Wilderness Wildlife Week in Pigeon Forge

Hikers and outdoor enthusiasts looking to explore the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will be gathering in Pigeon Forge in two months for the 21st annual Wilderness Wildlife Week.

This years' event will be held January 8-15, 2011.

More than 100 experts — nature photographers, biologists, raptor rehabilitators, social historians and just plain folks who grew up in the Smokies — will donate their time to present daily programs and a range of outdoor activities. There will be more than 250 programs and activities during the eight-day event, including more than 50 guided walks and hikes.

New this year is an all-day concentration on outdoor photography called “The Smokies Through the Lens” on Jan. 15. Several seminars aimed at all skill levels are planned, and topics will include equipment, shooting techniques and editing.

Wilderness Wildlife Week has been a Southeast Tourism Society “Top 20 Event in the Southeast” 10 times now.

Admission is free to all participants for all activities.

Some of the highlights on the hiking calendar this year include many favorites and well known hikes such as Rainbow Falls, Mt. Cammerer, Grotto Falls and Alum Cave. But there are also less known destinations such as Rock House, White Oak Sinks, Courthouse Rock, and Avent Cabin in Elkmont.

For more information on the event, please click here. You can also click here to see the full hiking schedule (you should also note the sign-up procedures for all hikes). For more details on many of the trails on the schedule, please click here.


>> If you're looking for overnight accomodations for the event, be sure to check out our list of cabin advertisers who support this website.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, hiking gear store, and more.