Day 8 of Wilderness Wildlife Week 2014 Schedule in Pigeon Forge Tennessee

This is it! The last day of Wilderness Wildlife Week concerts, classes and workshops in the Pigeon Forge LeConte Center and free guided hike by local experts in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is now here and the weather has warmed up just in time so that some can take advantage of those free hikes today.

Yesterday was another in a series of fun and educational days in Pigeon Forge and between leaning about snowflake photography, Blount count gunsmiths in the 1800's, the furnace from the original ironworks at the old Mill in Pigeon Forge, the history of Sparks Lane in Cades Cove, and traditional Cherokee Stories there was something for everyone as Wilderness Wildlife Week.

Today's demonstrations and classes and concerts at the Wilderness Wildlife Week will be well worth the entrance fee of FREE!

Today's must see Wilderness Wildlife Week programs include the photography workshop with Kendall Chiles, Don McGowan and Warren Bedell, Wildlife and Nature Photography by Harry Dunn, Helping the Brookie by Mike Bryant and for serous photographers the class Better Landscape Photos Using Manual Settings presented by local fine art and commercial photographer Eric Gebhart.

Plenty of park roads remain closed this morning with most expected to reopen today and tomorrow. None of today's free guided hikes in the Great Smoky Mountains national park should be affected by any of these closures other than the Cades Cove bus tour which must stick to the paved roads as Hyatt Lane and Sparks Lane are both closed due to high water.

All in all, the last day of Wilderness Wildlife Week for 2014 will be fantastic!

Wilderness Wildlife Week Schedule
Day 8: Saturday, February 1st 2014

• 9 – 10am: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Creating Camera Clubs that Click. Presented by Pat Gordy. Taking place at room North 3.
• 9 – 10am: Fall Creek Falls and the Mid Cumberland Recreation Area Video Presentation. Presented by Stuart Carroll. Taking place at room South 3.
• 9 – 1 pm: The Smokies Through a Camera Lens! Photography Workshop. Presented by Kendall Chiles, Don McGowan and Warren Bedell. Taking place at room North 2.
• 9:30 – 10:30am: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program about Smokies Fly Fishing! Aquatic Insects 101. Presented by Matt Green. Taking place at room South 2.
• 9:30 – 11 am: Take a Liken’ to Lichens. Presented by Kris Light who will lead an outdoor expedition to locate lichens in their natural habitat after covering the different types of lichens in Tennessee. Taking place at room South 1.
• 9:30 – 12:30pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Painting the Smokies. Limited to 10, ages 18 and older so you must pre-register at Information Desk. Participants must bring own brush #6 or #8 flat. Presented by Dick Ensing of Dutchman’s Loft. Taking place at room South 4B.
• 10 – 11 am: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Public Accessible Waterfalls of East and Middle Tennessee. Presented by Keith Garnes. Taking place at the Greenbrier Hall Section C.
• 10:30 – 11:30am: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program about the Smokies Through a Camera Lens! Intro to Digital Photography from Camera to Printing. Presented by Douglas Hubbard. Taking place at room North 3.
• 10:30 – 11:30am: The Spirits of Cades Cove Video Presentation. Presented by Mike Meldrum. Taking place at the Greenbrier Hall Section B.
• 10:30 – 11:30am: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Special Kids Track. Wilderness Wildlife Week Tall Tales for Young and Old. Limited to 40 so you must pre-register at Information Desk. Observers welcome. Presented by Mary Phillips. Taking place at room South 3.
• 11 – Noon: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program about Smokies Fly Fishing! Old Fly Patterns of the Smokies. Presented by Don Kirk. Taking place at room South 2.
• 11:30 – 12:30pm: Wildflowers of the Southern Highlands Video Presentation. Presented by Jack Carman of Wildflowers of Tennessee. Taking place at the Greenbrier Hall Section C.
• Noon – 1 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program about the Smokies Through a Camera Lens! Wildlife and Nature Photography: Tricks and Techniques. Presented by Harry Dunn. Taking place at room North 3.
• 12:30 – 1:30pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program about Smokies Fly Fishing! Backcountry Cooking. Presented by Craig Haney. Taking place at room South 2.
• 12:30 – 1:30pm: Pilgrimage: A Pathway to Discovery. Presented by J. Greg Johnson. Taking place at room South 3.
• 12:30 – 1:30pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Pioneer Toy Making. Presented by Roy Henson. Taking place at room South 4A.
• 1 – 2pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Old Time Radio Days. Presented by Tony Thomas. Taking place at the Greenbrier Hall Section B.
• 1:30 – 2:30pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program about the Smokies Through a Camera Lens! Black and White: Give Your Photographs a Timeless Appeal. Presented by Karen Jones. Taking place at room North 2.
• 2 – 3pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Wildlife Hot spots in the Southeast Video Presentation. Presented by Kate Marshall. Taking place at the Greenbrier Hall Section C.
• 2 – 3pm: Learn to Play Washboard and Washtub Bass. Presented by Boogertown Gap. Taking place at room South 1.
• 2 – 3pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program about Smokies Fly Fishing! Tenkara Comes to Tennessee. Presented by Jason Sparks. Taking place at room South 2.
• 2 – 3pm: A Year in the Life of a Bear. Presented by David Whitehead. Taking place at room South 3.
• 2 – 3pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Special Kids Track. Mystery Hour: Kids Create Your Own Mystery. Limited to 25 so you must pre-register at Information Desk. Presented by Jean Leigh Claudette. Taking place at room South 4B.
• 2:30 – 3:30pm: The Bear Facts Video Presentation. Presented by Mike Meldrum. Taking place at the Greenbrier Hall Section B.
• 3 – 4pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program about the Smokies Through a Camera Lens! Better Landscape Photos Using Manual Settings. Presented by Eric Gebhart. Taking place at room North 2.
• 3 – 6pm: Photography Contest Pickup Taking place at room North 1.
• 3:30 – 4:30pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Backyard Bird Habitat: Never Too Young, Never Too Old. Presented by Glenna and WC Julian and Tammy and Olivia Browning. Taking place at the Greenbrier Hall Section C.
• 3:30 – 4:30pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program about Smokies Fly Fishing! Indicators for Better Nymph Fishing. Presented by Steve Vorkapich. Taking place at room South 2.
• 3:30 – 4:30pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Nature Writing for Love and Money, Part 2. Presented by Rob Simbeck. Taking place at room South 3.
• 4 – 5pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Capturing Wildlife with a Remote Infrared Camera. Presented by Joel and Kathy Zachry of Great Outdoors! Adventure Travel. Taking place at the Greenbrier Hall Section B.
• 4 – 5pm: Special Kids Track. Blue and the Grey: Civil War Soldier’s Life. Limited to 25 so you must pre-register at Information Desk. Presented by Mike Meldrum. Learn about the life of a soldier when the Civil War needed young folks to enlist for the Union or Confederacy. Taking place at room South 4B.
• 4 – 6pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program about the Smokies Through a Camera Lens! What Separates a Snapshot from a Fine Photograph and How They are Judged. Presented by Douglas Hubbard. Taking place at room North 3.
• 4:30 – 6:30pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program about the Smokies Through a Camera Lens! Nature in Photoshop. Presented by Larry Perry. Taking place at room North 2.
• 5 – 6pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program about Smokies Fly Fishing! High Navigation of the Trout Streams. Presented by Fred Turner. Taking place at room South 2.
• 5 – 6:30pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! A Tribute to the States. Presented by Hills-N-Hollows. Taking place at the Greenbrier Hall Section A.
• 5:30 – 6:30pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program about our Smokies Heritage! Songs and Stories from the Cabin Porch. Presented by Tony Thomas. Taking place at the Greenbrier Hall Section B.
• 6:30 – 7:30pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program about Smokies Fly Fishing! Helping the Brookie. Presented by Mike Bryant. Taking place at room South 2.
• 7pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! To Be Announced. Presented by Ken Jenkins. Taking place at the Greenbrier Hall Section A.

2014 Wilderness Wildlife Week Guided Hikes

2014 Wilderness Wildlife Week Schedule for Day 1

2014 Wilderness Wildlife Week Schedule for Day 2

2014 Wilderness Wildlife Week Schedule for Day 3

2014 Wilderness Wildlife Week Schedule for Day 4

2014 Wilderness Wildlife Week Schedule for Day 5

2014 Wilderness Wildlife Week Schedule for Day 6

2014 Wilderness Wildlife Week Schedule for Day 7

2014 Wilderness Wildlife Week Schedule for Day 8

Day 7 of Wilderness Wildlife Week 2014 Schedule in Pigeon Forge Tennessee

As we wind down to the final 2 days of Wilderness Wildlife Week taking place in the LeConte Center in Pigeon Forge were are finally going to start to see seasonally acceptable weather as well.

While weather in the Smokies was a big topic of discussions, so was the great time everyone has been having the past week here at the event. As a matter of fact I found some people coming here for more than a decade that said this was the best Wilderness Wildlife Week event ever.

Some of the Roads in the Great Smoky Mountains national park had reopened yesterday as the weather just started to poke above freezing and the park is expecting most to be reopened by late today.

That's great news for those taking guided hikes in the park Saturday as we expect all the guided outdoor programs to be able to take place and fortunately it looks as though all the Wilderness Wildlife Week guided hikes can take place today as well!

Today's must see of Wilderness Wildlife Week programs include the exciting Famous Searches and Rescues in the Great Smoky Mountains by Joe Kelley, Bob Swabe, Judy Wasak and Joey Holt, live Eagles. Presented by American Eagle Foundation and In the Spirit of Adventure which will be presented by Charles Maynard.

