Wilderness Wildlife Week Hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains Schedule for 2013

Every year one the most popular events that takes during Wilderness Wildlife Week in Pigeon Forge are the guided hikes that take place in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

These guided hikes fill up fast and you must preregister at the Music Road Hotel and Convention Center the day before hand and the number of hikers permitted may change due to availability of transportation. Hike may also be cancelled due to bad weather.

Sunday, January 13, 2013 Wilderness Wildlife Week Guided Hikes in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

• 6:00am - Noon Cades Cove Photo Trek led by Dempster via Bus (Easy)
• 7:30am - 2:00pm Original Road to Walker Sisters led by Snyder: 5 miles long rated Moderate Strenuous
• 7:30am - 4:30pm Little River/Goshen Prong/Cucumber Gap led by Owen: 9.5 miles long rated Moderate Strenuous
• 8:00am - 4:00pm A.T. / Road Prong led by Lloyd: 7.2 miles long rated Moderate Strenuous
• 9:30am - 4:30pm Middle Prong led by Teague: 7 miles long rated Moderate
• 10:00am - 5:00pm Albright Grove led by McFarland: 7.5 miles long rated Moderate
• 6:00pm - 9:00pm Owl Prowl led by Garr via Bus (Easy)

Monday, January 14, 2013 Wilderness Wildlife Week Guided Hikes in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

• 7:00am - 1:00pm History of Cades Cove led by Iceland via Bus (Easy)
• 7:00am - 3:00pm Finley Cane / West Prong led by Luckett: 6 miles long rated Easy Moderate
• 8:00am - 3:30pm Greenbrier - Off Trail led by McFarland: 8 miles long rated Moderate Strenuous
• 8:00am - 5:00pm Rhododendron Creek led by Duncan: 7 miles long rated Moderate Strenuous
• 8:30am - 4:00pm White Oak Sinks led by Domingue: 5 miles long rated Easy Moderate
• 8:30am - 4:00pm School House Gap led by Zachry: 5 miles long rated Moderate
• 10:00am - 4:00pm Huskey Gap / Sugarland Mountain led by Owen: 5.1 miles long rated Moderate Strenuous
• 6:00pm - 9:00pm Owl Prowl led by Garr via Bus (Easy)

Tuesday, January 15, 2013 Wilderness Wildlife Week Guided Hikes in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

• 7:30am - 4:00pm Mt. Cammerer led by Maynard: 11 miles long rated Strenuous
• 7:30am - 4:30pm Meigs Mountain / Lumber Ridge led by Owen: 10.8 miles long rated Moderate Strenuous
• 8:30am - 2:30pm Cades Cove led by Snyder via Bus (Easy)
• 10:00am - 2:00pm Injun Creek led by Cardwell: 2 miles long rated Easy
• 10:00am - 3:30pm Jakes Creek / Avent Cabin led by Jenkins: 3 miles long rated Easy Moderate
• 10:00am - 3:30pm Little River led by McFarland: 6 miles long rated Easy Moderate

Wednesday, January 16, 2013 Wilderness Wildlife Week Guided Hikes in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

• 7:00am - Noon Cades Cove Photo Shoot led by McLemore via Bus rated Easy Moderate
• 7:30am – 1:00pm Abrams Falls led by Owen: 5 miles long rated Easy
• 7:30am - 5:00pm Blanket Mountain led by Doughty: 8 miles long rated Strenuous
• 8:00am - 5:30pm Albright Grove led by Voorhis: 7 miles long rated Moderate
• 8:30am - 1:00pm Elkmont Historic District led by Dietzer: 4 miles long rated Easy
• 8:30am - 3:00pm Old Sugarlands Trail led by McFarland: 6.5 miles long rated Moderate
• 10:00am - 4:00pm Llama Hike led by Garrett: 4 miles long rated Easy Moderate
• 11:30am - 5:30pm Bus Tour of Cades Cove led by Harrington via Bus rated Easy

Thursday, January 17, 2013 Wilderness Wildlife Week Guided Hikes in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

• 7:30 am – 3:00 pm Laurel Falls/Little Greenbrier led by Domingue: 7.4 miles long rated Moderate
• 8:00am - 2:00pm Rainbow Falls led by McFarland: 6 miles long rated Moderate
• 9:00am - 3:00pm Round Top - Off Trail led by Snyder: 3.5 miles long rated Easy
• 10:00am -1:30pm Old Elkmont Town led by Cardwell: 1 mile long rated Easy
• 10:00am - 3:30pm Cucumber Gap / Little River led by Luckett: 6 miles long rated Easy Moderate
• 6:00pm - 9:00pm Owl Prowl led by Garr via Bus (Easy)

