Fall in the Smokies programs in the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

There is a slight nip in the air and the leaves are changing colors in the Smokies so the fall programs in the Great Smoky Mountains national park are starting and this weekend you have 2 fantastic free programs to attend.

Guided Hike:

This Saturday morning the place to be at 10:00 am will be the Cataloochee section of the Great Smoky Mountains national park where a ranger led guided hike will take you on a 5 mile journey into the 1800s where you will learn how the people who lived in the mountains lived, worked and prayed.

The early settlers in the Smoky Mountains were a tough scrappy bunch. See what it took to live in the woods, first by living off the land and then building a home from the materials around them.

You will learn about how the community was built, about its key citizens and leaders along with local customs including a visit to a beautiful church and its cemetery and 2 remarkable cabins that are still standing.

You will then learn what became of the people and their struggle when the park took over their homesteads. The tour stops for lunch (bring your own) at a cabin rebuilt after vandals destroyed it.

The hike will last from 10 am to 3 pm and everyone needs to meet at the first parking lot as you enter the Cataloochee Valley.

More information on the Little Cataloochee hike in the GSMNP.

Don't forget that the Elk rut is happening less than a mile from the parking area so stick around to see the elk!

Cades Cove star gazing event

The second program this Saturday in the Great Smoky Mountains national park will be held in Cades Cove only minutes from Pigeon Forge, Wears Valley and Gatlinburg.

The programs is an exploration of the fall night skies where you will not only have the opportunity to see stars like you have never seen them before because in Cades Cove there is no ambient light from street lights and buildings, you will get to use the high power telescopes brought into the park by the Smoky Mountains Astronomical Society.

The program starts at 7:30 pm so park beforehand at the parking lot with the shelter at the entrance of Cades Cove where you will be guided to the field where the equipment is set up.

As long as the weather holds out you should get some great viewing opportunities on this moonless night. If the weather is clear enough you will even be able to see the Milky Way without the use of a telescope!

Dress warm and bring a lawn chair or blanket to sit on and a small flashlight is also a good idea. If you have binoculars bring them along because you can do some great stargazing in Cades Cove even without the telescopes.

Cades Cove is a beautiful part of the Great Smoky Mountains national park and if you can get to the Cove earlier before sunset you can observe the deer, turkey and other animals that inhabit the Cove. If you are lucky you should be able to see a black bear or 2 as well!

More information on the Cades Cove star gazing event in the Great Smoky Mountains national park.