Wilderness Wildlife Week Schedule
Day 7: Friday, January 31st 2014

• 8 – 11am: Famous Searches and Rescues in the Great Smoky Mountains. Presented by Joe Kelley, Bob Swabe, Judy Wasak and Joey Holt. Taking place at room South 2.
• 9 – 10am: Discovering the Cumberlands Video Presentation. Presented by Stuart Carroll. Taking place at room South 3.
• 9 – 10:30am: Nature Recording in the Smokies. Presented by Mark Dunaway. Taking place at room South 1.
• 10 – 10:30am: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program about our Smokies Heritage! Folk Songs of Cades Cove. Presented by Maddie Carpenter. Taking place at the Greenbrier Hall Section B.
• 10 – 11am: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program about our Smokies Heritage! More People Who Shaped Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Presented by Bill Deitzer. Taking place at room North 2.
• 10 – 11am: Our Smokies Heritage! Load a Wagon. Presented by Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center. Taking place at room South 4B.
• 10:30 – 11:30am: Jewels from the Sky: Snowflake Photography. Presented by Kris Light. Taking place at room South 3.
• 10:30 – Noon: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program about our Smokies Heritage! Blount County Gunsmiths, 1800-1900. Presented by Randal Pierce. Taking place at room North 3.
• 11 – Noon: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program about our Smokies Heritage! History of the Pigeon Forge Iron Works.On a recent excavation at the Old Mill in Pigeon Forge the unearthed evidence of the original iron furnace which was used in the Pigeon Forge Iron Works in the early 1800s. Learn how this bloomary furnace system worked. Presented by Alan Longmire and Dr. Elizabeth Kellar. Taking place at the Greenbrier Hall Section C.
• 11 – Noon: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Wildlife Diversity in Tennessee. Presented by Chris Ogle. Taking place at room South 1.
• 11:30 – 12:30pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! What Are We Saying with Our Photography? Chasing That Special Look. Presented by Dale Knight. Taking place at room North 2.
• 11:30 – 12:30pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Make a traditional or modern Native American Dreamcatcher. Limited to 10 so you must pre-register at Information Desk. Presented by Sue Todd. Taking place at room South 4A.
• 11:30 – 1pm: Bird Songs of the Smokies. Presented by Mark Dunaway. Taking place at room South 2.
• 12:30 – 1:30pm: Identifying Local Birds of Prey. Presented by Stephen Lyn Bales at the Ijams Nature Center. Taking place at the Greenbrier Hall Section C.
• 12:30 – 2 pm: Intermediate Mountain Dulcimer. Participants must bring own mountain dulcimer. Limited to 20 so you must pre-register at Information Desk. Presented by Tim Simek. Taking place at room South 4B.
• 1 – 2pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program about our Smokies Heritage! Sparks Lane: Then and Now Video Presentation. Presented by Kate Marshall. Taking place at room North 3.
• 1 – 2pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Jasper and Banff Natural Parks Video Presentation: Canadian Wonderlands. Presented by Harry Dunn. Taking place at room North 2.
• 1 – 2pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! The Tennessee River: A Journey Video Presentation. Presented by Randy Hedgepath. Taking place at the Greenbrier Hall Section B.
• 1 – 2pm: Saving Tennessee’s Hemlock Trees Video Presentation. Presented by Stuart Carroll. Taking place at room South 3.
• 1:30 – 2pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Special Kids Track. Blindfold Surprise Blindfolded participants will identify objects given to them to determine if they are recyclable or not. Limited to 30 so you must pre-register at Information Desk. Presented by Keep Sevier Beautiful. Taking place at room South 4A.
• 1:30 – 2:30pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Cherokee Stories. Presented by Lloyd Arneach. Taking place at the Greenbrier Hall Section A.
• 1:30 – 2:30pm: Intro to Autoharp. Presented by Tony Thomas and Judy Carson. Taking place at room South 1.
• 2 – 3pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! The Colorful Birds of Spring and Summer Video Presentation. Presented by Regina Garr of Birds-I-View. Taking place at the Greenbrier Hall Section C.
• 2 – 3pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! A Moth-er’s Night Out: Learn about Moths and Other Nocturnal Insects. Presented by Kris Light. Taking place at room South 2.
• 2:30 – 3:30pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program about our Smokies Heritage! The Photos of William Derris of Townsend, TN, 1930-1956. Presented by Missy Tipton Green and Paulette Ledbetter. Taking place at room North 3.
• 2:30 – 3:30pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program about our Smokies Heritage! Logging Railroads in the Smokies. Presented by Rick Turner. Taking place at the Greenbrier Hall Section B.
• 2:30 – 3:30pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Nature Writing for Love and Money, Part 1. Presented by Rob Simbeck. Taking place at room South 3.
• 2:30 – 3:30pm: Special Kids Track. How to Make a Quill Pen. Limited to 10, ages 12-17 so you must pre-register at Information Desk. Participants must bring sharp penknife or x-acto blade. Presented by Pat K. Thomas. Taking place at room South 4B.
• 3 – 4pm: Lakes, Lighthouses and Landscapes of the North Woods Video Presentation. Presented by Kendall Chiles. Taking place at room North 2.
• 3:15 – 4:15pm: America’s Best Idea: Our National Parks Video Presentation. Presented by Chuck Summers. Taking place at the Greenbrier Hall Section A.
• 3:30 – 4:30pm: Bald Eagle Recovery: Keys to Success. Presented by Bob Hatcher. Taking place at the Greenbrier Hall Section C.
• 4 – 5pm: Walking Through the Beauty of the Natural World Video Presentation. Presented by Don McGowan. Taking place at room North 2.
• 4 – 5pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program about our Smokies Heritage! Appalachian Music Concert by Boogertown Gap. Taking place at the Greenbrier Hall Section B.
• 4 – 5pm: Finding Birds in Great Smoky Mountains National Park Video Presentation. Presented by Dr. Fred Alsop III. Taking place at room South 3.
• 4 – 5pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Pioneer Toy Making. Limited to 20 so you must pre-register at Information Desk. Presented by Roy Henson. Taking place at room South 4B.
• 4:30 – 5pm: Birds of Prey: Live Eagles. Presented by American Eagle Foundation. Taking place at the Greenbrier Hall Section C.
• 4:45 – 5:45 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! The Outhouse is In! The Privy Goes Public. Presented by Kathy Gwinn. Taking place at the Greenbrier Hall Section A.
• 5:30 – 6:30pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Lighting Essentials. Presented by Douglas Hubbard. Taking place at room North 2.
• 5:30 – 6:30pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program about our Smokies Heritage! Music of Coal: Mining Stories from the Coal fields of Appalachia. Presented by Tony Thomas. Taking place at the Greenbrier Hall Section B.
• 6:15 – 7:15 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! In the Spirit of Adventure. Presented by Charles Maynard. Taking place at the Greenbrier Hall Section A.
• 7:45 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! It’s OK to Get Older as Long as You Refuse to Grow Up! Humor About the "Joys of Maturity". Presented by Sam Venable. Taking place at the Greenbrier Hall Section A.

2014 Wilderness Wildlife Week Guided Hikes

2014 Wilderness Wildlife Week Schedule for Day 1

2014 Wilderness Wildlife Week Schedule for Day 2

2014 Wilderness Wildlife Week Schedule for Day 3

2014 Wilderness Wildlife Week Schedule for Day 4

2014 Wilderness Wildlife Week Schedule for Day 5

2014 Wilderness Wildlife Week Schedule for Day 6

2014 Wilderness Wildlife Week Schedule for Day 7

The 24th Wilderness Wildlife Week in Pigeon Forge and Guided Hikes for January 2014

There have been some big changes to this year's Wilderness Wildlife Week in the Great Smoky Mountains which takes place each year in Pigeon Forge during January. Not only are there many new and exciting programs and guided hikes that will take place during Wilderness Wildlife Week, the schedule has been moved later by 2 weeks and will be taking place in a brand new location.

The past few years', seasonally rough weather has interrupted guided hikes and closed roads during Wilderness Wildlife Week to the great disappointment to many that have attended and if Wilderness Wildlife Week took place when it has historically, attendees would have dealt with roads closed by snow and biter cold making guided hikes far less fun.

Today kicked off another winter storm with snow causing roads in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to close shutting off access to some of the best areas to take a guided hike or bus tour such as in Cades Cove.

The good news is that by the time Wilderness Wildlife Week kicks off this year from January 25th through February 1st, 2014 the long term forecast right now show far more temperate weather and the potential for just a dusting of snow here and there mostly in the upper elevations.

Besides the new dates for 2014 when Wilderness Wildlife Week runs, it was time to change the location that this extremely popular yearly event takes place. The show will be taking place practically walking distance where it has in the past at the brand new LeConte Center on Teaster Lane in Pigeon Forge.

Clearly the best place to host the Wilderness Wildlife Week event had to be in Pigeon Forge based upon all of the great lodging and dining choices as well as the extremely close proximity of the Great Smoky Mountains national park where the majority of the guided hikes will take place.

The previous location where the event was held just did not have enough room for all the attendees who flock to the Smokies for the great family friendly demonstrations and classes, musical performances and storytelling. After all, everything other than food at Wilderness Wildlife Week is free and who can beat that?

The new LeConte Center in Pigeon Forge is not just beautiful and spacious; this state of the art convention facility will be comfortable if you come for just a few presentations, or stay from opening to close all week long.

You don't have to be a huge wildlife, history, musical or photography expert to have a good time at Wilderness Wildlife Week and I can assure you that by the time Wilderness Wildlife Week is over, you will not only know far more than you did a week ago, you will be inspired to learn more, have more great memories, you will be chomping at the bit to come back in 2015!

One of the most popular parts of Wilderness Wildlife Week is the guided hikes in the Great Smoky Mountains national park. It doesn't matter if you are a hard core long distance extreme hiker or just a beginner, there are hike for everyone but because they are so popular you have to register early in order to have a spot.

