Guided Hikes Friday in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

This Friday, November 27th the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (#GSMNP) is offering park visitors to chance join 3 different ranger led hikes, 2 of which are in Tennessee, Elkmont and Cades Cove and the third in Little Cataloochee North Carolina.

The guided hikes with Rangers, park volunteers, and Friends of the Smokies staff are all free and allow visitors to learn discover and learn about special cultural and natural resources along the hikes.

Beside the guided hikes offered, there are more than 800 miles of other hiking trails in the GSMNP as well as short nature walks that most everyone can take advance of. There are only 2 trails in the park where dogs are allowed, the Gatlinburg Hiking Trail and the Oconaluftee River Hiking Trail. Plan to hike elsewhere? Please leave the dog at home while you are hiking.

If you plan on hiking on any of the guided hikes be sure to wear comfortable but sturdy shoes, dress in layers and bring along enough food and water for everyone in your group.

All of the guided hikes are subject to cancellation in bad weather.

Hike #1: Hike to Abrams Falls in Cades Cove Tennessee

Take a 5-mile 4 hour moderate hike with several steep, rocky sections to one of the largest waterfalls in the Great Smoky Mountains national park in the back end of Cades Cove.

Meet at the Abrams Falls trailhead, halfway around the Cades Cove Loop Road at 10:00 am. Expect to enter the Cades Cove area by 9:00am to be there on time. For more information, call Cades Cove at (865)448-4104.

Hike #2: Hike to Cucumber Gap Trail in Elkmont Tennessee

Enjoy an easy 4.8-mile, 4 mile round-trip hike along the Little River and a beautiful, cove hardwood forest. A small creek crossing may be required (a hiking pole will help).

Meet at the Little River trailhead at 9:00 am which is the back of Elkmont 7 miles west of Sugarlands Visitor Center. For more information, call Sugarlands Visitor Center at (865)436-1291.

Hike #3: Hike Little Cataloochee near Cataloochee North Carolina

Learn about history and nature on a moderate 5-mile, round-trip hike on the Little Cataloochee Trail and see the Hannah cabin, the Little Cataloochee Church and cemetery, and the Cook cabin as well several former homesites along the way.

Meet with the ranger first by 10:00 am in the information parking area on the left just after entering Cataloochee Valley where the road becomes level. If you go past the Campgrounds you went a little too far. From this location you will follow the ranger to the trailhead.

The best route into Cataloochee is Cove Creek Road which is accessible from Hwy. 276 near its intersection with Interstate 40. Participants driving to the area on I-40 should use Exit 20 (Hwy. 276 exit) and immediately turn right on to Cove Creek Road. The drive from Hwy. 276 into Cataloochee is 10 miles. Cove Creek Road is a winding, two-lane road and includes a four-mile section that is unpaved. For more information, call the Oconaluftee Visitor Center at (828)497-1904.

"I hope you have the chance to Find Your Park over the Thanksgiving holiday," said Superintendent Cassius Cash. "The park offers the perfect place to take a stroll with your family or find a quiet place for reflection. I encourage you to spend some time in your park and am thankful for our dedicated staff, volunteers, and partners for making these special hiking opportunities available."

Schedule for Day 3 of Wilderness Wildlife Week 2015 in Pigeon Forge Tennessee Smokies

The sun is just now breaking on Day 3 of Wilderness WIldlife Week in Pigeon Forge and the clouds above us are laden with moisture that will dump as much as 5 inches of snow in the upper elevations an d 2 down in the Pigeon Forge valley. Newfound Gap Road US441 is closed due to snow and ice and could remain so for the rest of the day.

Expect many if not all of the Wilderness Wildlife Week guided hikes to be canceled today as it may be easy to get to trailheads to start the hikes, but far more difficult to return as the weather is expected to deteriorate through the day.

Of course the great news there are tons of great programs, lectures and performances taking place indoors today for Wilderness Wildlife Week starting with such great programs as Ranger Bill Stiver’s bear management in the Great Smoky Mountains program, to Joe Kelley’s Rangers Recollections, to the beautiful Old Time Hymns presented by Don Huskey

Mon, Jan 26th 2015 Wilderness Wildlife Week Schedule

• 9 to 10am: Black Bear Management in GSMNP. Presented by Bill Stiver. A Your Smokes Favorite! Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
   
• 9 to 11am: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Our Journey on the Appalachian Trail. Presented by Bill and Sharon Van Horn. Join Bill and Sharon as they share photos, stories and experiences of their eight year section hike of the Appalachian Trail. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
   
• 9:30 to 10:30am: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Attracting Birds Without Bird Seed. Presented by Regina Garr. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall B.
   
