The Smoky Mountain Hiking Blog: 2015

Appalachian Trail Conservancy Offers Workshops on "How to Hike the Appalachian Trail"

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

For those wanting to learn more about a trek on the Appalachian Trail, now’s your chance! The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) will offer 10 classes throughout North Carolina and Georgia in January and February 2016 for people interested in long-distance hiking. Courses will be taught by Hiker Education Accredited instructors, or individuals who have worked with the ATC to offer a comprehensive workshop that encourages enjoyment and protection of the Trail.

The courses will cover all aspects of planning a long-distance hike on the A.T., from essential gear to the diversity of the Trail experience. Participants are encouraged to find their own personal approach to hiking the Trail, while also includes being well-prepared, responsible hikers.

For a full list of workshop dates and locations, please click here.

Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
HikinginGlacier.com
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
TetonHikingTrails.com

Appalachian Trail Conservancy Sees Record Number of Thru-Hikers in 2015

Monday, December 21, 2015

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) continues to see a record-breaking number of hikers who pass through its Visitor Center in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, which is considered the psychological midpoint of the 2,190-mile long Appalachian Trail (A.T.). This increase can partially be attributed to the recent releases of “A Walk in the Woods” and “Wild,” two major motion pictures depicting hikes...

Tennessee State Parks Kick off New Year with First Day Hikes

Friday, December 18, 2015

Tennessee State Parks will sponsor free, guided hikes on New Year’s Day. Each state park will host its own special hike in the first few days of the New Year. The First Hikes begin at 10 p.m. on December 31st at Pickett State Park. Norris Dam, Roan Mountain, Tims Ford and Mousetail Landing state parks will host midnight hikes. The First Hikes will continue throughout New Year’s Day with morning,...

Is a trek to Everest Base Camp in your future?

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Is a trek to Everest Base Camp in your future? Perhaps after watching this short video you might be enticed to put this epic trip on your bucket list! Ian Taylor, one of the newest advertisers on our Rocky Mountain, Glacier and Grand Teton hiking websites, recently sent me a link to one of his videos showing what it's like to trek to Everest Base Camp. To date, Ian Taylor Trekking boasts a 99%...

Discover the Joys of Winter Hiking

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Many hikers tend to run from the woods as soon as the first snow flakes begin to fall. However, winter is great time to hit the trail. Not only are the crowds gone, but many parks show off their true beauty after a fresh snowfall. With just a little more attention to detail beforehand, anyone can have a safe and enjoyable hike during the winter. Although it might feel quite frigid at the trailhead,...

Smokies Announces 40th Annual Festival of Christmas Past Programs

Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Great Smoky Mountains National Park announces the 40th annual Festival of Christmas Past celebration scheduled on Saturday, December 12 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Sugarlands Visitor Center. The event, sponsored in cooperation with Great Smoky Mountains Association, is free to the public. The festival will include old-time mountain music, traditional harp singing, mountain craft demonstrations,...

Appalachian Trail Volunteers Report Record Number of Hours in 2015

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy announced last week that a record-breaking 6,827 volunteers reported approximately 272,477 hours in maintaining and protecting the Appalachian Trail during the 2015 fiscal year. Since the ATC began collecting reports in 1983, individuals have contributed more than 5 million hours to the A.T., resulting in a volunteer network that is recognized worldwide. The...

Great Smokies Offers Black Friday Hiking Options

Monday, November 23, 2015

Great Smoky Mountains National Park is inviting visitors to join them for a series of ranger-led hikes across the park on Friday, November 27. Hikes will be offered in the Cataloochee, Elkmont, and Cades Cove areas of the park providing an outstanding opportunity for people of all ages to #OptOutside and enjoy the park. Rangers, park volunteers, and Friends of the Smokies staff will help visitors...

Prescribed Burn in Cataloochee to Begin Tomorrow

Friday, November 20, 2015

Great Smoky Mountains National Park fire management officials will make a final attempt at a 600-acre prescribed burn in the Canadian Top project area adjacent to Cataloochee Valley in North Carolina. Weather permitting, burn operations will begin on Saturday, November 21. Crews should be able to complete the burn on Saturday, but smoke may be present in the area through Sunday. The burn unit is located...

