Friday, May 1 and Saturday, May 2
Note: Please identify the programs you wish to attend on the registration form. When making your selections, take travel times into consideration from point A to point B. Programs are subject to change and participation is limited, as many of these are hikes. You may want to consider packing a lunch if you plan an all day stay in the park. Your hotel may provide boxed lunches.
FRIDAY, May 1
TENNESSEE AREA OF PARK
GREENBRIER/COSBY AREA
F01. A Nature Walk – Meander around a hemlock forest and learn about this unique forest ecosystem. A non-native insect, the hemlock woolly adelgid, was discovered in the Park in 2002. Park Forester Kris Johnson will discuss the devastation that followed and explain the Park’s program to save representative hemlock stands.
9 a.m. - Cosby Nature Trail, 1 mile loop, easy; 1 hour
F02. Scavenger Hunt - Join Kat and John LaFevre, authors of the popular hiking book series, Scavenger Hike Adventures, on a fun hiking adventure along awesome Porters Creek Trail. Follow clues to find an old barn from the 1800s, remains of an old Model T and stand inside an old “refrigerator” (springhouse). Porters Creek is also a wildflower bonanza.
10:30 a.m. - Porters Creek Trailhead in Greenbrier; 2 miles roundtrip; easy; 1.5 hours
F03. A Walk with Glenn Cardwell - Glenn is a former resident of Big Greenbrier and retired Smokies Sugarlands Visitor Center Supervisor who is now mayor of Pittman Center. Mayor Cardwell will share his insights on what it was like to live in the beautiful area of Greenbrier before it became a national park. He will lead a hike along Injun Creek to the remains of a steam engine.
1 p.m. - Greenbrier; Meet at the ranger station, 4 mile round trip, moderate, 2.5 hours
HEADQUARTERS/TWIN CREEKS AREAS
F04. State of the Park – An interesting overview of the Park and presentation on the many issues and challenges facing Park managers today. Bob Miller, the park’s spokesperson since 1989, will provide an update on the high profile projects and programs in the Park. He will spend time with participants in answering questions and having discussions about some of the changes that have occurred in the Park over the years.
9:00 a.m. - Sugarlands Visitor Center Auditorium - 1 hour
F05. Learn to Play a Dulcimer – Anne Lough is a renowned singer and musician who brings the ballads and folk songs of Appalachia to her audiences. She is accomplished on both mountain and hammered dulcimer, autoharp, and guitar. No musical experience is necessary to learn to play and enjoy this beautiful, soothing Appalachian instrument. You will learn basic melody and strumming techniques using simple folk and hymn tunes.
9:00 a.m. – Sugarlands Visitor Center Training Room, 1.5 hours
F06. Up Close Investigation of the Smokies Biodiversity – It is amazing to think there are living things all around us that have gone undetected. Over 6,000 species new to the park have been discovered through a study identify all living things. Participate in fun hands-on demonstrations on how species are collected and identified and view insects under a microscope with Discover Life in America employees at the Park’s new state of the art science and education center.
10:00 a.m. - Twin Creeks Science and Education Center, 1-2 hours
F07. Historic Observation Towers - During the logging era catastrophic forest fires were common in the Smokies. After the park was established, the CCC built fire towers on ridgetops to help spot forest fires. Charles Maynard will share his insights on this era as he leads a hike to one of the few remaining firetowers. Cove Mountain firetower is currently used as an air quality monitoring station. Charles Maynard is a professional storyteller, author, United Methodist Minister, and the former Executive Director of the Friends organization.
10:00 a.m. - Laurel Falls Trailhead, 8.25 miles, strenuous, 4-5 hours
F08. Aquatic Life Abounds in the Smokies – The splashing streams of the southern Appalachians have nurtured aquatic diversification. The Park’s streams are teeming with life and provide food sources for wildlife, including the hellbender, the largest salamander in North America. Engage in a discussion about stream habitat and observe aquatic fauna with Park Entomologist Becky Nichols. Also discussed will be discoveries of organisms from an ongoing study to identify all species, many of which were previously unknown.
10:30 a.m. - Fighting Creek Nature Trail (behind Headquarters), short walk, easy; 2 hours.
F09. History and Culture - Take a hike to one of the Civilian Conservation Corps camps along the Old Sugarlands Trail with Park Archeologist Erik Kreusch. This trail was once a wagon road giving life to the Sugarlands community, named for the sugar maples that once grew here. Several historic remains are still present and provide an opportunity to learn about the long human history spanning thousands of years—from the prehistoric Paleo Indians to early European settlement in the 1800s to the CCC in the 20th century.
1:00 p.m. - Sugarlands Visitor Center, 3.5 miles round trip, easy; 3 hours.
F10. “The Truth about Mountain Lions”– Some say that there are still mountain lions that live in the national park, but are there? Is there any concrete evidence that supports this conclusion? Dr. Don Linzey, a zoologist and ecologist and author of several books on the Smokies natural resources, will share his knowledge from years of research on this subject.