• 9:30 to 10:30am: LIMITED SPACE! Making a Gemstone Bracelet. Presented by LaDonna Twyman. Limited to 8 people ages 18+ will join LaDonna as she instructs them on how to make a gemstone toggle bracelet to take home with them using semi-precious stones, silver toggles and spacer beads. Taking place in the Bob Kolb Memorial Room.
   
• 9:30 to 10:30am: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Introduction to Needlepoint. Presented by Mary Warner and limited to 15 ages 12+. Taking place in the Bob Hatcher Memorial Room.
   
• 10 to 11am: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Mystery of the Trees. Presented by Donald Wells. Join Donald as he explores the Native Americans use of trees to mark trails, water sources, ceremonial sites and more. Tribal elders have shared their knowledge about these ancient customs. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
   
• 10 to 11am: HERITAGE! Logging Railroads in the Smokies. Presented by Rick Turner. Join Rick as he provides an in-depth look at how railroads forever changed the Great Smoky Mountains, specifically the Elkmont area in the way people lived and worked there prior to the establishment of the Park. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
   
• 10 – Noon: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Learn How to Scan and Digitalize Old Photographs or Negatives/Slides. Presented by Bob Keim. Limited to 8 people. Bring some pictures/slides if you can. Participants should have computer knowledge. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 1.
   
• 10:30 – Noon: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Hiking and Backpacking: Getting Started Safely and Correctly. Presented by Mike Braun, Bill Deitzer and Pamela Rodgers. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
   
• 10:30 to 11:30am: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! The Spirit of John Muir. Presented by Lee Stetson. Join Lee as he takes attendees back in time on a fun romp through some of the very best of Muir’s grand, thrilling adventures in his beloved western wilderness. Stories include Muir’s encounters with a mighty Yosemite earthquake, dangerous Alaskan ice crevasses, snow blindness, and much more - all liberally salted with Muir's wilderness philosophy. The theme of this session revolves around the health and invigoration one acquires when one fully and joyfully engages wildness. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
   
• 11 – Noon: National Wildlife Refuges in Tennessee. Presented by Jim Wigginton. Join Jim as he discusses management and overview of national wildlife refuges in Tennessee, with an emphasis on Tennessee National and Reelfoot. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall B.
   
• 11 – Noon: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Paint Your Own Watercolor Note Cards. Presented by Melanie Fetterolf. Limited to 15 people ages 12+. Taking place in the Bob Kolb Memorial Room.
   
• 11 – Noon: Songs of the Carter Family. Presented by Tony Thomas Taking place in the LeConte Hall South.
   
• 11 – Noon: Reverend Robert Hall, Bishop of the Cumberlands Monologue. Presented by Will Rabert. William will portray the Reverend Robert Hall, founder of the Cumberland Mountain School. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 2.
   
• 11:30 to 12:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! The Heart of a Wildlife Rehabilitator. Presented by Olivia and Tammie Browning. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
   
• 11:30 to 12:30pm: HERITAGE! The Story of Pittman Center. Presented by Mayor Glenn Cardwell. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
   
• 12:30 to 1:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Year-Round Landscaping for Birds and Other Wildlife. Presented by Dana Ripper. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
   
• 12:30 to 1:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Tenting on the Old Campground: Music of the Civil War Period. Presented by Timothy Seaman. Join Timothy for a concert featuring tunes from the rich heritage of the Civil War era, with lots of stories and meanings. Taking place in the LeConte Hall South.
   
• 12:30 to 2pm: LIMITED SPACE! 10 Hints for a Successful Backyard Wildlife Habitat: Advice from a Lifetime Master Gardener. Presented by Dr. Leo and Linda Lubke. Limited to 30 people. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 1.
   
• 12:45 to 2:15pm: LIMITED SPACE! Beginning Hammer Dulcimer. Presented by Tim Simek. Limited to 20 participants that will bring their own instrument. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 2.
   
• 1 to 2pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Landscaping Attributes of Native Trees, Shrubs and Vines. Presented by Leon Bates. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
   
• 1 to 2pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Snakes Alive! Presented by Rhonda Goins and Whitney Calhoun. Limited to 30 people. Taking place in the Bob Kolb Memorial Room.
   
