Wilderness Wildlife Week 2014

Wilderness Wildlife Week 2014

Thursday, December 19, 2013

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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

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Wilderness Wildlife Week Announces Hiking Schedule

Wilderness Wildlife Week Announces Hiking Schedule

Monday, November 19, 2012

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The folks at Wilderness Wildlife Week have announced the hiking schedule for the upcoming annual event, which will take place during the week of January 12-19, 2013.

Considered to be the ultimate Smoky Mountain experience, Wilderness Wildlife Week is a series of activities designed to connect visitors with the great outdoors. Participants will learn from more than 100 experts who will share their knowledge of the outdoors in more than 175 seminars, lectures and hands-on workshops.

You'll also have the opportunity to get closer to nature with your choice of more than 50 guided walks and hikes this year. Some of the highlights on this years' schedule include Mt. Cammerer, Abrams Falls, Albright Grove, the Original Road to the Walker Sisters homestead, Rainbow Falls, as well as a couple of off-trail hikes to Greenbrier, Meigs Mountain and Round Top. You can check out the full hiking schedule by clicking here.

Hikers may also want to note the relatively stringent sign-up procedures.

For more information on the entire event, please click here.


** If you're going to be looking for overnight accomodations for the event, please be sure to check out our list of cabin advertisers who help to support this blog and our hiking website. **



Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies

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Wilderness Wildlife Week Announces Hiking Schedule

Wilderness Wildlife Week Announces Hiking Schedule

Sunday, November 20, 2011

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The folks at Wilderness Wildlife Week have announced the hiking schedule for the upcoming annual event, which will take place during the week of January 7-14, 2012.

Considered to be the ultimate Smoky Mountain experience, Wilderness Wildlife Week is a series of activities designed to connect visitors with the great outdoors. Participants will learn from more than 100 experts who will share their knowledge of the outdoors in more than 175 seminars, lectures and hands-on workshops.

You'll also have the opportunity to get closer to nature with your choice of more than 50 guided walks and hikes this year. Some of the highlights on this years' schedule include Mt. Cammerer, Ramsey Cascades, Albright Grove, the Original Road to Walker Sisters, a Llama Trek along Big Creek, as well as a couple of off-trail hikes to Greenbrier, Meigs Mountain and Round Top. You can check out the full hiking schedule by clicking here.

Hikers may also want to note the relatively stringent sign-up procedures.

For more information on the entire event, please click here.


** If you're going to be looking for overnight accomodations for the event, please be sure to check out our list of cabin advertisers who help to support this blog and our hiking website. **



Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com

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Wilderness Wildlife Week in Pigeon Forge

Wilderness Wildlife Week in Pigeon Forge

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

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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.

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Mark your calendars: Wilderness Wildlife Week

Mark your calendars: Wilderness Wildlife Week

Thursday, August 5, 2010

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Pigeon Forge has just announced the dates for the 2011 Wilderness Wildlife Week. The 21st annual event will be held January 8-15, 2011.

More than 150 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 for 2011 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. For more information on the event, please click here.


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.

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Wilderness Wildlife Week in Pigeon Forge

Wilderness Wildlife Week in Pigeon Forge

Thursday, December 31, 2009

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Hikers and outdoor enthusiasts looking to explore Great Smoky Mountains National Park will be gathering in Pigeon Forge next month for the 20th annual Wilderness Wildlife Week.

The eight-day event from Jan. 9 through 16 includes hikes, expert presentations, demonstrations, photo contest, and hands-on classes - all free to participants.

Visitors will enjoy more than 100 experts sharing their knowledge of the outdoors in more than 175 seminars, lectures and hands-on workshops. You'll also have the chance to get up close to nature with your choice of more than 50 guided walks and hikes.

The city is hosting the event at the Music Road Hotel and Convention Center and transportation is provided to the park for the hikes and other outdoor events.

For more information on the event, please click here. You can also click here to see the full hiking schedule. For more details on many of the trails on this list, please click here.


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.

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Smoky Mountain News Briefs

Smoky Mountain News Briefs

Monday, December 29, 2008

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I received my copy of the winter issue of "Smokies Guide" the other day. There are a couple of news items and upcoming events I thought that you might be interested in.

Bear Tips Park Dumpsters

As many of you already know, this has been a highly active year for aggressive bears in the Smoky Mountains. Several campsites and shelters were closed for several weeks at a time during the summer and fall. Several hiking trails had aggressive bear activity warnings posted on them as well. At one point, bears dared to enter public restrooms in popular picnic areas.

One bear even learned how to tip over and break into “bear-proof” dumpsters at one of the picnic areas on the Tennessee side of the park! Park Service staff were forced to employ chains and posts to secure the dumpsters in order to thwart the bears. In the end, however, the Park Service had to live-trap and relocate five bears to a different area of the park.

Biologists can't explain the unusual bear behavior since there appeared to be plenty of natural food available during most of the year.

Emergency Stabilization at Elkmont

National Park crews completed emergency stabilization of 18 historic summer cabins and the Appalachian Clubhouse in the Elkmont area this past fall. The park hopes to fully restore all 19 structures so they can be viewed by the public. At this time there is no indication when this will be completed.

Park Adds New Vegetation Crew

The vegetation management team in the Smokies was rewarded with special funding to hire an additional team to fight invasive plants. The crew will focus efforts on the North Carolina side of the park. They will be in charge of helping to eradicate non-native plants like kudzu, English ivy, Oriental bittersweet and privet over the next three years. They will also be helping to save the eastern hemlocks on the NC side as well.

Wilderness Wildlife Week

Wilderness Wildlife Week will be held from January 10-17 in Pigeon Forge and in the Great Smoky Mountains. The free event includes a variety of hikes, field trips, workshops and demonstrations related to the natural and cultural heritage of the Smoky Mountains. For more information, visit http://www.mypigeonforge.com/ or call 865-429-7350.

The Photographs of George Masa

Mapping the Mountains: The Photographs of George Masa. This is an exhibit examining the photography of George Masa at the Asheville Art Museum from February 6 - June 7. Masa was known as "the Ansel Adams of the East". Many of his photographs were used to promote the idea of preserving the Smokies as a national park. For more information, visit http://www.ashevilleart.org/ or call 828-253-3227.

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

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