National Park Service Unveils 100th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Designs

Friday, November 20, 2015

Designs for commemorative coins honoring the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service (NPS) were unveiled today during a ceremony at the Department of the Interior. NPS Director Jonathan B. Jarvis and National Park Foundation (NPF) President and Chief Executive Officer Will Shafroth joined Treasurer of the United States Rosie Rios for the unveiling. Public Law 113-291 authorizes a three-coin...

Interview With Rescuers of Smoky Mountain Backpackers

Sunday, November 8, 2015

I ran into this video the other day. It's an interview with a couple of backpackers and thru-hikers. You may or may not recall this story, but a couple of backpackers on the Appalachian Trail had to be rescued over Easter weekend this past April, one of which was hypothermic and had to be air-lifted. These interviews are with some of the first responders - backpackers - who detail the events that...

Fall Colors Near Peak at Lower Elevations in the Smokies

Friday, October 30, 2015

Great Smoky Mountains National Park updated their Fall Color Report this morning. According to the latest report fall colors are reaching their peak at the lower elevation. Here's the latest: Over the past week the colors in lower elevations have really come alive. There is now a mixed bag of bright yellows and reds with still some green. High elevations along with some middle elevation areas have...

Fall Colors at Peak in the Smokies

Thursday, October 29, 2015

According to recent postings and photos published on the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Facebook page, fall colors have reached their peak at the middle and lower elevation of the park. Since rain is expected to move into the area on Sunday and Monday, now is the time to get out and enjoy the autumn colors while you can. In fact, the forecast for tomorrow is absolutely perfect for a hike in the...

Smokies Asks Visitors to View Bears Responsibly

Friday, October 23, 2015

Great Smoky Mountains National Park wildlife biologists remind the public to allow bears to forage undisturbed on natural foods during this critical feeding period before winter hibernation. Bears depend on fall foods such as acorns and grapes to store fat reserves that enable them to survive winter. This year, these foods in the park are extremely rare leading bears to move long distances in search...

Fall Colors in Smokies Nears Peak at Middle Elevations

Friday, October 23, 2015

Great Smoky Mountains National Park updated their Fall Color Report this morning. According to the latest report: Middle elevation areas throughout that park are nearing peak this week. Lower elevation areas still have a lot of green, but recent cold nights and sunny days have jump started color development in the foothills. High elevation areas are now past peak and most trees have already...

Smokies Records Highest September Visitation in History

Friday, October 23, 2015

Visitation to Great Smoky Mountains National Park is up 5.5 percent through September 2015. Over 8 million visitors have come to the park so far this year. The increase has led to record months of visitation in both May and September with visitation surpassing 1 million visitors during each month. In September, the park welcomed 1,081,773 visitors, the most ever since the park began recording monthly...

Smokies Hosts Birds of Prey at Oconaluftee Visitor Center

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials invite the public to a special birds of prey program presented by Doris Mager on Sunday, October 25 at 10:00 a.m. The program will be on the porch of the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. Known as "The Eagle Lady", Ms. Mager has been working with raptors for over 35 years. She has cared for over 80 injured eagles and hundreds of other raptors, housing...

Smokies Plans Prescribed Burns in Cades Cove and Cataloochee

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials have announced a series of controlled burns within the Cades Cove and Cataloochee areas of the park. Both operations could begin as early as Monday, October 26th. Park fire management officials are planning a series of controlled burns within the Cades Cove area of the park, weather permitting, which could begin as early as Monday, October 26, and...

Ad Council · Smokey Bear · Wildfires

Is the Smokey Bear Ad Campaign Effective?

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

So I was listening to late night radio the other night when I heard the latest Smokey Bear PSA for the umpteenth time. For some reason the tagline phrase at the end of the commercial, “9 out of 10 wildfires are started by humans”, stood out for me this time. We’ve all heard that statistic a million times, but have you ever considered that this is basically the same stat that’s been cited since the...

Smokies Fall Color Update

Friday, October 16, 2015

Great Smoky Mountains National Park updated their Fall Color Report this morning. According to the latest report: High elevation areas are past peak as of this week with most trees having already lost their leaves. Anywhere above 4,500 feet fall colors are nearly all the way through their cycle and any leaves left will drop soon. However, views from Newfound Gap and other high elevation overlooks...

Great Smoky Mountains National Park · Horseback Riding · horses · Smokies

Your Ultimate Guide to Horseback Riding in the Smoky Mountains

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Below is a guest blog by Mountain Rentals of Gatlinburg: The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited National Park in the United States with over 9 million guests per year, and this year you should be one of them! With breathtaking views, fascinating wildlife, and a variety of activities to choose from, the park has something for everyone to enjoy. Horseback riding in the Smokys...