• 1:15 to 2:15pm: Leave No Trace: The Principles of Outdoor Ethics. Presented by Mike Braun and Pamela Rodgers. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
   
• 1:30 to 2:30pm: Outsmart Your Smartphone. Presented by Rich Iceland. Learn from Rich tips on how to use all the features of any cell phone. Fun and informative, Rich reveals how to save a wet phone, how to download different apps and more. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall B.
   
• 1:30 to 2:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! John Muir’s Story of Stickeen. Presented by Lee Stetson. Join Lee as he shares John Muir’s true story of what happened in 1880 on an Alaskan glacier with a dog named Stickeen. One of Muir's best-known writings, it is now considered a classic dog story. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
   
• 2 to 3pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Birds of Prey Program and Live Bird Show. Presented by American Eagle Foundation. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
   
• 2 to 3pm: KIDS’ TRACK! LIMITED SPACE! Fred and Ted the Fish: Keep Sevier Beautiful. Participants will follow two fish on journeys through the local waters. One finds out how pollution and storm water ruins his travels. Limited to 25 people ages 8+. Taking place in the Bob Hatcher Memorial Room.
   
• 2 to 3pm: Songs and Stories from the Cabin Porch. Presented by Tony Thomas. Taking place in the LeConte Hall South.
   
• 2:30 to 3:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! The Forced Removal of the Cherokee in 1838. Presented by Chris Tipton. Join Chris as she discusses the finding of a journal that started a personal rediscovery of one of our nation’s saddest events, The Trail of Tears. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
   
• 2:30 to 3:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! HERITAGE! History of Pigeon River Pottery with a Demo. Presented by Tommy Bullen. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
   
• 2:30 to 4pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Recycle Scraps Into Rag Rugs and Trivets. Presented by Maria Holloway. Limited to 15 people ages 15+. Taking place in the Bob Kolb Memorial Room.
   
• 2:30 to 4:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Ball Point Pen Drawing. Presented by William Hurst and Maurice Edwards. Limit to 12 people ages 18+ who will join Maurice and William as they teach a convenient way to practice drawing skills with a common ballpoint pen. Bring your favorite pen or use one of the instructors and learn to create a pen and ink landscape. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 1.
   
• 2:45 to 4:45pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Make an Appalachian Corn Shuck Doll. Presented by Anne Freels. Limited to 8 participants. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 2.
   
• 3 to 4pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Zion and Other Southwest National Parks. Presented by Peter and Gudrun Seifert. Join Peter and Gudrun as they share their hiking adventures in Zion, Bryce, Arches and other National Parks. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
   
• 3:15 to 4:15pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Vanishing America. Presented by Kathy Gwinn. From chimney sweeps to "borning rooms," rag paper to "sabbady houses," this session examines the passing of various trades and tools, sights and sounds, vocabulary and virtues that once were common to our country. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
   
• 3:30 to 5pm: Civil War in the West, 1863. Presented by Jack Carman. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
   
• 4 to 5pm: Ranger Recollections. Presented by retired NPS Ranger Joe Kelley. Join Joe as he shares stories and adventures regarding his experiences in the National Park Service. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
   
• 4 to 5pm: HERITAGE! Mock Trial: Let History Judge. Presented by Sevier County High School drama and government classes. Join SCHS students and teachers as they present a mock trial straight from the pages of old Sevier County court dockets. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
   
• 5 to 6pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Attracting and Photographing Birds. Presented by Daniel and Denise Dempster. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
   
• 5 to 6pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Build a Little Bird Nest Box. Presented by Steve Garr. Limit to 15 people, one nest box per family. Please bring screwdriver for assembly. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 1.
   
• 5:30 to 6:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! HERITAGE! Medicine Women of the Smokies Video Presentation. Presented by Dr. Gail Palmer. Join Dr. Palmer as she discusses women who resided in the Smokies in the late 1800s to early 1900s and how they served as herbalists or midwives. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
   
• 5:30 to 6:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Advanced Raptor Biology. Presented by Natalie Mong. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
  
• 5:30 to 6:30pm: HERITAGE! Old Time Hymns. Presented by Don Huskey, Marcia Huskey Nelson, Roger Helton and Andy Stinnett. Listen to melodies that carried from the open windows of little mountain churches of the past. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
   
• 6pm: Wednesday Hikes and Field Trips Sign-ups. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
   
• 7 to 8pm: Tales from Lost: Tales of Search and Rescue in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Presented by Dwight McCarter. A YourSmokies Favorite. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall B.
   
