Join Friends of the Smokies and Take in the Views from Mt. Sterling

Hike with Friends of the Smokies on Tuesday, July 12th and take in the views on a Classic Hike of the Smokies to the Mt. Sterling fire tower in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP). The guided hike is led by outdoor enthusiast and author Danny Bernstein. The hike to Mt. Sterling is a strenuous 5.4 mile roundtrip hike with a total elevation gain of 2,000 ft.

Sitting at an elevation of 5,842 feet in the Great Smoky Mountains, Mt. Sterling Gap and fire tower are rich in history. Hikers who are familiar with the story of local fiddler Henry Grooms and his companions, whose deaths were depicted in the movie Cold Mountain, will note that this Civil War execution occurred at the Gap where the trail begins.

On the guided hike, participants will also learn how donations made to Friends of the Smokies help fund priority projects including the reduction of backcountry bear problems. Each backcountry campsite and shelter in GSMNP has a pulley and cable system which campers use to hoist their food and packs out of the reach of bears for the increased safety of both visitors and bears. Each year a number of these systems are damaged through use or by falling trees and must be replaced.

Monthly guided day hikes in this series are $20 for members. New members may join Friends of the Smokies and hike for $35. Donations benefit Friends' Smokies Trails Forever program which funds trail rehabilitation in GSMNP.

Visit Hike.FriendsoftheSmokies.org to register for any Classic Hike of the Smokies. For more detailed information on the hike, please click here.



Jeff
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