Wilderness Wildlife Week 2014

The dates have been set for one of the premier annual events in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The 24th annual Wilderness Wildlife Week, an eight-day event that focuses on the Great Smoky Mountains and the outdoors in general, will take place January 25 thru February 1st. Many of this year's programs, all of which are free, will be held at the LeConte Center At Pigeon Forge, the City of Pigeon Forge’s brand new state-of-the-art events center.

Throughout the event’s history people have traveled from as far away as Australia, Canada, China, England and New Zealand to take part in the eight-day extravaganza of honoring and celebrating the great outdoors

On tap this year are several hundred workshops, lectures, panel discussions, mini-concerts, hikes and excursions to America’s most visited national park.

While the vast majority of Wilderness Wildlife Week programs are indoors, there are 46 hikes and excursions on the this year's calendar. They range from a photo trek in Cades Cove, to a three-mile walk through the Elkmont historic district, to a strenuous 14-mile hike to Rocky Top. Round trip transportation to the trailheads will be provided for each hike.

Many of the programs are brand new for 2014, and the lineup is different each day. For example, the hands-on photography series Smokies Through the Lens is now a three-day series of programs with courses for all skill levels. This special series of weekend programming will take place on Saturday, January 25, Sunday, January 26, and Saturday, February 1st.

Wilderness Wildlife Week, named 10 times as a Southeast Tourism Society Top 20 Event, is part of Pigeon Forge Winterfest, which starts in November and continues through February.

Details on Wilderness Wildlife Week, including the program schedule and hike information can be found by clicking here.

For more information on many of the hikes included on this year's schedule, please click here. To find accommodations in the Pigeon Forge area, please click here.



Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com