• 8:15pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Heaven and Nature Sing. Presented by Ken Jenkins, Judy Felts and Friends. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
   

Schedule for Day 2 of Wilderness Wildlife Week 2015 in the Pigeon Forge Tennessee Smokies

Sunday, January 25th 2015

As day 2 of the 2015 Wilderness Wildlife Week in Pigeon Forge starts, guests can look South and up from where it takes place at the LeConte Center on Teaster Lane toward the Great Smoky Mountains to see the more than 1 inch of snow along the peaks and higher elevations of the Great Smoky Mountains that just feel this weekend with more along the way today.

Though there will be lots of exciting programs to take place today for Wilderness Wildlife Weeks second day in Pigeon Forge both inside and outside. Even with the snow, it looks as though none of the guided hikes for Wilderness Wildlife Week will have to be canceled today due to snow even though Newfound Gap Road US441 is closed due to snow and ice.

So if you are in the Smokies today, beat the cold and come on down to the LeConte Center in Pigeon Forge Tennessee for an entire day of learning experience and fun - for free!

• 8 to Noon: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Turn Your Photography Into Art Workshop. Presented by Karen Jones. Limit 15, ages 16+. Participants must bring own laptop with PhotoShop for step-by-step demonstration of various techniques to reinterpret photos into artistic creations. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 1.
   
• 9 to 10am: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Blooms, Birds and Butterflies. Presented by Tom and Pat Cory. This educational and entertaining photography workshop focuses on flowers, butterflies and birds, some of Tom and Pat’s favorite subjects. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
   
• 9 to 10:30am: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Section Hiking the Appalachian Trail. Presented by Bill and Sharon Van Horn.Join Bill and Sharon as they share their experiences on section hiking the Appalachian Trail. Since 2005,they have hiked the A.T. completing it in 2013. Topics covered will include transportation, resupply, trip planning, equipment and off-trail experiences. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
   
• 9:30 to 10:30am: LIMITED SPACE! Making a Gemstone Bracelet. Presented by LaDonna Twyman – Limit 8, ages 18+. Participants join LaDonna as she instructs them on how to make a gemstone toggle bracelet to take home with them using semi-precious stones, silver toggles and spacer beads. Taking place in the Bob Kolb Memorial Room.
   
• 9:30 to 10:30am: Sunday Morning Sing Along. Presented by Tony Thomas. Taking place in the LeConte Hall South.
   
• 9:30 to 11:30am: World-Class Stream Smallmouth Bass. Presented by Greg Ward. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 3.
   
• 9:30 to Noon: Great Photography with Any Camera, Cell Phone or Tablet. Presented by Rich Iceland. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall B.
   
• 9:30 to 12:30pm: LIMITED SPACE! Basket Making. Presented by Theresa Tyler Limit 8. Participants will join Theresa as she teaches them the Appalachian art of basket making. Taking place in the Bob Hatcher Memorial Room.
   
• 10 to 11am: The Building of Fontana Dam in the Wilderness Slide Presentation. Presented by Bob Keim a "Dam Kid" Whose Parents Worked There. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
   
• 10 to 11am: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Humor in Rural and Small Town Churches. Presented by Lee Morris. Join Lee as he shares "The Preachments" and describes and demonstrates humorous experiences encountered in rural and small town churches of America. Attendees are welcomed to share, too! Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 2.
   
• 10:30 to 11:30am: Working with Wildflowers: A Photographer’s Delight. Presented by Jerry Whaley. Learn how Jerry uses techniques and equipment used to capture the wildflowers of the Smokies along with instruction as to how most images were captured. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
   
• 10:30 to 11:30am: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Intermediate Bird Identification: Exploring Features of "Problem" Birds Such as Sparrows, Shore birds and Raptors. Presented by Dana Ripper. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
   
• 11:30 to 12:30pm: Nature Writing for Love and Money, Part 2: The Practical Tips and More. Presented by Rob Simbeck. Join Rob as he teaches participants more practical tips related to observing and writing about nature. More depth and examples regarding the topics in part one will be discussed in this session. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 2.
   
• Noon to 1pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! The Knoxville Origins of Japanese Stilt Grass. Presented by Nancy Dorman. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
   
• Noon to 1pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Hawks of the Smokies. Presented by Stephen Lyn Bales. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
   
• Noon to 1:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Photography Hardware Calibration: Get the Most Out of Your Investment. Presented by Colby McLemore. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
   
• 12:30 to 1:30pm: HERITAGE! The White Caps and Blue Bills at the Battle of Henderson’s Spring. Presented by Don Williams. Join Don as he recounts one of Sevier County’s most brutal eras of the White Caps and Blue Bills and their epic showdown at the Battle of Henderson Springs in October of 1894. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
   
• 12:30 to 1:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! The Dos, Don’ts and Hows of Photographing Birds. Presented by Clay Thurston. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall B.
   