Friday, January 18, 2013 Wilderness Wildlife Week Guided Hikes in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

• 7:00am - Noon Cades Cove Photo Shoot McLemore via Bus rated Easy Moderate
• 8:00am - 2:30pm Meigs Mountain. - Off Trail led by Snyder: 5 miles long rated Moderate
• 8:00am - 4:00pm Little River / Huskey Gap led by Zachry: 6.8 miles long rated Moderate
• 8:00am - 5:30pm Miry Ridge led by Whitted: 8.4 miles long rated Moderate Strenuous
• 10:00am - 5:00pm Barnes Sisters led by Duncan: 5 miles long rated Moderate Strenuous
• 10:00am - 5:00pm Llama Hike led by Garrett: 4 miles long rated Easy Moderate
• 6:00pm - 9:00pm Owl Prowl led by Garr via Bus (Easy)

Saturday, January 19, 2013 Wilderness Wildlife Week Guided Hikes in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

• 8:00am - 3:30pm Birding in Cades Cove led by Alsop: 3 miles long rated Easy Moderate
• 10:00am - 4:30pm Albright Grove led by Maynard: 7 miles long rated Moderate
• 10:15am - 2:30pm Bus Tour to Cosby led by Cardwell via Bus (Easy)

Nothing better after a long hike than some private time in your cabins hot tub!

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.

Smoky Mountains fall colors and wildflowers: Cove Mountain Trail

The recent light rain may have washed down many of the colorful fall leaves but there are still plenty of fall colors to be found right next to Gatlinburg in the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

One of the lesser traveled hiking trails in the Great Smoky Mountains national park that is very close to the city of Gatlinburg is a perfect place right now to see fall colors, long vistas and even a few wildflowers that are still left blooming.

The beginning of the Cove Mountains Hiking trail is less than 2 minutes from downtown Gatlinburg and is right behind the national park headquarters. The trail passes by Cataract Falls which is generally a trickle this time of year. After you are past the falls you will run into few people if any.

If you were to hike the entire length of this trail it would almost be an 18 mile round trip, but there is no need to hike that far. Hiking just an hour or so in you will pass by pretty views, streams, plenty of fall colors and the best wildflowers still left blooming on the national park.

The majority of the steepest hiking will be within the first half hour on this trail. The trail is very smooth and usually bone dry so you can hike comfortably with just sneakers.

On this trail you will still find yellow and crimson red fall leaves on the trees. There is also plenty of color on the bushes, small plants and young trees along the forest floor.

While usually by this time of the year there are few if any flowers blooming, this trail has more than any other trail we had checked for weeks.

There are a variety of small wildflowers still blooming and the color pallet ranges from pure white to yellows and light and deep purples. All of the wildflowers in the photo montage below were photographed from the Cove Mountains hiking trail yesterday.

While same of these wildflowers are far past their peak, there are still blooming and giving some additional color other than just the fall leaves to the mountains and forest floor.

You can look at the wildflowers in the National Park but you must remember not to pick them or remove plants or even seeds. Plants, animals and even rocks are protected within the boundaries of the national park.

While same of these wildflowers are far past their peak, there are still blooming and giving some additional color than just the fall leaves to the mountains and forest floor.

Speaking of seeds, by this time of the year many of the wildflowers have turned into seeds. Even in their simplicity there is great beauty so be sure to take your time and take in all the fall beauty of the park.

The seed head above was about half the size of a dime and was in some moss along the side of the trail about and hour and a half up. Looking up from this point you will see giant red leaves hanging from a flame oak tree.

Once you get out of the hollows, the hiking trail follows a ridgeline which often looks out at the mountains across the valley. The light was fading fast when more clouds came in you could see the yellow still popping out in the valleys where more of what's left of the fall colors are.

What's unusual about this hiking trail and unlike most other hiking trails within the Great Smoky Mountains national park is that this trail passes close by some homes and cabins so if you smell smoke it may be a fireplace not a wildfire.

You won't have to hike long to enjoy the fall colors on Cove Mountains but you will enjoy all the time you spend on this wonder fall hike.

The Cove Mountain Hiking Trail is just minutes from dozens of Smoky Mountains cabins for rent by American Mountain Rentals.

Fall Smoky Mountains hiking color report: Husky Gap Trail

Bright yellow fall colors and more can be found still in the Great Smoky Mountains national park and if you want to go for a hike there are only a few hiking trails with good fall colors left and Husky Gap is one of the best trails left.

The Husky Gap trailhead is right on Newfound Gap Road across from the quiet walkway parking area 3.2 miles in from Gatlinburg Tennessee. This area of Newfound Gap Road has the best color in the whole national park.

