.

Visitors should understand that help may take time to reach remote trail sections. Remaining prepared for changing conditions in the backcountry, as officials advise in the original report carried by WIVK-FM, includes expecting cooler temperatures near water, sudden rain, slick footing, and fading daylight.

What Campers And Hikers Should Do Now

Inform others of your travel plans, as officials routinely remind visitors to do, according to the original report carried by WIVK-FM. Share your campground name, trailhead goal, expected return time, vehicle description, and what you are wearing.

Remain prepared for changing conditions in the backcountry, using the same guidance quoted by WIVK-FM. Check the forecast before leaving Townsend, reassess at the trailhead, and be willing to shorten the hike.

If you are camping at a privately operated campground near a national park, tell the front desk or a neighbor where you are headed. Leave a visible note with your planned route and return time. Keep a charged phone, but do not rely on it alone in mountain terrain.

If you join the public effort, do not enter closed areas or leave the trail to search on your own. The safest contribution is information. Anyone with information on Jilani's disappearance is asked to contact the National Park Service, according to Chron.com, at [email protected].

Anyone seeing Jilani is asked to contact the park by sending an email to [email protected], according to WLOS. Keep that address with you if you are traveling through Townsend, Cades Cove, or the Abrams Creek area.

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