Any of the guided hikes listed below are subject to change or cancellation based upon weather or other unforeseen circumstances:

Hikes and Field Trips on Sunday, January 26, 2014
Sign-up for these hikes and field trips at 11:30am
on January 25, 2014, in Greenbrier Hall Section A

• 7am – 2 pm, Cades Cove Photo Trek, Guided by Iceland, Rated Easy
• 8am– 2:30pm, Rock House, Guided by Holt, 6 miles, Rated Easy Moderate
• 8am – 3:00pm, Hiking Tour of Wear Cove, Guided by Owen, 7.6 miles, Rated Easy Strenuous
• 8:30am – 4:30pm, Laurel Falls / Little Greenbrier, Guided by Domingue, 7.4 miles, Rated Easy Moderate
• 10am – 4:30pm, Ramsey Cascades, Guided by Hedgepath, 8 miles, Rated Moderate/Strenuous
• 10:30am – 2pm, Townsend Railroad Museum, Guided by Eastin, Rated Easy
• 6pm – 9pm, Owl Prowl, Guided by Garr, Rated Easy

Hikes and Field Trips on Monday, January 27, 2014
Sign-up for these hikes and field trips at 6 pm
on January 25, 2014, in Greenbrier Hall Section A

• 8am – 2pm, Cades Cove Bus Tour, Guided by Snyder, Rated Easy
• 8am – 3:30pm, Walker Sisters via Laurel Falls, Guided by Zachry, 7.5 miles, Rated Moderate/Strenuous
• 8am – 3:30pm, White Oak Sinks, Guided by Domingue, 5 miles, Rated Moderate
• 8am – 5pm, Mount Cammerer, Guided by Maynard, 11 miles, Rated Moderate/Strenuous
• 8am – 4pm, Rhododendron / Injun Creek, Guided by Duncan, 7, Rated Moderate/Strenuous
• 11am – 4pm, Cucumber Gap / Little River, Guided by Luckett, 5.5 miles, Rated Easy/Moderate
• 11am – 5pm, Abrams Falls, Guided by Owen, 5 miles, Rated Easy/Moderate

Hikes and Field Trips on Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Sign-up for these hikes and field trips at 6 pm
on January 26, 2014, in Greenbrier Hall Section A

• 7am – 5pm, Rocky Top, Guided by Silver, 14 miles, Rated Strenuous
• 7:30 am – 3:30pm Meigs Mountain / Lumber Ridge, Guided by Owen, 10.6 miles, Rated Moderate/Strenuous
• 8 am – 2:30pm, Mystery Hike, 6 miles, Rated Moderate/Strenuous
• 8 am – 2:30pm, Off-Trail to Walker Sisters, Guided by Snyder, 5 miles, Rated Moderate
• 9 am – 5 pm, Old Sugarlands / Skyuka, Guided by McCarter, 6 miles, Rated Easy/Moderate
• 11 am – Noon, Pigeon Forge Greenway Litter Pickup, Guided by Howard, 1 mile, Rated Easy
• 1 pm – 3pm, Sevier County Compost Facility Tour, Guided by Howard, 1 mile, Rated Easy/Moderate
• 6 pm – 9pm, Owl Prowl by Bus, Guided by Garr, Rated Easy

Hikes and Field Trips on Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Sign-up for these hikes and field trips at 6 pm on
January 27, 2014, in Greenbrier Hall Section A

• 7am – Noon, Cades Cove Photo Trek by Bus, McLemore, Rated Easy
• 8am – 2pm, Finley Cane / Bote Mtn. / Lead Cove, Guided by Owen, 7.1 miles, Rated Strenuous
• 8am – 3:30pm, A.T. / Road Prong / The Chimneys, Guided by Lloyd, 7.2 miles, Rated Moderate/Strenuous
• 10am – 3:30pm, Moore Cemetery, Guided by Snyder, 4.5 miles, Rated Moderate/Strenuous
• 10:30am – 4:30pm, Alum Cave Bluffs, Guided by Virden, 5 miles, Rated Moderate/Strenuous
• 10:30am – 5pm, Mystery Hike, 6 miles, Rated Moderate
• 1pm – 3pm, History of Pigeon Forge Tour by Bus, Guided by Scott, Rated Easy

Hikes and Field Trips on Thursday, January 30, 2014
Sign-up for these hikes and field trips at 6 pm
on January 28, 2014, in Greenbrier Hall Section A

• 7am – 2pm, Finley Cane / West Prong, Guided by Luckett, 6 miles, Rated Easy/Moderate
• 7:30am – 3:30pm, Ramsey Cascades, Guided by Virden, 8 miles, Rated Moderate/Strenuous
• 8am – 4pm, Meigs Mountain: Off-Trail, Guided by Snyder, 7.5 miles, Rated Moderate/Strenuous
• 8:30am – 4:30pm, Llama Trek, Guided by Garrett, 4 miles, Rated Easy/Moderate
• 11am – 5pm, Old Sugarlands, Guided by Deitzer, 3.5 miles, Rated Easy/Moderate
• 6pm – 9pm, Owl Prowl by Bus, Guided by Garr, Rated Easy

Hikes and Field Trips on Friday, January 31, 2014
Sign-up for these hikes and field trips at 6 pm
on January 29, 2014, in Greenbrier Hall Section A

• 7am – 3:30pm, Mystery Hike, 6.5 miles, Rated Moderate/Strenuous
• 8am – 4pm, Little River / Huskey Gap, Guided by Zachry, 6.8 miles, Rated Moderate/Strenuous
• 9am – 4pm, Barnes Sisters, Guided by Duncan, 5 miles, Rated Moderate/Strenuous
• 11:30am – 5:30pm, Cades Cove Bus Tour, Guided by Harrington, Rated Easy
• 6pm – 9pm, Owl Prowl by Bus, Guided by Garr, Rated Easy

Hikes and Field Trips on Saturday, February 1, 2014
Sign-up for these hikes and field trips at 6 pm
on January 30, 2014 in Greenbrier Hall Section A

• 7:30am – 4:30pm Birding Cades Cove, Guided by Alsop, 2, Rated Easy/Moderate
• 8am – 2pm, Baskins Creek, Guided by Maynard, 6 miles, Rated Moderate
• 9:30 am – 2pm, Cosby Bus Tour, Guided by Cardwell, Rated Easy
• 10am – 4pm, Jakes Creek / Avent Cabin, Guided by Jenkins, 3 miles, Rated Easy/Moderate
• 10am – 4pm, Old Elkmont Town, Guided by McMahan, 3 miles, Rated Easy
• 1pm – 3pm, History of Pigeon Forge Tour by Bus, Guided by Scott, Rated Easy

Wilderness wildlife week takes place from Saturday, January 25th until Saturday, February 1st, 2014 at the LeConte Center at Pigeon Forge, 2986 Teaster Lane Pigeon Forge, TN 37868. You can call (800) 251-9100 or (865)453-8574.

2014 Wilderness Wildlife Week Guided Hikes

2014 Wilderness Wildlife Week Schedule for Day 1

2014 Wilderness Wildlife Week Schedule for Day 2

2014 Wilderness Wildlife Week Schedule for Day 3

2014 Wilderness Wildlife Week Schedule for Day 4

2014 Wilderness Wildlife Week Schedule for Day 5

2014 Wilderness Wildlife Week Schedule for Day 6

2014 Wilderness Wildlife Week Schedule for Day 7

Government Closure Status in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

It is hard to believe that we are already in the 11th day of the Government Shutdown that among other hardships has closed the Great Smoky Mountains national park and the Blue Ridge Parkway facilities just as peak tourist season and leaf season begin in the Smokies.

Of course great news would be that everyone is working again and all national parks and forests are open. So far this is not the case; however, the federal government decided that if a state government can pay the expenses, federal parks can be reopened as long as the expenses are being covered.

The Great Smoky Mountains national park (GSMNP) encompasses more than 800 square miles straddling the states of North Carolina and Tennessee with the state border slicing the park lengthwise. While the GSMNP is has more land in North Carolina, the most accessible and heavily visited parts of the park are in Tennessee such as Cades Cove.

Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam is presently working with Tennessee congressmen to see if it is feasible to use state government resources to reopen part or all of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park along with 3 other areas that the federal government shutdown has closed.

No official word yet if North Carolina will be willing to help pay to reopen the Great Smoky Mountains national park and with Tennessees help alone, it may not be enough for the park to open until the Federal Shutdown is lifted.

Presently the national park is legally closed to all use other than traversing the 3 roads which remain open, along with utilizing unblocked pullouts and overlooks which include the Newfound Gap parking and the Newfound Gap bathrooms.

The only roads in the park right now open are Newfound Gap Road US441 all the way from the entrance at Cherokee North Carolina, to where it ends 30 miles away at the city of Gatlinburg Tennessee and the Gatlinburg Bypass which connects Newfound Gap Road by the city limits to the Spur.

The Spur is also open and it is part of the Foothill Parkway outside the park and it connects Gatlinburg with Pigeon Forge Tennessee.

Current Road Conditions and Closure Status in the GSMNP

The entire hiking trail system in the Great Smoky Mountains national park is officially closed due to severe manpower shortages from the Government Shutdown as they are now considered unsafe.

Hikers right now are tolerated along the Appalachian Trail, Husky Gap Hiking Trail, Gatlinburg Hiking Trail, and the Oconaluftee River Trail.

If a trailhead is blocked off with cones or barricades do not hike there as you are subject to fine or arrest and you're putting others in danger.

As for facilities in the park such as Visitor Centers, Stores, Stables, Picnic Areas, Bathrooms, Historic Buildings, Campgrounds and Campsites, they are all closed. Do not trespass in these closed areas.

Looking to go horseback ridding? We suggest Walden Creek Stables.

Even though campgrounds are closed, the campground hosts are still there and looking to report any trespassers which is their duty, so please stay away from areas you are not allowed!

As for all the closed roads in the park, cars, motorcycles, scooters, bicycles, skateboards, and roller skates are forbidden.

Even though these closed roads are off limits to all use. Walking is tolerated. If you wish to walk along any park roads, keep in mind that you want to be walking in a way emergency or maintenance vehicles may use the road and not expect you so stay away from blind curves.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park may be the most visited national park in the United States, but the Blue Ridge Parkway is the most visited park unit in the country with almost twice the users that the GSMNP has.