• 12:30 to 1:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! The Meanderings of a Silly Man Continue! Presented by Doug Mills. Despite an intrusion of age, and courtesy of The Heartland Series, a silly man continues his meanderings with a camera in hand. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
   
• 12:30 to 1:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Appalachian Folk Hymn Tunes. Presented by Timothy Seaman. Join Timothy as he reviews the history and musical types of folk hymns from the shape-note tradition, as interpreted with instruments. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own instruments to play and sing a few, too! Taking place in the LeConte Hall South.
   
• 1 to 2pm: KIDS’ TRACK! LIMITED SPACE! Bodacious Cartooning for Kids Workshop. Presented by John Rose. Limit 30, ages 8+. Participants should bring own pencils and note pad to draw along! Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 1.
   
• 1 to 2:30pm: LIMITED SPACE! Clawhammer Banjo Workshop 2. Presented by Boogertown Gap. Limited to 10 people who must bring their own clawhammer banjo tuned in open G. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 2.
   
• 1 to 3pm: Stream-Stocked Trout Fishing. Presented by Greg Ward. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 3.
   
• 1:30 to 2:30pm: HERITAGE! Civil War in the Mountains: Bushwhackers, Marauders, Raiders, Conscription and Divided Loyalties at the Homefront. Presented by Chris Tipton. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
   
• 1:30 to 2:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Bears on the Move: Tennessee’s Expanding Bear Population. Presented by Daryl Ratajczak. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
   
• 2 to 3pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! The Mindset and Techniques Behind Creating Inspiring Outdoor Photographs. Presented by Daniel Dempster. Join Daniel as he covers what is required to create outdoor images that exceed the ordinary. Topics include techniques, equipment and the mindset that goes hand-in-hand in creating beautiful landscape and nature photographs. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
   
• 2 to 3pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Writing Smoky Mountain Books. Presented by Dr. Lin Stepp. Join Dr. Stepp as she shares information on her life and writing novels based in the Great Smoky Mountains. Her program at Wilderness Wildlife Week is also the official launch site of her newest Smoky Mountain novel, Makin’ Miracles, the seventh book in the Smoky Mountain series. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
   
• 2 to 3pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Heartland Stories of Wild Critters of the Smokies! Presented by Kim Delozier and Bill Landry. Join Kim and Bill as they share and discuss different Heartland Series episodes they worked on together including wild boar, black bears, red wolf, river otters and more. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
   
• 2 to 3:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Recycle Scraps Into Rag Rugs and Trivets. Presented by Maria Holloway. Limit 15, ages 15+. Taking place in the Bob Kolb Memorial Room.
   
• 2 to 3:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! KIDS’ TRACK! LIMITED SPACE! A Cat Named Stinker. Presented by Mary Phillips. Limit 30, ages 5 to 10. Participants join Mary as she continues the Tall Tales about a firefly, a boy named Booger and his faithful cat, Stinker. Follow the whippoorwill and find out how Stinker got her name and how they all became synchronous friends. Learn the black boogie waltz - draw something and learn to recognize new native plants! Program meets curriculum standards for science, literature and art. Taking place in the Bob Hatcher Memorial Room.
   
• 2 to 3:30pm: HERITAGE! Old Harp Singing. Presented by David Sarten, leader. Listen to hymns brought from the old country and tunes by early American composers as a group of regional Old Harp singers sing shaped notes (do-re-ami…) in four part harmony seated in the traditional square. Taking place in the LeConte Hall South.
   
• 2 to 4pm: Digital Photo Editing Made Easy. Presented by Rich Iceland. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall B.
   
• 2:30 to 4:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Perspective in Landscapes. Presented by William Hurst and Maurice Edwards. Limit 12, ages 18+. Participants join Maurice and Williams as they teach understanding of perspective in creating landscape drawings. Learn to apply a number of perspective techniques while creating a landscape drawing in pencil. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 1.
   
• 3 to 4pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! KIDS’ TRACK! The Truth about Pirates. Presented by Captain John Farmer and East Tennessee Pirates Group. Attendees can have their pictures made with two pirates and learn all about pirates as they can see a replica pirate cannon and other pirate weapons. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
   
• 3 to 4pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! The Flying Housewife. Presented by Rosemary Deitzer. Some fifty years ago Jerrie Mock accomplished what Amelia Earhart could not – to be the first woman to fly solo around the world. Join Rosemary as she presents this remarkable story. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
   
• 3 to 4:30pm: LIMITED SPACE! Playing Mountain Dulcimer by Ear. Presented by Tim Simek. Limit to 20 Participants who must bring their own mountain dulcimer. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 2.
   
