SOCIAL MEDIA

Blue Ridge Parkway and Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation Announce $700,000 Centennial Challenge Funding

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

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The Blue Ridge Parkway is pleased to announce that $710,035 will be directed to addressing critical repairs along the 469-mile corridor. The Parkway and the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation are receiving these funds through the NPS Centennial Grant Program, which includes $26 million for restoration projects at national parks around the country, including $16 million from non-governmental partners. The...
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Smokies Announces Synchronous Firefly Viewing Event Dates

Saturday, April 25, 2015

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Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials have announced the dates for the firefly viewing event in Elkmont. The ticketed event will take place from Tuesday, June 2nd through Tuesday, June 9th. The online ticketing system, operated through www.recreation.gov, will again provide visitors with guaranteed parking passes for Sugarlands Visitor Center where ticket-holders will park for reserved shuttle...
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Big South Fork and Obed Trails Highlighted in the Mountain Laurel Walks Celebration

Saturday, April 25, 2015

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Six of the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area and the Obed Wild and Scenic River trails are showcased in this year's Mountain Laurel Walks Celebration. These trails generally have excellent views of the beautiful, native mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) shrub that is usually in bloom in later May and early June as well as many wildflowers and are excellent hikes for bird watching. •...
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Shenandoah National Park Announces Entrance Fee Increase

Friday, April 24, 2015

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As part of a nationwide initiative, Shenandoah National Park will begin charging increased entrance fees in two stages, beginning on May 1, 2015. In the fall of 2014, the National Park Service began a review of entrance fees charged throughout the National Park System, in part, to bring greater consistency to fees being charged at parks of similar size and complexity. To solicit public input, Shenandoah...
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Shenandoah National Park Hosts Wildflower Weekend 2015

Friday, April 24, 2015

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Native spring wildflowers and children's creativity will be celebrated during Shenandoah National Park's 29th annual Wildflower Weekend, May 9-10, 2015. Special hikes and programs will focus on the diversity and value of hundreds of species of flowering plants that are protected by the Park. Visitors may also view the winning entries in the Park's first "Youth Art in the Park" wildflower art contest....
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Video: Walker Sisters Cabin

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

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TheDayHikerGSM provides an excellent overview of the Walker Sisters Cabin and the Little Greenbriar area in this short video: For more information on the easy hike to the Walker Sisters homestead, please click here. Jeff HikingintheSmokys.com   Grand Teton Hik...
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Andrew Skurka Presents: "Ultimate Hiking Gear & Skills Clinic"

Saturday, April 18, 2015

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At more than an hour in length, this video is obviously rather long. However, it's extremely informative, especially if you're fairly new to hiking and backpacking.

In this clinic originally presented at the Google headquarters in 2012, renowned long-distance backpacker Andrew Skurka discusses the gear, supplies and skills necessary to make hiking fun, not an arduous chore. Skurka was named "Adventurer of the Year" by Outside and was described as "a Superman among trekkers," by National Geographic; he's also the author of The Ultimate Hiker's Gear Guide.

In this video you'll learn: (1) How to predict the environmental and route conditions you will encounter on a trip; (2) the best uses and limitations of lightweight equipment; (3) skills that will help keep you safe and comfortable with a minimum of possessions; and, (4) exactly what Skurka takes for a summer backpacking trip in the Sierra Nevada, and why:









Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
HikinginGlacier.com
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
Grand Teton Hikes
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Linville Gorge Wilderness Fire Fully Contained

Thursday, April 16, 2015

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Significant rainfall allowed firefighters to fully contain the 521 acre Blue Gravel wildfire on the Pisgah National Forest in the Shortoff Mountain area of the Linville Gorge Wilderness area. All areas, trails and roads closed during emergency operations are now reopened. Visitors should be aware of changing weather conditions and potential tree hazards. After initial attack operations were not...
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How To Pack For a Dayhike

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

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In the short video below, Backpacker Magazine offers a list of items that should be included in your pack during a day hike. This is a great starting point for being properly prepared for a variety of conditions or circumstances that can be encountered while out on the trail, especially if you're new to hiking. However, you may want to check out the far more comprehensive list we've compiled on our...
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Three Appalachian Trail Hikers Rescued in Smokies

Monday, April 13, 2015

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On the morning of April 4th, a report was received of three Appalachian Trail hikers who’d become separated from each other during the preceding day’s thunderstorms. Only one member of the party had made it to an Appalachian Trail shelter before nightfall; the other two independently spent the night out on the trail in the harsh weather with no shelter. Rangers Phil Basak (medic) and Jamie Sanders...
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Great Smoky Mountain Rangers Rescue Seriously Injured Hiker

Friday, April 10, 2015

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On the afternoon of March 29th, rangers rescued a hiker who had taken a fall onto a pile of rocks a little over two-and-a-half miles from the Ramsey Cascades Trailhead. The hiker had sustained chest trauma and required evacuation by litter carryout from the backcountry over very rough terrain. The challenge of patient care increased when his airway became compromised subsequent to the chest injury. In...
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The Trails of Mt LeConte

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

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Last fall Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced that a full-scale restoration project will begin on Alum Cave Trail later this spring. The Trails Forever crew will focus efforts on several targeted locations along the 5-mile trail to improve visitor safety and stabilize eroding trail sections. As a result, the restoration work will require temporary closures throughout the 2-year...
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Smokies Limits Access in Whiteoak Sink Area to Protect Declining Bat Populations

Saturday, April 4, 2015

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Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials have reopened the Whiteoak Sink area with limited access effective April 1 through May 15 to limit human disturbance in critical bat habitat and help hikers avoid interactions with bats. Park biologists will continue monitoring bat populations near the site as they emerge from winter hibernacula to collect population, ecological and behavioral data that...
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Volunteers Needed to Assist in Alum Cave Trail Rehabilitation

Thursday, April 2, 2015

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Great Smoky Mountains National Park is currently recruiting volunteers to assist a Trails Forever trail crew on rehabilitation projects on the Alum Cave Trail every Wednesday from May 20th through October 28th. The Trails Forever program provides opportunities for both skilled and non-skilled volunteers to work along-side national park crews to complete various trail projects. Trail volunteers...
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The First Week of Spring in Cades Cove

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

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It's finally April! If you don't already wish you were in the Smokies right now, this short video from Great Smoky Mountains Association will likely leave you feeling like you should pack the car right now! Want to see some wildflowers this spring? For a list of the Best Wildflower Hikes in the Great Smoky Mountains, please click here. Jeff HikingintheSmokys.com HikinginGlacier.c...
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