The Blue Ridge Parkway runs 469 miles from the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains national park in North Carolina all the way up to Virginia where it reaches the edge of the Shenandoah National Park.

Originally the Blue Ridge Parkway might have been closed during the shutdown, now all of its 469 miles are open to vehicles even there was a partial closure which required some emergency road repair work that was just finished yesterday.

All facilities such as picnic areas and visitor centers along the entire parkway remain closed. The Pisgah Inn in North Carolina which serves food along with the Peaks of Otter Lodge and Restaurant in Virginia, have been allowed to reopen.

Another great attraction along the Blue Ridge Parkway and only about an hour away from the Great Smoky Mountains national park just east of Asheville is the Folk Center which just reopened.

At the Folk Center you can see museum quality exhibits of local craftsmanship from furniture to clothes as well as a craft store.

There are picnic tables at some of the pull offs along the Blue Ridge Parkway, but cooking is forbidden. There is also a picnic area at the Folk Center which I would suggest as a stop.

Presently none of the pullouts for scenic outlooks or parking areas for hiking trails along the Blue Ridge Parkway are blocked off or closed. At this point the hiking trails have not been listed as off limits. Use of camping and campgrounds are prohibited.

Graveyard Fields: Blue Ridge Parkway October 10th 2013

One of the most popular hiking areas on the Blue Ridge parkway is Graveyard Fields about an hour away from the Great Smoky Mountains national park. As of yesterday it has the most advanced fall color of any of the areas I have seen in more than 300 miles with a ways to go.

Once you are past the first 20 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkways entrance at the Smokies you will see small markers showing hiking trails every few miles. From short scenic walks to 20 mile or longer hikes, there is something or everyone.

Hiking Trails on Blue Ridge Parkway

If you love scenery such as what you see at Clingmans Dome and Newfound Gap, I can assure you that you will be blown away by the stunning beauty you will see along the Blue Ridge Parkway. You will also see numerous wildlife especially off the road and on the trails such as black bear, elk, and deer is also quite numerous.

Ranger presence is light along the Blue Ridge Parkway, so it is best you do not hike alone, past your capability and be prepared as a fast rescue may not happen.

Be advised, though their presence is lighter than usual, rangers are taking enforcement seriously, especially speeding and passing on double yellow lines in both the Great Smoky Mountains national park and the Blue Ridge Parkway because of the seriousness and number of fatal accidents such behavior cost.

Besides the hundreds of miles of great hiking trails still apparently open along the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Pisgah National Forest is also close by and accessible right off the Blue Ridge Parkway or I-40.

The Pisgah National Forest is enormous covering 512,758 acres with about 10% of which is old growth forest and like the GSM national park there are no facilities open, but people are using all of the hiking trail without any issues so far.

Other great places to go hiking not extremely far away are the 3 TVA trails: Tellico East Lakeshore Trail, the River Bluff Trail and the Hemlock Bluff Trail.

There is also Haw Ridge Park between Knoxville and Oak Ridge and the very nice moderate hike on the Pinnacle Trail in Sylva, North Carolina about 30 minutes tops from the GSMNP.

Not enough hiking for you? Add on the Panther Creek State Park in Tennessee, North Carolina's Dupont State Forest and the Nantahala Forest, the Cherokee National Forest in Tennessee, and an awesome drive along the Cherohala Skyway in the Lenoir area of Tennessee.

Wait a minute! I never mentioned the weeks of attractions you will find in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg Tennessee, not including our beloved Dollywood Theme Park and the Ripley's Attractions Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.

Sure the park being closed hurts, but no one is expecting it to remain closed by next weekend, and even so, so at what else there is do around the Smoky Mountains. Now you see why we all call them the GREAT Smoky Mountains!

Twitter Account for Great Smoky Mountains National Park Info
Twitter Account for Newfound Gap Road US441 Info

Last updated 10/11/13 4:05pm

Fall Peak Color and Great Smoky Mountains National Park Government Shutdown 2013

More than a million people a year come to the Great Smoky Mountains to enjoy the fall color in the Mountains of East Tennessee and North Western North Carolina.

This year will be no different even though a government shutdown has closed many federal buildings and facilities.

The timing could not have been worse for a government shutdown that then start of fall color which is starting to show all along the high elevations and sporadically down to the valleys.

Clearly the fall leaf color is starting in the Smokies and the peak looks to be right on schedule between the 14th to the 29th with hopefully some nice colors in the valleys on up to the weekend of November 3rd.

The biggest problem we have will not be the lack of fall beauty nor the access to beautiful scenery or places to hike, picnic or fish, but the misunderstanding as to where to go to see the stunning fall beauty in God's country even if most of the Great Smoky Mountains national park is closed because of the government shuts down.

No one is expecting at even the worst case scenario that the government shutdown will extend all the way through the Smokies fall leaf season and if it does rest assured that there and hundreds and hundreds of miles of hiking trails open, streams to fish, rivers to white water raft on and spectacular roads to motor tour on with breathtaking longs range vistas, streams and waterfalls.

Let's first get the bad news out of the way. The Great Smoky Mountains national park is closed right now due to the government shutdown. No it does not mean you cannot enter the park anywhere, but is does mean that you are limited as to what you can in the park when you get here.

All of the Great Smoky Mountains national parks visitor and information centers are closed. The campgrounds, picnic areas and all other buildings and park facilities are closed.

Other than US441 also known as Newfound Gap Road that stretches from Cherokee North Carolina all the way over the mountain for 30 miles to Gatlinburg Tennessee and the small offshoot road the Gatlinburg Bypass, all roads in the park are closed to vehicles.

All sections of the park such as Cosby, Abrams Falls, Cades Cove, the Roaring Fork Motor nature trail are all behind locked gates. Officially, everything behind a closed gate in the park as long as Washington DC has closed all national parks is off limits to any use.

Originally even the scenic pull-outs and trail heads were blocked off with cones on US 441 and no one was allowed to park anywhere in the park. At one point the Newfound Gap parking area was closed along with the restrooms there. These restrictions have been lifted.

As it stands right now, you can pull over and park in any pull out or parking area along the entire length of Newfound Gap Road except for the barricaded areas which include: the Oconaluftee Visitor Center by the Cherokee entrance, the Chimneys hiking trail trailhead, the Alum Cave hiking trail trailhead and the Sugarlands Visitor Center and Park Headquarters near Gatlinburg Tennessee.

The national park get so many visitors so rescues on park trails and accidents on roadways are fairly common as there are just so many people using them.

With the government furlough and the fact that even all unpaid volunteers have been sent home and the park is operating with a skeleton crew which does not have enough manpower for a backcountry rescue let alone mutable rescues which can happen in a park that covers more than 1/2 million acres.

Presently, officially all trails and quiet walkways and streams are closed and are considered to be facilities such as a visitor center, however, other than the Chimneys, where ongoing trail repairs have stopped due to the closure and the Alum Cave Trail to Mt LeConte, hiking along the Appalachian Trail and the trails along Newfound Gap Road is being tolerated yet discouraged by park staff.

Hiking in the park right buts not only you, but the limited personnel that can rescue you in danger so we implore you to only make use of the park in a way that is safe and where it is being tolerated as long as the park is closed.

Besides the Great Smoky Mountains national park, the Smokies boast some other fantastic wilderness and scenic experiences such as the Blue Ridge Parkway, The Nantahala National Forest, The Fires Creek Wildlife Management Area, the Pisgah National Forest, Cherokee State Forest, Mount Mitchell State Park, Fort Loudon State Historic park and about a dozen more an additional hour or so away!

Lake Fontana and the surrounding area in the picture below taken today is also a fantastic area to motor, hike, bike and just explore.

Last but certainly not least is the great driving hiking and picnicking you can still do along all 469 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway. It is run by the National park service so it is technically closed just as the Great Smoky Mountains national park is.

The entire length of the Blue Ridge Parkway remains open however all facilities are closed. Don't count on grilling for your picnic but there are plenty of picnic tables that you can still use. In the Balsam Mountain area you should be able to catch a glimpse or 2 of the reintroduced elk that are in rut right now like the picture I took below yesterday.

Other than the federal government opening the Great Smoky Mountains national park back up on their own, the mayor of Blount County Tennessee is now offering his assistance to Washington to have his police and public safety personnel patrol and conduct rescues in part of the park so that they may be able to reopen that section or to provide funds to do so. The ball is in Washington’s court on this.

No matter what happens with Washington, the views will still be stunning and there will be lots to do both outdoors and indoors in the Great Smoky Mountains and what looks like will be a great fall with spectacular color that should last.

The Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage in the Great Smoky Mountains

The Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage is an annual five-day event in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park that has attracted nature and history lovers, photographers, artists and tourists to the Smokies every spring since 1951.

This annual gathering had humble beginnings starting with 400 attendees from 20 different states which has grown to thousands who come for the formal programs or informally on their own.

The Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage programs include close to 150 professionally guided walks and hikes along with indoor presentations exploring the Great Smoky Mountains region's rich abundance of wildflowers, wildlife, biodiverse environment along with the Smokies own rich cultural and natural history.

Virtually all of the Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage programs held outside such as the guided hikes take place in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Indoor programs take place in the Sugarlands Visitor Center, the W. L. Mills Conference Center in Gatlinburg and a host of other locations all throughout Gatlinburg Tennessee.

What started as a 2 day event has now grown to a 5 day event with most visitors attending the Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage staying a week or more in the Great Smoky Mountains as there is just too much to take in such a short period and through there may be a few April showers - great for May wildflowers, the weather is generally extremely comfortable.

Timing for the Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage can be difficult especially given the significant weather variations in the past decade. For example, last year January and February were both more than 9 degrees above normal and everything in the Great Smoky Mountains came to life and then bloomed about 3 weeks early than normal.

The good news is that even if everything blooms real early and you miss the emergence of some plants, and animals for that matter, it's OK as there are blooming plants and trees into October! The timing of wildflowers emergence and then blooming also depends on elevation and exposure which varies greatly throughout the park so "peak bloom" of any plant in the Smokies can stretch for weeks of you know where to go.