• 3:30 to 4pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! 900 Miles and Then Some: Hiking the Trails of GSMNP. Presented by Judy Bryant. Join Judy as she discusses keeping a hiking journal and answers questions about hiking all the maintained trails of GSMNP. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
   
• 3:30 to 4:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Understanding the Essentials of Light: A Photographer’s Guide to "Seeing" the Light and Using It To Achieve Your Photographic Intent. Presented by Douglas Hubbard. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
   
• 3:30 to 4:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Why is a Fed Bear a Dead Bear?: The Perils of Feeding a Bear. Presented by Joel Zachry. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
   
• 4 to 5pm: KIDS’ TRACK! LIMITED SPACE! The Blue and the Grey: Be a Civil War Soldier. Presented by Mike Meldrum. Limit 30 people. Taking place in the Bob Hatcher Memorial Room.
   
• 4 to 5:30pm: Old Time String Band Concert. Presented by Boogertown Gap. Taking place in the LeConte Hall South.
   
• 4:30 to 5:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Insect Pollination of Flowers. Presented by Leon Bates. Join Leon as he discusses how insect pollinators ensure biodiversity and stability of our native plant communities. This critical process will be illustrated and discussed. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
   
• 4:30 to 5:30pm: Wild Camp Cookery with Horace Kephart. Presented by Ila Hatter. Horace Kephart, author of Camping and Woodcraft, became adept at successful campfire cooking methods. Join Ila as she explains how he did it and what "wild things" he foraged for his "meat and vegetables." Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
   
• 4:30 to 5:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! HERITAGE! A One Man Portrayal of Elkmont’s Uncle Lem Ownby: The Last Living Resident of GSMNP. Presented by Carroll McMahan. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
   
• 4:30 to 5:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Photography: Art, Documentation, Fun or Profit? Presented by Clay Thurston. Join Clay as he illustrates how photography can be used for art, documentation, fun and for making money. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall B.
   
• 5 to 6:30pm: Civil War in the West, 1862. Presented by Jack Carman. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
   
• 5:30 to 6:30pm: HERITAGE! The Walker Sisters of Little Greenbrier. Presented by Robin Goddard. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
   
• 6pm: Tuesday Hikes and Field Trips Sign-ups. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
   
• 6 to 7pm: Lewis and Clark, Part 2: After the Expedition. Presented by Peter and Gudrun Seifert. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
   
• 6 to 7pm: HERITAGE! Native American Flute Concert. Presented by Randy McGinnis. Taking place in the LeConte Hall South.
   
• 7:30pm: Slow Jam. Presented by Tony Thomas and Friends. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
   
• 7:30pm: SUNDAY KEYNOTE PROGRAM! NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! The Roughrider and the Tramp: The Last Night Camping at Bridalveil Meadow. Presented by Lee Stetson and Alan Sutterfield. Join John Muir and President Theodore Roosevelt as they share rousing stories of bear encounters, wild horses, boat rustlers and passenger pigeons, and reveal how the American wilderness shaped these very different men. Learn how their charismatic and passionate discussions sparked a battle that resulted in the creation of Yosemite as a National Park. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
   

Wilderness Wildlife Week Guided Hikes and Tours for 2015 in the Pigeon Forge TN Smoky Mountains

All the guided hikes and tour for the 25th annual Wilderness Wildlife Week are free and required being signed up the day ahead of time at the LeConte Center as space is limited and in some cases assigned by lottery.

All hikes and programs at Wilderness Wildlife Week are subject to cancellation without notice most of the time due to bad weather.