Caught on Video: 4 Hikers Survive Suspension Bridge Failure

Friday, October 9, 2015

Sorry, but it's been quite a few years since I've brushed up on my high school French, but you really don't need to know the language to know how frightening this had to have been for these four hikers in New Zealand. The video was published a few days ago by Adrien Whistle, presumably from France. Based on the Google translation, the video essentially states that one of the main cables of the suspension...

Smokies Fall Color Update

Thursday, October 8, 2015

Great Smoky Mountains National Park updated their Fall Color Report yesterday afternoon. According to the latest report: Fall color continues to progress in the high elevations of the park. Many high elevation areas (above 4,500') are near, to slightly past, peak this week. Areas around Newfound Gap are colorful now. There is still a significant amount of green at the higher elevations though,...

Point Lookout Trail

Rock Slide Forces Trail Closure in Pisgah National Forest

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Due to an active rock slide the Point Lookout Trail will be closed. Pisgah National Forest is asking hikers to avoid this area for your own safety and the safety of personnel working to reopen the trail, as heavy equipment will be on the trail. The Pisgah National Forest, McDowell County and the Town of Old Fort are working to have the slide removed and the trail reopened in time for fall colors....

Smokies Fall Color Report

Friday, September 25, 2015

Great Smoky Mountains National Park has just published their late September Fall Color Report on their website. According to the report: The main fall leaf season is still several weeks away (mid to late October), but color has begun to develop over the past week in high elevation areas. Many birch trees are showing muted yellows, and species such as witch hobble, sumac, and blueberries are sporting...

Smokies Closes Whiteoak Sink Area to Protect Declining Bat Populations

Thursday, September 24, 2015

Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced the closure of the Whiteoak Sink area effective now through March 31, 2016 to limit human disturbance to bat hibernacula and help hikers avoid interactions with bats. Park biologists will be monitoring the site throughout the winter collecting population, ecological, and behavioral data that will inform resource managers developing a long-term...

"Get On the Trail" Fall Hiking Series

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Join Friends of the Smokies and fitness expert Missy Kane once again for another series of hikes this upcoming fall. Each Wednesday throughout the month of October, Missy and Friends will hike a different trail in the Great Smoky Mountains.

Ms. Kane was an Olympic runner and a Pan American Games medalist.

"Get on the Trail" is a great opportunity for people who are new to the area, or are new to hiking, as well as people who just want to know more about the Park.

The dates for this year's spring series are: October 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th:

October 7th
Cove Mountain Trail from Sugarlands Visitor Center
Easy, 5-6 miles

October 14th
Old Settlers Trail
Moderate, 6-7 miles

October 21st
Rich Mountain Loop
Difficult, 8.5 miles

October 28th
Cataloochee Divide from Purchase Knob to Double Gap
Moderate, 7-8 miles

The cost is $20.00 per hike, with aspecial gift and free membership to the Friends of the Smokies being provided by Friends and Missy. You must register by calling 865-541-4500 (Covenant Call Center) as space is limited.

Now celebrating it's 17th year, Get on the Trail with Friends and Missy has raised more than $140,000, with proceeds going towards the support for the preservation and protection of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

For more information, contact Sarah Weeks at Friends of the Smokies, 1-865-932-4794 or sarah@friendsofthesmokies.org.

Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
HikinginGlacier.com
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
TetonHikingTrails.com

Pisgah National Forest Posts New Restrictions for Big Creek / Waterville Area

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

The following is prohibited within the Big Creek/Waterville area on the Appalachian Ranger District of the Pisgah National Forest. This area that is approximately one-quarter mile south of Walter’s Power Plant, between Big Creek and State Road 1332 (along the northeast corner of Great Smoky Mountains National Park): 1. Camping is prohibited unless it is in an authorized area. 2. No alcoholic...

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Battles Graffiti

Friday, September 11, 2015

Great Smoky Mountains National Park rangers remind visitors that graffiti not only detracts from the natural beauty of the park, but can also permanently damage irreplaceable resources. Park resources including one of the best collections of log buildings in the eastern United States, backcountry hiking shelters, live trees, stone walls, bridges, and tunnels have all suffered from a range of small...

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