The heavy flowering in the Great Smoky Mountains normally starts in late March and peaks from April through May with some of the best mass flowering displays such as that from the Mountain Laurels, Rhododendrons and Azaleas peaking in May and June in the best locations, and some will still flower into July.

With more than 1,700 flowing vascular plants in the Great Smoky Mountains national park, some of which are so rare they are only found in isolated tiny locations, the advantage of exploring the park with local experts is priceless. Many of the attendees of the Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage are local experts as well so it is not uncommon on a hike with a dozen attendees to have more than a century of combined wildflower, photography and wildlife experience on the trail with you!

Especially if you are not from the area I would highly recommend getting at least 1 wildflower identification book from one of the visitor centers. I personally recommend 2 such books: the small pocket guide "Wildflowers of the Smokies" and the larger spiral bound "Great Smoky Mountains Wildflowers". You may want to also purchase a Wildflower Checklist for $2.95 at one of the National Park Visitor centers. All purchases help the park.

Speaking of helping the park, the Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage is a non-profit event made possible by individuals with local organizations who donate their time and resources and if you would like to volunteer your time or make a contribution, please contact Holly at Friends of the Smokies.

There is another way that you can help the park and that is by become a member of Friends of the Smokies. Doing so not only help fund educational programs, restorations efforts, scientific research, hiking trail maintenance and repairs and so much more, it also means that you can save 10% off of any regular rate on a cabin rental in the Great Smoky Mountains managed by American Mountain Rentals (not valid on Holidays).

What could possibly be better than hiking around the nation's most beloved national park and enjoying great weather, beautiful vistas, the sounds of creeks and streams and waterfalls and the sight of a carpet of wildflowers in the peaceful woods? Coming back home to a cabin with a great view, lots of privacy and after a home cooked meal climbing into a hot tub to watch the shooting stars and the flickering fireflies - all at a discounted price!

Can't make the Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage but still want to visit the best wildflower locations in the Great Smoky Mountains? There are far too many to list all of them, but the cream of the crop are Porters Creek and Old Settlers rail in Greenbrier outside the Gatlinburg City limits in Pitman Center, the Lower Mount Cammerer Trail and Nature Trail in Cosby neat Gatlinburg, Old Sugarlands Trail near park headquarters in Gatlinburg, Cucumber Gap Trail in Elkmont, White Oak Sinks and Finley Cane hiking trail between Townsend and Cades Cove, Mingus Creek Trail and Kanati Fork Trail off Newfound Gap Road in North Carolina along with some areas in Lakeshore.

So where should you stay if you are attending the Wildflower Pilgrimage in the Smokies? Certainly on the Tennessee side as though even though there are great wildflower hikes on the North Carolina side, most of the programs are taking place in Tennessee.

The vast majority of the hikes and programs in the Smokies Wildflower Pilgrimage are taking place in Gatlinburg so that should be your first choice. The south end of Pigeon Forge and along Wears Valley is also very convenient is it will also give you the opportunity to bypass some of the traffic and go right on through to the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

Of course the last thing you will want to do after a day of being surrounded by the natural beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains national park is to be crammed into a hotel room along the parkway so you should take advantage of the Friends of the Smokies members discount on cabin rentals during this and all future Spring Wildflower Pilgrimages in the Great Smoky Mountains.

Day 7 of the Wilderness Wildlife Week programs in Pigeon Forge on Friday, January 13th, 2012

Snow! Coming in from out of town to participate in Wilderness Wildlife Week taking place in Pigeon Forge Tennessee? Well avoid US 441 Newfound Gap Road which is closed due to snow and ice on the roadway.

A winter advisory is still in effect today until noon that should not stop you from enjoying the Wilderness Wildlife Week indoor programs even if you do not like hiking in snow. It is possible that some guided hikes will be cancelled today.

Must see events today include Robert Redhawk Eldridge presenting the History of the Overhill Cherokee from 1770 - 1838, Todd Witcher from Discover Life in America teaching about The Smokies All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory Project and photographer Don McGowan lecture and presentation on Walking in the Beauty of the Natural World.

Information Desk is open from 7:00 am – 9:00 pm and the Vendor/Exhibit Hall is open from 9:00 am – 6:00 pm. The Cello Room Photography Exhibit is open from 9:00 am – 6:00 pm.

• 7:00 am – 11:00 am: Managing the Search Function: Study Some of the Smokies Most Famous Search and Rescue Operations. Presented by: Joe Kelley and Bob Swabe in the Guitar Room.
• 8:30 am – 9:30 am: The Amazing Diversity of Fall Creek Falls State Park. Presented by: Stuart Carroll in the Harp Room. Located over on the Cumberland Plateau, Fall Creek Falls State Park is one of Tennessee’s most beautiful and diverse state parks.
• 9:00 am – 10:00 am: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Nature Recording in the Smokies. Presented by: Mark A. Dunaway in the Ukelele Room.
• 9:30 am – 10:30 am: Ijams Family Legacy in the Smokies. Presented by: Paul James in the Violin Room.
• 9:30 am – 10:30 am: Introduction to the Acoustic Guitar. Presented by: Tony Thomas in the Dobro Room.
• 10:00 am – 11:00 am: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Butterflies: Flying Flowers in the Garden. Presented by: Kris H. Light in the Harp Room. Learn about East Tennessee’s native butterflies, their life cycles and how to attract them to your garden.
• 10:15 am – 11:45 am: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Bird Songs of the Smokies. Presented by: Mark A. Dunaway in the Ukelele Room.
• 11:00 am – Noon: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. The History of the Overhill Cherokee from 1770 – 1838. Presented by: Robert Redhawk Eldridge in the Violin Room. Robert Redhawk Eldridge covers the history of the Cherokee Indians of East Tennessee and North Georgia through early treaties, the War of 1812 and the events that led to their removal.
• 11:00 am – Noon: The Smokies All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory. Presented by: Todd Witcher in the Dobro Room.
• 11:30 am – 12:30 pm: Kids Track Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Silly Safari Show. Presented by: Amazon John in the Harp Room.
• 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm: Attracting Butterflies and Caterpillars. Presented by: W.C. and Glenna Julian and Lois English in the Ukelele Room.
• 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Civil War in the West, 1862. Presented by: Jack Carman in the Guitar Room.
• 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Our National Treasures: America’s National Parks. Presented by: Chuck Summers in the Dobro Room.
• 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm: Ghost Birds! The Historic Search for the Ivory-Billed Woodpeckers. Presented by: Stephen Lyn Bales in the Violin Room.
• 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Hiker’s Guide to Food and Medicine. Presented by: Ila Hatter in the Harp Room. Ila Hatter hosts an illustrated discussion on "trail nibbles", wild food and seasonings and trail medicine.
• 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm: Kids Track Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Kiddin’ Around: A Hands-On Introduction to Appalachian Music and Its Instruments. Presented by: Lost Mill String Band in the Breakfast Room. Limit 20 children. Must pre-register at Information Desk. Parents encouraged to attend.
• 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm: The Spirits of Cades Cove. Presented by: Mike Meldrum in the Ukelele Room.
• 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm: Lakes, Lighthouses and Landscapes of the North Woods. Presented by: Kendall Chiles in the Dobro Room.
• 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm: Bald Eagle Recovery: Fragile Links to Success. Presented by: Bob Hatcher in the Violin/Guitar Rooms.
• 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Native American Storytelling. Presented by: Robert Redhawk Eldridge in the Harp Room.
• 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. A Photo Walk Up Porters Creek Trail. Presented by: Bill Sullivan in the Ukelele Room.
• 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm: Kids Track Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Kindergarten through 5th Grade. Learn About Bears Through Hands-On Activities. Presented by: Anne Allison and Kathy Sherrard in the Breakfast Room. Limit 20. Must pre-register at Information Desk.
• 4:00 pm – 4:30 pm: Birds of Prey: Live Eagles! Presented by: American Eagle Foundation in the Violin/Guitar Rooms.
• 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm: Walking in the Beauty of the Natural World. Presented by: Don McGowan in the Dobro Room.
• 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Discovering the Cumberlands. Presented by: Stuart Carroll in the Ukelele Room.
• 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Basket Making. Presented by: Theresa Tyler in the Breakfast Room. Limit 12. Must pre-register at Information Desk.
• 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Birds of the Smokies. Presented by: Dr. Fred Alsop in the Guitar Room.
• 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. A Circumambulation of the Smokies, 1910: A Walk AROUND the Smokies in 1910. Presented by: Charles Maynard in the Dobro/Harp Rooms.
• 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Shooting Photos at Night. Presented by: Eric Gebhart in the Violin Room.
• 7:00 pm: Slow Jam: Bring Your Own Instrument or Simply Plan to Enjoy and Listen. Presented by: Tony Thomas in the Guitar Room.
• 7:45 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Here, There and Yonder. Presented by: Chuck Summers in the Dobro/Harp Rooms. Chuck Summers presents a multimedia presentation featuring national treasures close to home and some far away.

The internet service at the event has been spotty this morning so you may want to check emails and surf the web in your cabin this morning before comming to the show.

Pigeon Forge Tennessee Wilderness Wildlife Week in Smokies Day 4 schedule for Monday, January 10th, 2012

The doors will open in a few minutes for day 4 of the Pigeon Forge Tennessee Wilderness Wildlife Week and it will be another packed show in the Great Smoky Mountains.

Yesterdays some sporadic light rain fell on some of the hikers along the guided walks in the Great Smoky Mountains national park, but none were deterred. Today will be another mild day so any of you that signed up early enough yesterday will have a great hike in the park.

Bear and elk were on everyone's mind yesterday at the Wilderness Wildlife Week thanks to some great lectures and today, today among other interesting topics will be wild boar and lots of programs the kids will love.

Information Desk is open from 7:00 am – 9:00 pm and the Vendor/Exhibit Hall is open from 9:00 am – 6:00 pm. The Cello Room Photography Exhibit is open from 9:00 am – 6:00 pm.