Sunday, January 25th, 2015

• 8am-1pm Avent Cabin via Jakes Creek: 3 miles Easy/Moderate
• 8am-2:30pm Rock House: 6.5 miles Easy/Moderate
• 8:30am-4pm Albright Grove: 7.5 miles Moderate
• 8:30am-4pm Little River Trail: 8.5 miles Easy/Moderate
• 10:30am-4pm Hat Rock via Injun Creek: 4 miles Easy/Moderate
• 10:30am-4:30pm Off-Trail: Walker Sisters: 5 miles Moderate
• 6pm-9pm Owl Prowl: 1.5 miles Easy

Monday, January 26th, 2015

• 7:30am-4:30pm Rhododendron/Injun Creek: 7 miles Moderate/Strenuous
• 8am-Noon Heritage Tour of GSM Heritage Center by Bus: Easy
• 8am-2pm Cades Cove Heritage Tour by Bus: Easy
• 8am-3pm Ramsey Cascade: 8 miles Moderate/Strenuous
• 8am-3:30pm Laurel Falls/Walker Sisters 7.5 miles Moderate/Strenuous
• 8am-3:30pm Little River 6 miles Easy/Moderate
• 8:30am-4:30pm Meigs Mountain/Lumber Ridge: 10.6 miles Moderate/Strenuous
• 9am-11am LeConte Center Bird Walk: 2 miles Easy
• 10am-3pm Finley Cane to West Prong: 6 miles Moderate
• 10am-3pm Seven Islands Trail: 3 miles Easy
• 10:30am-2:30pm US411: Dolly, Bush’s and More Bus Tour Easy

Tuesday, January 27th, 2015

• 7:15am-12:15pm Photo Safari of the Smokies by Bus Easy
• 7:30am-2pm Lumber Ridge/Spruce Flats Falls: 8 miles Moderate/Strenuous
• 7:30am-4pm Homesites of Cades Cove: 6.5 miles Moderate/Strenuous
• 8am-2pm Elkmont Historic District: 3.5 miles Easy
• 8am-2pm Sugarland Branch: 4.5 miles Easy/Moderate
• 8am-3pm Porters Creek: 7.5 miles Moderate
• 9am-10:30am Birding the Pigeon Forge Greenway: 2 miles Easy
• 9:30am-4:30pm Dolly’s Sevier County History Tour by Bus: Easy
• 10am-Noon American Eagle Foundation Tour by Bus: Easy
• 10am-4:30pm Mystery Hike 5 miles Moderate/Strenuous
• 12:30pm-4:30pm Bush’s Beans and More by Bus: Easy
• 12:30pm-4:30pm Heritage Tour of GSM Heritage Center by Bus: Easy
• 12:30pm-4:30pm Townsend Railroad Museum by Bus: Easy
• 6pm-9PM Owl Prowl: 1.5 miles Easy

Wednesday, January 28th 2015

• 7:30am-5pm Mt. Collins, Sugarlands Mtn, Chimney Tops: 13.5 miles Strenuous
• 8am-1:30pm Baskins Creek Falls: 6 miles Moderate
• 8am-2pm Cades Cove Heritage Tour by Bus: Easy
• 8:45am-3:30pm Lumbering on Cucumber: 7 miles Moderate/Strenuous
• 8:45am-3:30pm Metcalf Bottoms/Little Greenbrier/Laurel Falls: 9 miles Moderate/Strenuous
• 9am-10:30am Birding the Pigeon Forge Greenway: 2 miles Easy
• 9am-2pm Cades Cove Photo Tour by Bus: Easy
• 10am-2pm Dolly, Bush Beans and Backroads Tour by Bus: Easy
• 1:30pm-5pm Trillium Gap to Grotto Falls: 3 miles Easy/Moderate
• 2pm-4pm Tour of Sevier Solid Waste: 2 miles Easy

Thursday, January 29th 2015

• 8am-3pm Moore Cemetery: 4.5 miles Moderate
• 8am-3pm Middle Prong/Indian Flats Falls: 7 miles Moderate/Strenuous
• 8am-3:30pm AT/Road Prong: 7.2 miles Moderate
• 8am-4pm Chestnut Top/Schoolhouse Gap: 6.5 miles Moderate
• 10am-Noon American Eagle Foundation Tour by Bus: Easy
• 10am-2pm Dolly, Bush Beans and Backroads Tour by Bus: Easy
• 10am-2pm Heritage Tour of GSM Heritage Center by Bus: Easy
• 10am-2pm Townsend Railroad Museum by Bus: Easy
• 10am-5pm Cucumber Trail: 6 miles Moderate
• 6pm-9pm Owl Prowl: 1.5 miles Easy

Friday, January 30th 2015

• 8am-3pm Barnes Sisters: 5 miles Moderate/Strenuous
• 8am-3pm Old Sugarlands to Twin Creek: 7.5 miles Moderate
• 9am-10:30am Birding the Pigeon Forge Greenway: 2 miles Easy
• 9am-4:30pm Little River through Huskey Gap to US441: 6.8 miles Moderate/Strenuous
• 10am-3pm Bush’s Baked Beans and Historic Dandridge Tour by Bus: Easy
• 11am-12:15pm Learn Map and Compass Patriot Park Field Test by Bus: Easy
• 6pm-9pm Owl Prowl: 1.5 miles Easy