This trail goes for about 2 miles up before it meets with 2 other trails and if you take Husky Gap to the end it goes down to Little River in Elkmont. Since it gains in elevation it will take you through various environments which will vary in color intensity.

Since the trail starts out by the most major road in the park for the fist few minutes you will hear the traffic on Newfound Gap, but it won't take long before you will see the fall colors you came to the Smokies to see.

You will pass by a creek that runs down the side of a hollow and onto the trail but the crossing is usually dry. There are some large tulip trees here that have already turned yellow for autumn and some of the trees are already a golden brown.

You can tell there were homesteads here by how flat the land is below the trail and you can even see a stone fence unfolding beneath you.

The trail is littered with many colorful leaves here, reds, oranges and lots and lots of shades of yellow and light greens. The leaves on the trail floor swiftly change color to brown but are rapidly replenished with new colorful leaves.

Some of the large yellow leaves you will see with brown spots are on vines that reach way up into the tallest trees here in the forest are grape leaves. The deeper you go on the trail the more wild grapes you will find.

While the grapes don't really have much fruit to them, they do make up part of the diet for the forest critters here each fall. You may still see some bunches of grapes on the trail floor.

One of the critters in the Great Smoky Mountains national park who loves the grapes is our resident black bear. The hike I just did to make this report I came across to adult bear and 2 cubs from this year.

As you see in the picture one of the cubs scurried up the tree. Even though he was more than 100 feet away, he was too close for comfort. If you see a bear as I did, make noise and don't run away but keep your distance. If they don't move away go back away from them.

Further in you start to get views of Gatlinburg and Mount Le Conte through the trees. The more the leaves fall down, the better you will get a view of the mountains.

The picture below shows the golds, yellows, reds and greens that can be seen through the forest canopy to the mountain on the other side. Though the color is very intense it should still last for the rest of the week.

Further into the trail you find and area with giant rock rubble with mosses and ferns on the left and an area of smaller and medium size hemlocks that are all green.

Keep going and you will go through an area where the grapes have dropped all their leaves and there are brown leaves and skeleton vines reaching up the canopy.

Eventually the colors turn more to reddish browns and tans as you get close to the trail junction. By the time you reach the junction most of the color is gone but if you decide to go further it is a nice hike but there are really no more great fall colors.

On the way back be sure to keep looking out and you will notice through the trees a side view of Mt Le Conte with its distinctive 3 peaks.

Husky gap is a great trail year round and perfect right now to see the fall colors!

The Husky Gap Trail is less than 30 minutes from all of Gatlinburgs best cabin rentals.

Hiking trails fall color report for the Smoky Mountains: Lewellyn Cove Nature Walk

The fall leaves are falling fast but there are a few great hiking trails where you can still find great color in the Smoky Mountains. The Lewellyn Cove Nature Walk in the Nantahala National Forest on NC 28 is one of the best hiking trails with fall color right now.

Though not in the Great Smoky Mountains national park, the Lewellyn Cove Nature Trail is right across from the national most beloved national park.

This is a beautiful trail that most anyone can enjoy as it is very moderate and considered by many to be very easy. This is a very short loop trail of about 3/4 of a mile but can be extended if you wish.

Before even entering the hiking trail the parking lot still has some color and you are greeted by yellow trees draped over the start of the hiking trail with logs forming easy to navigate steps up the hill.

For the first few minutes you will hear some road noise of noisy motorcycles ride on the Tail of the Dragon but the road noise quickly fades to the sounds of a rushing river below.

You will find this an enjoyable hiking trail to take children along on as not only is it pretty it will not be exhausting for most energetic children. Unlike hiking trails in the Great Smoky Mountains national park you can take along a well behaved leashed dog on this trail.

From the very start of the trail not only is the scenery pretty with abundant plant life, there are numerous signs describing the trees and bushes making this an educational hike as well.

After a few switchbacks the fall colors start to really ramp up with explosions of reds, oranges, yellows and light greens. The trees are beautiful and by now the only sounds you will hear are your feet crunching on the leaves, the wind in the trees and the sound of water below.

If you are having such a good time enjoying the peace and quiet of the Smoky Mountains and the best fall color in the Smokies you can take one of the forks on the left of the trail to Appalachian Trail and the Yellow Creek Mountain Trail.

When you make your way to the stream, ahead of you there is a small connecting 1 mile hiking trail that will take you to Lewellyn Cove to Fontana Village.

This is a great trail to enjoy the fall colors and is suitable for most everyone and a very pleasant drive from all the shopping, resturants and cabin rentals in Pigeon Forge Tennessee.