• 9:00 am – 10:00 am: Returning the Osprey to Nest in Tennessee. Presented by: Ken Dubke in the Harp Room.
• 9:30 am – 10:30 am: Woodpeckers: Nature’s Home builders. Presented by: Regina Garr in the Dobro Room.
• 9:30 am – 10:30 am: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Echoes of the Smokies: Epic of Elkmont. Presented by: Wilma Durpo in the Violin Room.
• 9:30 am – 10:30 am: Green Power Switch/Generation Partners. Presented by: Lucas Harkleroad in the Guitar Room.
• 10:00 am – 11:00 am: Meet Mr. Herbert Clabo. Presented by: Herb Clabo and Veta King in the Ukelele Room. Hear Mr. Clabo tell of near one hundred years of living in the Great Smoky Mountains or right in its back door.
• 10:30 am – 11:30 am: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. The Hidden Garden III: Learn the See. Presented by: Dr. Alan S. Heilman in the Harp Room.
• 10:45 am – 11:45 am: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Echoes of the Smokies: Spirit of the Black Bear. Presented by: Wilma Durpo in the Violin Room.
• 11:00 am – Noon: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Introduction to Old Time Banjo. Presented by: Roger Helton (Bring Your Own Banjo) in the Dobro Room.
• 11:00 am – Noon: Kids Track Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Wild World of Animals. Presented by: Knoxville Zoomobile in the Guitar Room.
• Noon – 1:00 pm: From Corn fields to Condos: Pigeon Forge’s History From 1917 – 2011. Presented by: Veta King and Pigeon Forge City Officials in the Ukelele Room.
• 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm: The Art of Dowsing: Do You Have the Gift? Presented by: Charlie Monday in the Harp Room. Limit 30. Must pre-register at Information Desk.
• 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm: Kids Track Wilderness Wildlife Week Program Ages 5 - 12. Animal Olympics: Comparing Human Senses and Abilities to Those of Wild Animals. Presented by: Mike Meldrum in the Violin Room. Limit 30. Must pre-register at Information Desk.
• 12:30 pm – 2:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Creative Photography with Any Camera. Presented by: Richard Iceland in the Guitar Room.
• 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Coal Mining Days in Story and Song. Presented by: Tony Thomas in the Dobro Room.
• 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Wood Carving Boots. Presented by: Don Taylor in the Breakfast Room. Limit 12. Must pre-register at Information Desk and bring own sharpened woodcarving tools.
• 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Early Pigeon Forge Settlement. Presented by: Jerry Wear in the Ukelele Room who will share stories based on family history and extensive research of the area. Mr. Jerry Wear is a descendent of Col. Samuel Wear who built the first white settlement home and fort in Pigeon Forge.
• 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm: Wild Ones Among Us. Presented by: Lynne McCoy in the Harp Room.
• 2:15 pm – 3:15 pm: Air Quality Update of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Presented by: Jim Renfro in the Violin Room.
• 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Alligators, Bears and Wolves: An Overview of Eastern North Carolina National Refuges and the Management of the Big 3 Critters of the Area. Presented by: Jim Wigginton in the Dobro Room.
• 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Meet Aunt Lydia Kear Whaley. Presented by: Ruth Miller in the Ukelele Room. Ms. Ruth Miller is a local with a love for history, brings Aunt Lydia to life in a character presentation as she portrays this beloved, spirited woman of the Great Smoky Mountains.
• 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Three Considerations for Hiking Safety. Presented by: Wendell Liemohn in the Guitar Room.
• 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm: Pig Tales. Presented by: Rick Varner in the Harp Room.
• 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm: Noted and Peculiar Court Cases of Earlier Times: Tales of Early Justice of the Peace Courts and Unusual County Court Cases of the Past. Presented by: Sevier County Circuit Court Judge, the Honorable Rex Henry Ogle and attorneys Mr. John B. Waters, Jr. and Mr. Jerry McCarter with Veta King, Moderator in the Ukelele Room.
• 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm: Meigs Post: The Survey Line Through the Great Smokies. Presented by: Joe Kelley in the Dobro Room. He will share stories and adventures from his book with Dwight McCarter.
• 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Let’s Sketch A Bird. Presented by: Louise Bales in the Breakfast Room. Adults and ages 12+ only. Limit 20. Must pre-register at Information Desk.
• 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Smoky Mountain Field School: Explore, Learn and Enjoy. Presented by: Joel and Kathy Zachry in the Dobro/Harp Rooms.
• 7:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Vintage Views of Gatlinburg, the Smokies and Their Inhabitants: Lucinda Oakley Ogle. Presented by: Kevin Tierney in the Dobro/Harp Rooms. Kevin Tierney’s Vintage Views film series captures the spirit of iconic figures and places of Gatlinburg and the Smokies by means of home video footage donated by area residents. This film chronicles the experiences of Lucinda Oakley Ogle.
• 6:00 pm: Thursday Hike Sign ups – Holiday Inn Express.

APPALACHIAFEST!
A FREE Musical Celebration of Our Heritage! In the Violin/Guitar Rooms.

• 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm: Great Smoky Mountains Settlers and Their Music. Presented by Boogertown Gap.
• 7:00 pm – 7:20 pm: Tony Thomas
• 7:45 pm Carolina Bluegrass Boys
• Clogging with the Appalachian Cloggers. Attendees welcome to join in the fun!

Wilderness Wildlife Week in Pigeon Forge Tennessee Smokies schedule for Day 3 Monday, January 9th, 2012

Day 2 of the Smoky Mountains Wilderness Wildlife Week was a huge hit yesterday in Pigeon Forge and the schedule for day 3 has even more new programs and experts presenting their topics of expertise.

Among today’s lectures are some heavy hitters from the staff of the Great Smoky Mountains national park: Mike Meldrum from the Cades Cove district will discuss Bear Facts, the Ethics of Leaving No Trace in the Outdoors, and Down by the Old Mill Stream. Tom Harrington also from the Cades Cove district will present Up and Down the Valley: Cades Cove: Learn About the People of Cades Cove From the Early 1830's to the Early 1900's.

The national parks resident elk biologist Joe Yarkovich will give a lecture on Elk in the Smokies: A Decade of Learning and the from the parks fishery division Matt Kulp will discuss Acid Rain Impacts on Smokies Streams.

Everyone loves the Smoky Mountains 1,500 plus black bears and head of wildlife in the GSMNP Bill Stiver will make his informative Black Bear Management in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park lecture today to what should be a packed house.

All of these presenters form the park have tremendous experience in their fields and be sure to ask them any questions you may have as they all love sharing their knowledge.

Information Desk is open from 7:00 am – 9:00 pm and the Vendor/Exhibit Hall is open from 9:00 am – 6:00 pm. The Cello Room Photography Exhibit is open from 9:00 am – 6:00 pm.

The following is the complete schedule for day 3 of Wilderness Wildlife Week:

• 9:00 am – 10:00 am: Circle of Life: The Bear Facts. Presented by: Mike Meldrum in the Guitar Room.
• 9:00 am – 10:30 am: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Where Wood We Be Without A Tree? Historic Trees of America. Presented by: Kathy Gwinn in the Harp Room.
• 9:30 am – 10:30 am: Wildflowers of Tennessee. Presented by: Jack Carman in the Ukelele Room.
• 10:00 am – 11:00 am: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Newfoundland: A Photographic Tour of an Island Wonderland. Presented by: Harry Dunn in the Dobro Room.
• 10:00 am – 11:00 am: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Master Gardner Program Helps to Create Wildlife-Friendly Gardens and Landscapes. Presented by: Dr. Leo Lubke in the Violin Room.
• 10:30 am – 11:30 am: Leave No Trace: Presenting the Ethics of Leaving No Trace in the Outdoors. Presented by: Mike Braun and Pamela Rodgers in the Guitar Room.
• 11:00 am – Noon: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Tennessee Butterflies and How to Raise Them. Presented by: Lois English and WC and Glenna Julian in the Harp Room.
• 11:00 am – Noon: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Up and Down the Valley: Cades Cove: Learn About the People of Cades Cove From the Early 1830's to the Early 1900's. Presented by: Tom Harrington in the Ukelele Room.
• 11:30 am – 12:30 pm: Wonderful Waterfalls of Tennessee. Presented by: Bill Carter in the Dobro Room.
• 11:30 am – 12:30 pm: Down By the Old Mill Stream. Presented by: Mike Meldrum in the Violin Room.
• 1:00 pm- 2:00 pm: Of Ginseng, Golden Apples and the Rainbow Fish: Ancient Tales and Mountain Treasures. Presented by: Doug Elliott in the Dobro Room.
• 1:00 pm- 2:00 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Hiking and Camping with Your Pet. Presented by: Jim Richards and Thomas Horsch in the Harp Room.
• 1:00 pm- 2:00 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Acid Rain Impacts on Smokies Streams. Presented by: Matt Kulp in the Ukelele Room.
• 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Orioles: Spring and Summer! Presented by: Steve Garr in the Guitar Room.
• 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Kids Track Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. HANDS-ON! Whooo Did This? Fascinating Owls: Natural History of Owls With Live Owls and Dissection of Owl Pellets, Examination of Feathers and Owls in Rehabilitation. Presented by: Lynne McCoy in the Breakfast Room. Limit 15. Must pre-register at Information Desk.
• 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Old Time Music. Presented by: Roger Helton in the Violin Room.
• 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Mountain Marvels - Waterfalls of the Southern Appalachians: The Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama and Kentucky. Presented by: Bill Carter in the Dobro Room.
• 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Elk in the Smokies: A Decade of Learning. Presented by: Joe Yarkovich in the Harp Room.
• 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm: Black Bear Management in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Presented by: Bill Stiver in the Ukelele Room.
• 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm: Wing Things: See how many dragonflies, hummingbirds and other pollinators are in our gardens and how to attract them. Presented by WC and Glenna Julian and Lois English in the Guitar Room.
• 2:30 pm – 5:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Basket Making. Presented by: Theresa Tyler in the Breakfast Room. Limit 12. Must pre-register at Information Desk.
• 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Ballads of the Great Smoky Mountains and the Vicinity. Presented by: Boogertown Gap in the Violin Room.
• 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm: Civil War Period Music. Presented by: Tony Thomas in the Dobro Room.
• 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm: Ranger Recollections. Presented by: Joe Kelley in the Harp Room.
• 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm: Appalachian Bear Rescue: Who We Are and What We Do. Presented by: Lisa Stewart in the Ukelele Room.
• 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm: Backpacking: How to Get Started and Hike Safety. Presented by: Mike Braun, Pamela Rodgers and Bill Deitzer in the Guitar Room.
• 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm: Weeds for Your Needs: Useful Wild Plants. Presented by: Doug Elliott in the Violin Room.
• 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. America Sings: Folk Songs of America. Presented by: Hills-N-Hollows in the Dobro/Harp Rooms.
• 6:00 pm: Wednesday Hike Sign ups – Holiday Inn Express.
• 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Hiking LeConte: A History. Presented by: Charles Maynard in the Violin/Guitar Rooms.
• 7:45 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. And Heaven and Nature Sing. Presented by: Ken Jenkins and Judy Felts in the Dobro/Harp/Ukelele Rooms.