1:00 p.m. – Sugarlands Visitor Center Training Room, 1 hour
CADES COVE/TREMONT
F11. A Day with a Naturalist - Hike to Gregory Bald - Volunteer Tom Harrington is an avid hiker, nature enthusiast and expert wildflower photographer. He will lead a hike to Gregory Bald and identify beautiful wildflowers along the way. Gregory Bald is a beautiful broad grass meadow, one of two balds the Park maintains for its historic value, with excellent views. This hike is only for avid hikers.
9:00 a.m. - Cades Cove, 10 miles, strenuous, all day – Pack a lunch
F12. Geology Walk to Spruce Flats Falls – Hike to one of the Smokies beautiful falls with Ken Voorhis, Executive Director of Tremont Institute, who will also point out geologic processes along the way, such as weathering, erosion, and tectonic activity, that have and are shaping the Smoky Mountains. Explore the role that rocks and soils play in shaping an ecosystem.
9:00 a.m. - Tremont Institute, Administration Building, 2 miles, moderate, 3 hours.
F13. Cades Cove Unique Habitats – Explore some of the hidden secrets in the beautiful valley of Cades Cove with Park Botanist Janet Rock. Abrams Creek is one of the few relatively slow-moving bodies of water in the Park, creating very fertile habitats for rare fish and plant species. Canebrakes, once common throughout the Southeast, occur here in great abundance.
10:00 a.m. - Cades Cove, Abrams Falls Trailhead, easy, 2 hours
NORTH CAROLINA AREA OF PARK
OCONALUFTEE/SMOKEMONT
F014. Incredible Edibles and Medicinal Plants – Ila Hatter is an interpretive naturalist, artist, storyteller, and renowned wildcrafter with nearly 30 years experience teaching the cultural heritage of native plants. Spend some time with Ila discovering how to identify plants and trees Native Americans and early settlers used for food, medicines, and crafts while walking along the Mountain Farm Museum and Oconaluftee River.
9:00 a.m. - Oconaluftee Visitor Center, 3 hours, easy
F015. One of the Most Remarkable Frontiersman - Hike to the Carver Cemetery located in the Smokemont area with former Park Ranger Tom Robbins. One of the Park’s most remarkable residents was Aden Carver, born at Smokemont in 1844. Carver lived to be 101 years old and through the life of Carver, the Smokemont area became a thriving community, from farming to logging.
1:00 p.m. - Upper section of Smokemont Campground, Bradley Fork Trailhead; easy to moderate with short steep sections; 2 miles
CLINGMANS DOME AREA
F016. Air Pollution, Light Pollution – The Park has some of the highest levels of air pollution of any monitored unit in the National Park System. Park resources and people’s health are being impacted by the air pollutants. Protection of dark night skies is also becoming a major concern in national parks. Join Air Quality Specialist Jim Renfro at the highest air quality monitoring and research station in eastern North America where he will discuss these trends, effects, and solutions.
9:30 a.m. - Clingmans Dome, Meet at west end parking area, .5 mile one way strenuous hike to tower, 1.5 hours
F017. Climate Change and the Park's Species – The Smokies had a violent birth in slow motion; a collision of tectonic plates about 300 million years ago. The mountains are so ancient that most of their rocks contain no fossils. The orientation of the Appalachians has allowed species to migrate along the mountains during climatic shifts and consequently, ecosystems have had millions of years to diversify and thrive which explains part of the richness and variety of life here. Park Biologist Keith Langdon will discuss what we have learned thus far as to why biodiversity is so high here, and the potential for climatic change to alter the Park’s ecosystems in the future.
1:00 p.m.. - Clingmans Dome, Meet at west end parking area, 1 hour discussion
F018. Discover a Historic Survey Marker - Travel in time with Dwight McCarter, a former park ranger who was one of the Park's primary trackers of lost visitors, and Joe Kelley who assisted in rediscovering the Meigs Post high atop the Smokies. Meigs Post was probably the most important survey point used to establish the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This walk will take you to the histoic southern border marker of the U.S. on scenic Mt. Collins.
2:30 p.m. - Clingmans Dome, Sugarland Mountains Trailhead; 1 mile, 1.5 hours
SATURDAY, May 2
S019 – Appalachian Highlands Science Learning Center – After lunch, hike (if you sign up) to Cataloochee from the Appalachian Highlands Learning Science Center to participate in the elk program. Transportation arrangements will be coordinated at check-in.
1 p.m. – Hike the McKee Branch and Bradley Fork Trails into Cataloochee; rugged and wet; moderate; 4 hours.
S020 – Elk Program in Cataloochee Valley – The experimental release of elk in Cataloochee began in 2001. Viewing the elk in this beautiful valley setting has become increasingly popular for visitors. Wildlife Biologist Kim Delozier and Joe Yarkovich will talk about the elk program and then you will have a chance to view elk in the fields. (Remember to order a boxed dinner if you want to eat with the group)
4:30/5:00 p.m. – Programs will start at Palmer Chapel in Cataloochee
