Posts Tagged ‘Great Smoky Mountains National Park’

20th Annual Wilderness Wildlife Week

Sunday, January 3rd, 2010

Pigeon Forge will host its annual Wilderness Wildlife Week at Music Road Hotel & Convention Center Jan. 9-16, 2010. The event is a series of activities to connect visitors with the great outdoors.
More than 175 seminars, lectures and workshops are schedule with both national and regional speakers and lecturers. Many local people, whose ancestors settled in area before the formation of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, will share parts of their family history of the region. Daily hikes and field trips are planned through out the week with hiker ratings ranging from easy to moderate. Also planned is a photo contest with six divisions, with cash awarded to top three winners in each division.

Clingmans Dome Road to Close for Season

Monday, November 30th, 2009

The Clingmans Dome Road will close Dec. 1 for the season as the park begins operating under its winter schedule. When the road reopens in spring, visitors will find the road repaved and new restrooms.
The Roaring Fork Motor Trail is also scheduled to close in December for repaving; the exact date has not been announced.
For further road closures in the National Park, you may visit their web site.

Tremont’s Annual Fall Hike

Wednesday, November 11th, 2009

The Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont’s fall hike to Rich Mountain will be held this Saturday at 9AM. The 7.5 mile hike is considered moderately difficult and will climb 1766 feet up the side of Rich Mountain with views of Cades Cove. On the way down hikers will stop at the John Oliver Cabin for exploring.
Cost is $15 per hiker and one should bring food and water along for the hike. To register for the hike call 865-448-6709 or email to: mail@gsmit.org.
The hike is one of many organized yearly by the Legacy of Tremont, a group of volunteers who help bring public awareness and support to Tremont. The Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont is a nonprofit organization providing experiences through residential educational programs.

Fall Foliage in Cades Cove

Thursday, October 29th, 2009

The fall color is currently at its peek in Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains but will not last long. Yesterday a park volunteer stated that this was the most vibrant colors he could remember; as he concurred with the comments I made on Tuesday evening here on the blog about this years fall colors.

Traffic is currently heavy on the loop road but well worth the time. Even the drive just getting to Cades Cove is colorful whether one travels the Little River Road from Gatlinburg, Wears Valley Rd. from Pigeon Forge, or Hwy 321 from Maryville.

Taken from the Loop Rd in Cades Cove on 10/28/2009

Taken from the Loop Rd in Cades Cove on 10/28/2009

Taken just outside the entrance to Cades Cove on 10/28/2009

Taken just outside the entrance to Cades Cove on 10/28/2009

Fall Foliage from Cades Cove

Thursday, October 22nd, 2009

Having spent part of the day yesterday in Cades Cove, we decided to add this photo showing the autumn color change in the Great Smoky Mountains. This westward facing photo was taken in the vicinity of the Carter Shields cabin. It seems like one can almost see a change in the color of the leaves on a daily basis now.

Fall Foliage Cades Cove 10/21/2009

Fall Foliage Cades Cove 10/21/2009

This Weeks Fall Foliage

Tuesday, October 20th, 2009

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.

Campbell Overlook 10/20/2009

Campbell Overlook 10/20/2009

“Friends of the Smokies” Needs Your Help

Saturday, October 17th, 2009

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.

Fall Foliage Update

Tuesday, October 13th, 2009

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.

Fall Foliage at Campbell Overlook 10/13/2009

Fall Foliage at Campbell Overlook 10/13/2009

Fall Foliage at Newfound Gap 10/13/2009

Fall Foliage at Newfound Gap 10/13/2009

Fall Foliage in the Smokies

Thursday, October 8th, 2009

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

Fall Foliage at Campbell Overlook 10/7/2009

Weather permitting we will post a photo from the same location next week.

Arrowmont Photography Exhibit

Friday, August 14th, 2009

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.