Day 2 of Wilderness Wildlife Week schedule for Sunday, January 8th, 2012 taking place in Pigeon Forge Tennessee

If day 2 of Wilderness Wildlife Week in Pigeon Forge goes as well as opening day yesterday, this will be the best Wilderness Wildlife Week ever. Attendance is high, the weather is cooperative and the presentations better than ever.

The Nature Photography Workshop is always a huge draw and yesterday was no exception. People remarked how even though they attend every year, there is always something to learn from the masters.

Though you can't do every class presented and every free guided hike, some of the don not miss events today will be the Old Harp Shaped Note Singing, Echoes of Cataloochee and Elk, A Journey Into the Smokies in Words and Photographs and Wildwoods Wisdom.

Information Desk is open from 7:00 am – 9:00 pm and the Vendor/Exhibit Hall is open from 9:00 am – 6:00 pm. The Cello Room Photography Exhibit is open from 9:00 am – 6:00 pm.

Here is the rest of todays Wilderness Wildlife Week event schedule:

• 9:00 am – 10:00 am: Sunday Morning Sing-Along. Presented by: Tony Thomas in the Violin Room.
• 9:30 am – 10:30 am: Marking Time: A Guide to the Historical Markers in East Tennessee. Presented by: Fred Brown in the Ukelele Room.
• 9:30 am – 12 Noon: Stream Stocked Trout Fishing. Presented by: Greg Ward in the Guitar Room.
• 10:00 am – 11:00 am: You and Me: Coexisting with Bears. Presented by: Anne Allison and Kathy Sherrard in the Harp Room.
• 10:30 am – 11:30 am: Wildflowers of the Smokies. Presented by: Jack Carman in the Violin Room.
• 10:30 am – 11:30 am: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Classic Cinema Clips of Sevierville. Presented by: Carroll McMahan in the Dobro Room.
• 11:00 am – Noon: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Photographing with Emotion: Land, Sea and Skies. Presented by: Tom and Pat Cory in the Ukelele Room.
• 11:30 am – 12:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Echoes of the Smokies: Formation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Presented by: Wilma Durpo in the Harp Room.
• 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm: Bird’s the Word: Bird Stories, Lore, Songs and Natural History. Presented by: Doug Elliott in the Dobro Room.
• 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm: Hiking Through the Dolomites. Presented by: Peter and Gudrun Seifert in the Ukelele Room.
• 12:45 pm – 1:45 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Echoes of the Smokies: Echoes of Cataloochee and Elk. Presented by: Wilma Durpo in the Harp Room.
• 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: A Wildlife Habitat for Every Season. Presented by: Regina Garr in the Violin Room.
• 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. The Civil War in Tennessee, 1861-1862: A Sesquicentennial Commemoration. Presented by: Chris Tipton in the Guitar Room.
• 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Hands-On History: Let’s Make A Quill Pen: Instructions and Materials to Make a Quill Pen. Presented by: Pat K. Thomas in the Breakfast Room. Limit 10 Adults. Must pre-register at Information Desk.
• 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Climb Every Mountain, Ford Every Stream. Presented by: Carroll McMahan in the Ukelele Room. A panel discussion featuring Frank Maples, Stan Creswell, and Coppley Vickers who have hiked every trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
• 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Old Harp Shaped Note Singing: A Group of People from Sevier County Sing the Way Their Ancestors Sang Early in the Last Century. Presented by: David Sarten, Leader in the Dobro/Harp Rooms.
• 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Then Sings My Soul - Hymns of Faith. Presented by: Hills-N-Hollows in the Violin Room.
• 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm: Sanctuary in the Smokies: A Journey Into the Smokies in Words and Photographs. Presented by: J. Greg Johnson in the Guitar Room.
• 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm: World-Class Stream Smallmouth Bass. Presented by: Greg Ward in the Breakfast Room.
• 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm: Wildwoods Wisdom. Presented by: Doug Elliott in the Dobro/Harp Rooms.
• 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm: Walker Sisters of Little Greenbrier. Presented by: Robin Goddard in the Ukelele Room.
• 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm: Old Time Music Concert. Presented by: Boogertown Gap in the Violin Room.
• 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. More Tales from Two Smokies Trail Completers. Presented by: Bill Deitzer and Tommy Small in the Guitar Room. This program features the stories and experiences of Bill’s first time completing all the trails of the Smokies in 2005 as well as Tommy’s from the six times he has completed all the trails.
• 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Watching and Being Watched. Presented by: Ken Jenkins in the Dobro/Harp Rooms.
• 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Special Places, Special Creatures. Presented by: Joel and Kathy Zachry – Violin/Guitar Rooms.
• 6:00 pm: Tuesday Hike Sign ups – Holiday Inn Express.
• 6:45 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Keynote Program: Predator Paradox: Conflict and Conflict Resolution in Modern America. Presented by: Peggy Callahan in the Dobro/Harp Rooms.
• 7:30 pm: Slow Jam: Bring Your Own Instrument or Simply Plan to Enjoy and Listen. Presented by: Tony Thomas in the Guitar Room.

Beat The Summer Heat With A Vacation In The Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee.

Outside the Smokies, record-breaking heat has gripped the US from sea to shining sea, and there is more than a month to go before cooler temperatures will prevail. Even on the hottest days where 100 degree plus temperatures just will not go away, you can still find cool relief and beat the heat in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee.

Just think, there are places in the Smokies are accessible to everyone where you won't ever see temperatures above the 70's, and there are thousands of miles of cool streams and swimming holes within minutes from any vacation cabin rental in the Smoky Mountains.

Don't feel like going for a short drive to cool down? Just sit on the deck with a cool glass of ice tea and look out over the mountains, woods or river right by your cabin. Some of these cabins have swimming pool access too!

What could beat being under the shade of trees on a hiking trail or picnic grounds in the Great Smoky Mountains national park just minutes away or holding a fishing rod in your hand along or in a cool mountain stream? Maybe taking a long lazy tubing trip down the river is the cool mountain fed streams and rivers in the Pigeon Forge - Gatlinburg area, or even a guided white water rafting trip in exciting rapids!

Maybe the water and all that nature is just not your thing to beat the heat and you prefer to walk around a world-class top rated theme park like Dollywood and fell the rush of cool wind on your face on some of the exciting rides or the brand new zip lines in the Dollywood Theme Park. Don't forget the cool drinks, air conditioned restaurants and delicious ice cream all around the park...and yes, there are tamer rides for visitors of all ages all around Dollywood.

As if the Dollywood theme park was not great enough, from August 19th until September 5th, Dollywood is throwing its annual Barbeque and Bluegrass festival, a free concert series featuring the biggest names in bluegrass music such as Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder, not to mention the what many call the country's tastiest barbeque. Would you believe they serve three-pound slices cut from a whopping 25-pound apple pie?

Better still, to beat the summer heat, purchase Discount Splash and Play Discount Tickets and you can enjoy both the Dollywood Theme Park AND Dollywood Splash Country - one of the most fun, exciting, clean and safe water parks around the world, and it is right here in the Smokies!

Better hurry up as besides a few blackout dates, Dollywood Splash Country is now open from 10 am to 6 pm until September 5th for the 2011 season. No one sells Dollywood and Splash Country tickets cheaper than American Mountain Rentals, not even Dollywood!

Everything in the Great Smoky Mountains is so green and lush as it is actually a temperate rain forest. There are such an abundance of beautiful plants and animals, some of which are extremely rare and endangered, that the United Nations designated the park as an International Biosphere. For a unique vacation, you can even help maintain some of the 850 miles of hiking trails this August. After clearing brush or moving logs, nothing will be more relaxing than a soak in hot tub under the stars back at your cabins.

One of the most popular large animals in the Great Smoky Mountains is our beloved black bear. In the national park alone, there are and estimated 1,700 black bear and the best places to see them are in Cades Cove and on Cherokee Orchard Road and Roaring Fork Motor Nature trail just outside downtown Gatlinburg.

Black bears in the Smokies are a remarkable sight and often during late summer you will see momma bear called a sow with 2 or more cubs. It is important to keep your at least 50 yards from them...it's the law and it is for your and the bears safety. It is also important to not feed them or let them have access to garbage.

There are now 150 elk residing in and around the Great Smoky Mountains national park. During August the bulls antlers will start to lose their velvet covering as their hormone levels rise and by September their mating ritual called "the rut" is in full swing. During the rut, the large bulls make loud calls to one another called bugles. When 2 large bulls meet up they fight mostly ritually to earn as many cows that they gather into harems.

Right now, the momma elks called cows are still nursing their young that were born in May and June. The calves still have their baby spots, but they will gradually fade as their winter coat comes in during the fall. Bring a lawn chair and sit in the shade to watch these majestic animals. Just as with the bear it is important that no matter how docile they may appear, stay at least 150 from the elk.

