This weeks photo from the Campbell Overlook in the Smokies shows color change beginning in the lower elevations and many more reds appearing on higher slopes. With last Saturdays snow in the upper mountains and Sunday nights heavy frost in the valley in Sevier County, color change should come very quickly now.
The “Friends of the Smokies” requests your help in securing grant money that will aid in saving 19 historic buildings in the Elkmont area. An on-line poll, called Save Our Sites, is being sponsored by Tourism Cares. Participants can vote for their favorite among the seven sites listed.
The Tourism Cares organization seeks to preserve natural and historic areas that are tourist destinations. The amount the grant is unknown and will be determined by donations given to the effort on the Save Our Sites web site.
Voting is free; you are not required to make a donation. Cast your vote to help Elkmont and The Great Smoky Mountains.
We have an updated photo from the Campbell Overlook south of Gatlinburg. Some color change is starting to appear in the lower elevations. The second photo is taken from Newfound Gap from the overlook at the parking area.
We are beginning to see color changes of some of the leaves in the Great Smoky Mountains. The following photo is from the Campbell Overlook just south of Gatlinburg, about 12 miles from Newfound Gap. In this wide angel shot taken 10/7/09 you can see some reds and oranges in the upper elevations on some of the ridges.
Fall Foliage at Campbell Overlook 10/7/2009
Weather permitting we will post a photo from the same location next week.
October is one of the most colorful times to visit the Great Smoky Mountains with all the areas harvest festivals and of course the changing colors of the leaves. Many local businesses have decorated their properties in traditional fall colors so we thought we would include a couple photos.
The leaves show very little color change at this time, but the cooler temperatures should speed the change along. I went up to the Carlos Campbell Overlook which is about a mile south of the Sugarland’s Visitor Center yesterday and the color change was about nil. This is about 12 miles from Newfound Gap and the higher elevations, which should be about 5 or 6 days ahead as far as color change.
We will begin next week posting a weekly photo from near the Campbell Overlook so everyone can gauge the color of the fall foliage. The photo will be taken from the same location each week.
Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg will hold a photography exhibition celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The exhibit is titled “In View of the Smokies: Celebrating 75 Years”.
The exhibit will run Aug. 21st through Oct 10th, Mondays through Saturdays 8:30AM to 4:30PM. Arrowmont is located at 556 Parkway in downtown Gatlinburg.
The Knoxville News has been running articles through out the year on The Great Smoky Mountains National Park celebrating its 75th Anniversary. The newest articles feature outdoor activities in the park.
Due to a continued bear problem park rangers have closed the Abrams Falls Trail in Cades Cove for the second time this month. Park officials stated that they do not plan to reopen the very popular trail in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park until the black bear can be tracked or caught. The park service’s web site has updates on road and facilities closures.
This spring in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park there have been many instances of nuisance bear activity. The popular Abrams Falls Trail was closed for a day this past week due to two reports of a black bear becoming aggressive towards hikers.
Some shelters and backcountry campsites are currently closed and bear warning signs have been posted at many shelters and trails including the Abrams Falls Trail. The nuisance bears have been a particular concern in the popular Cades Cove area.
The Nation Park Service web site has a very interesting article on Black Bears that has safety guidelines if you encounter a bear. Visitors may wish to check at the parks visitor centers or ranger stations before hiking or camping for further information.
With the recent rains and warmer humid weather both the Mountain Laurel and Flame Azalea are in robust bloom in the Smokies. They can be seen both in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park and along back country roads through out the area.
The Mountain Laurel has either white or pink bell shape blossoms and is often found in rocky areas. The Flame Azalea, displaying bright orange flowers, happens to be one the very important parent plants to many of today’s hybrid varieties.
Mountain Laurel along Sevier County back road
Pink Mountain Laurel along the Roaring Fork Motor Trail