Saturday, January 31st 2015

• 8am-1pm Elkmont Historic District: 4 miles Easy/Moderate
• 8am-4:30pm Birding Trip to Cades Cove by Bus: Easy
• 8am-4:30pm Curry Mountain: Off-Trail: 8.8 miles Moderate/Strenuous
• 8:30am-12:30pm Jr. Docent Family Fun Day: GSM Heritage Center by Bus: Easy
• 9:30am-2:30pm Bus Tour of Cosby: Easy
• 10am-2pm Dolly, Bush Beans and Backroads Tour by Bus: Easy
• 10am-2:30pm Baskins Creek Falls: 3 miles Easy/Moderate

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Presents the 8th Annual Cosby in the Park Festival May 17th

Thanks to a partnership between the Great Smoky Mountains Association, the National Park Service and the Cocke County government this year the 8th annual Cosby in the Park festival held on Saturday, May 17, 2008 in the Cosby section of the Great Smoky Mountains national park should be fun and informative for visitors of all ages.

The Cosby in the Park festival is free to everyone and will include old time music, guided hikes, historical tales, storytelling and games for the kids and all sorts of activities and demonstrations for young and old alike.

Visitors can come to the national park from sunrise to sunset but the Cosby in the Park activities will take place from 10 am to 4 pm near the Cosby Campgrounds. You can bring your appetite too as a there will be a trailer from Angels Food Service selling traditional foods such as corn bread, pinto beans and tea. And for the kids there will be picnic style food such as hot dogs.

Beside the fun, games and food the 8th annual Cosby in the Park is meant to celebrate the cultural heritage of the Cosby area of the Great Smoky Mountains national park in Cocke County as well as demonstrating to visitors the recreational opportunities in the Cosby area.

If you are like me you will have a hard time choosing between the activities that will take place between the Cosby Picnic area and the outdoor amphitheater so I have a feeling I will be running back and forth between the 2 the whole day!

At the Cosby picnic pavilion there will be children's activates all day long which will include: Children's crafts and games, sack races and Crafter's Demonstrations: Bill Alexander, mountain berry baskets; Maria Holloway, quilting; Len Landrum, knife making and blacksmithing; Clayton Sharp, blacksmithing and mountain tools; Ellen Ogle, quilting; Connie Clabo, basket making; John and Sherry Holt, introduction to beekeeping; and Sherry Jennette and Sydney Fry, pine cone bird feeders.

Here is the schedule of events for the 8th annual Cosby in the Park festival broken down by location:

At the Cosby Amphitheater

• 10 am - 11 am Old time music performed by the Lost Mill String Band
• 11 am - 11:15 am Dedication of Cosby in the Park festival >
• 11:15 am - 12 Noon Old time music performed by the Boogertown Gap Band
• 12 Noon - 12:30 pm Hear Civil War Tales from Cosby by historian Duay O'Neil
• 12:30 pm - 1 pm Storytelling by Faye Wooden
• 1 pm - 1:45 pm Traditional bluegrass music performed by The Green Family Band
• 1:45 pm - 2 pm Fiddle music by Robby Land
• 2 pm - 3 pm Traditional old-time music performed by David McClary and Friends
• 3 pm - 4 pm Old time music performed by the Curtis and Lynn Osteen

At the Cosby Picnic Pavilion

• 1 pm Learn about the life of an extraordinary Cocke County mountain woman Ella V. Costner known as the Poet Laureate of the Smokies from Sheila Evans, Jordan Costner, and Claudia Konker
• 1 pm Hug a Tree and Survive with Joey Holt
• 2:30 pm Children's Storytelling with Faye Wooden

The guided hikes are:

• At 11 am a 1 mile hike at the Cosby Nature Trail led by Morgan Briggs. The nature trail is by the amphitheater and that where the moderate hike will begin.
• At 1:30 pm a 2 mile roundtrip hike starting at the Cosby picnic area pavilion to the Ella V Costner grave led by Judy McGaha, Shane McGaha and Pam Rodgers. There will be reading of poems during the moderate hike.

While I love hiking and generally hike 10 -15 miles day 7 days a week in the national park, I will sit this one out as I prefer the more challenging hikes Cosby offers. The guided hikes during the Cosby in the Park festival are great for beginners and those of you new to the Cosby area of the GSMNP.