The best place to see the elk is in Cataloochee North Carolina, about and hour's drive from Gatlinburg Tennessee. Just like the black bear, the first 2 hours after sunrise and before sunset is the best time to see them. As it gets cooler in late September, you may be able to see them all day long.

Speaking of cooler, another way to beat the heat on the Smokies is to zip along on one of the many new zip line attractions in the Smokies. After climbing into your safety harness and putting on a helmet, you are ready to zoom high above the ground and through the trees - what a rush having the wind on your face...Not for the faint of heart!

So many ways to beat the summer heat on the Smokies! Which will you choose?

Fireflies synchronized light show season starts in Great Smoky Mountains national park.

If you have been in the Smokies the past few weeks, you would have seen that the lightning bugs have been flashing brighter and glowing more and more every night and in the Great Smoky Mountains national park synchronized firefly season has begun!

While all fireflies are a miracle of God's creation, one of the firefly beetles found in the south Appalachian Smoky Mountains are even more amazing compared to any other firefly and will delight everyone young or old. What has been a well-kept secret has grown to become one of the huge tourist attractions each spring in the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

Not only has firefly watching in the Smokies become a huge happening drawing in about 10,000 visitors to watch a light show that lasts about 3 weeks, other events have sprung up around the synchronous lightning bugs and the fantastic experience of watching them in the GSMNP.

The All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory project going on in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a project performed by scientists, researches and volunteers that are searching for every species living in the park for the world's largest research program called "Discover Life in America". This project has already identified more than 17,000 species in the park, 6,500 of which we did not know they were here and an astonishing 900 of which are brand new to science!

The great folks at "Discover Life in America" will be hosting a firefly event this year to coincide with the peak firefly season. The Smokies Firefly Events will take place in Gatlinburg Tennessee on June 12th at the Nantahala Outdoor Center Great Outpost just outside the GSMNP entrance. There will be firefly information, an insect zoo, kids activities, music with Captain Firefly, art, a secret "dark" room to "bioluminate" and food and drink vendors.

However, the big questions remain such as: What makes the fireflies in the Great Smoky Mountains so special?

While all of God's creatures are special, 13 of the 14 species of fireflies that inhabit the Great Smoky Mountains national park and the surrounding southern Appalachian mountains and foothills are more run of the mill creatures that can through a miracle in nature produce their own light in various shades of yellow, green and even blue to attract a mate, 1 species is even more unique.

The most unusual firefly named Photinus Carolinus is able to synchronize its light with other lightning bugs around it. The light it the firefly gives off called bioluminescence is a chemical reaction occurring in its abdomen with a self-produced enzyme and oxygen.

The Photinus Carolinus synchronized light starts as random pulses and builds up to where large groups of beetles all flash together and then suddenly, everything goes black. Just as quickly as it stopped, the whole process starts all over again.

Where can you find the synchronized fireflies in the Smokies? The firefly beetles that synchronize can be found over much of Smokies as long as the conditions are correct, but to be really impressive, you need to have large population densities of fireflies which means that you need the right conditions. The best conditions where the fireflies thrive is along slow moving water with lush plant growth.

The perfect conditions where fireflies thrive is along one of the most popular hiking trails located in the Elkmont section of the Great Smoky Mountains national park. This hiking trail is also large enough to accommodate the 1,000 people a night that show up to see the event and smooth enough for people to be safe walking the trail in the dark.

When is the best time to see the fireflies in the GSMNP? Obviously, the best time to see the fireflies is at night, but the peak of the firefly season in the Smoky Mountains is around the second week in June. Since soil temperature dictates when they will emerge from the ground and thus when they will be ready to mate, each year the exact best date to see the lightning bugs in the Smoky Mountains changes.

Since so many people come to the firefly show in the GSMNP, the park service closes Elkmont for a year and takes visitors in by trolley from the Sugarlands Visitors Center near Gatlinburg starting 7 pm for a $1 per person round trip. Once the parking lot fills, or it is 9 pm, the trolleys stop running to Elkmont.

This year the trolleys will run June 5th 2010 until June 13th 2010. If you miss the trolleys because you came to the Smokies a week or so late, do not despair, you still will get a great free light show along the Little River Hiking Trail!

Related Smokies Blog Stories:
Rare Synchronizing Fireflies Find Confirmed In Brothers Cove Resort in Wears Valley.

Fireflies synchronized light show season starts in Great Smoky Mountains national park.

Synchronous fireflies and admirers about to invade the Great Smoky Mountains national park

Cabins for rent where you can see the synchronized fireflies in the Smoky Mountains

Smoky Mountains firefly show in Elkmont near Gatlinburg

Elkmont Section of national park yearly visit by synchronized fireflies

Synchronized Fireflies: Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Day 7 of the 2010 Wilderness Wildlife Week in Pigeon Forge Tennessee

Then consensus is that this is the best Wilderness Wildlife Week ever and there are 2 more days of guided hikes, lecture and demonstrations about the Smoky Mountains, nature photography, arts and crafts and so much more.

Some of the major highlights for today will be the Managing the Search Function which will be packed, the battle between Tennessee and North Carolina over the routing of Blue Ridge Parkway presented by Professor Dr. Harley Jolley and Current Fisheries Issues in the Smokies discussion presented by Matt Kulp.

Wilderness Wildlife Week Schedule for Friday, January 15, 2010

• 7:00 am - 9:00 pm The Information Desk is open.


• 7:00 am - 11:00 am NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Managing the Search Function: Study some of the Smokies most famous search and rescue operations. Presented by: Joe Kelley, Dwight McCarter, Pete Rogers and Bob Swabe - In the Guitar Room. (Limit 30 students. Pre-registration at Information Desk is required.)


• 8:30 am - 10:00 am Learn to Play the Harmonica in the Key of "C" . Presented by: Tony Thomas - In the Violin Room.


• 9:00 am - 10:00 am The Amazing Diversity of Fall Creek Falls State Park - slide presentation. Presented by: Stuart Carroll - In the Dobro Room.


• 9:00 am - 10:30 am The Wolves of Bays Mountain. Presented by: Rhonda Goins - In the Harp Room.


• 9:30 am - 10:30 am Hiking and Photography - slide presentation. Presented by: Robert Schuffert - In the Ukelele Room.


• 10:30 am - 11:30 am The History of the Banjo. Presented by: Boogertown Gap - In the Violin Room.


• 11:00 am - 12:00 pm KIDS TRACK: Silly Safaris Show - Live Animal Show. Presented by: Silly Safari - In the Dobro/Harp Room.


• 11:00 am - 12:00 pm Tennessee Town and Country Scapes. Presented by: Jack Carman - In the Ukelele Room.


• 11:30 am - 12:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: You Will Have a Hard Road to Travel - The battle between Tennessee and North Carolina over the routing of Blue Ridge Parkway. Presented by: Dr. Harley Jolley - In the Guitar Room.


• 12:30 pm - 2:00 pm Your Studio in a Cooler. Presented by: Jim Eastin - In the Harp Room.


• 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Bird Songs of the Smokies. Presented by: Mark Dunaway - In the Ukelele Room.


• 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Unusual Camping Tricks and Gizmos. Presented by: Larry "Coyote" Smith - In the Violin Room.


• 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: The Blue Ridge Parkway - Design and Development. Presented by: Dr. Harley Jolley - In the Guitar Room.


• 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm Close Up and Macro Photography Workshop. Presented by: Andrea Shetley - In the Music Road Hotel Breakfast Room. (Limit 15 students. Pre-registration at Information Desk required day of the workshop.)


• 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Gardening for Monarch Butterflies. Presented by: Ina Warren - In the Dobro Room.


• 2:15 pm - 3:15 pm Do it Yourself: Building a Backyard Bird Habitat. Presented by: Mark Dunaway - In the Ukelele Room.


• 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm Lakes, Lighthouses and Landscapes of the North Woods - slide presentation. Presented by: Kendall Chiles - In the Guitar Room.


• 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm Bald Eagle Recovery - Fragile Link to Success. Presented by: Bob Hatcher - In the Dobro/Harp Room.


• 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Workflow Not Work Slow - Lightroom releases you from the computer so you can shoot. Presented by: Colby McLemore - In the Violin Room.


• 3:30 pm - 6:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Woodcarving, Humming Bird and Flower - DAY 2. Presented by: Don Taylor - In the Music Road Hotel Breakfast Room. (Limit 10 students. Pre-registration at Information Desk required. Must take all 3 classes to complete the project and you need to bring carving tools and paint brushes.)


• 3:45 pm - 4:45 pm Attracting Wild Birds that Don't Eat Seed - slide presentation. Presented by: Regina Garr - In the Ukelele Room.


• 4:00 pm - 4:45 pm A Discussion on Current Fisheries Issues in the Smokies and Beyond. Presented by: Matt Kulp - In the Guitar Room.


• 4:45 pm - 5:30 pm KIDS TRACK: Wings of America: American Eagle Foundation - Live Bird Show. Presented by: American Eagle Foundation - In the Dobro/Harp Room.


• 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Turn Your Radio On - Hills N Hollows Mountain Music and Storytelling. Presented by: Mike and Kathy Gwinn - In the Violin Room.


• 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Buffalo Mountain Park (Pre and Post Fire) - slide presentation. Presented by: Brad Jones - In the Guitar Room.


• 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: The Seasons of the Great Smoky Mountains - slide presentation. Presented by: Chuck Summers - In the Dobro/Harp Room.


• 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Women of Cades Cove - Missy Tipton Green. Presented by: Cades Cove Preservation Association - In the Ukelele Room.


• 7:15 pm - 8:15 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Chestnut Flats - In the Cades Cove community: Dave Post. Presented by: Cades Cove Preservation Association - In the Ukelele Room.


• 7:30 pm Slow Jam. Presented by: Tony Thomas - In the Guitar Room. (Bring your own instrument to join in or simply enjoy listening)