Thursday, November 23, 2017

Hike and volunteer in the Smokies
If you are looking for a hike or a way to help your national park....listen up. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park invites visitors to join a park ranger for a guided hike on Friday, beginning at 9 am at Cucumber Gap near Elkmont. This easy, 4.8-mile roundtrip hike follows the river through a beautiful, cove hardwood forest. Participants will learn about the rich history of the area including the logging operations of the Little River Lumber Company. You should expect 3-4 hours total for the hike. One river crossing will be required. Meet at the Little River trailhead at 9:00 a.m., It is 7 miles west of Sugarlands Visitor Center in Elkmont. For more information, call Sugarlands Visitor Center at 865-436-1291. Or you have a service opportunity on Saturday. Help clean fire pits and perform other maintenance tasks around the Elkmont Campground to help care for one of the park’s busiest campgrounds. It is particularly important that the area is kept free of trash and food scraps to protect wildlife! Expect 3 hours total for the service project and then join rangers for an optional hike to Huskey Branch Falls! Bring a sack lunch and we’ll take a hike along the nearby Little River Trail to the falls and enjoy the beautiful scenery at lunch The hike is a moderate 4.3 miles roundtrip and is expected to take 3 hours. Meet at the Elkmont Campground Office at 9:00 a.m., 7 miles west of Sugarlands Visitor Center in Elkmont. For more information, call the Volunteer Office at 865-436-1265. Rangers and park volunteers will help visitors discover special cultural and natural resources along the hikes. Visitors may also choose to hike on their own and can come to any of the park’s visitor centers throughout the Thanksgiving holiday weekend to receive information about hiking options including several short nature trails that are perfect for children. The park has over 800 miles of trails to explore throughout the year with every season offering its own special rewards. During late fall and winter, the absence of leaves opens new vistas revealing stone walls, chimneys, and foundations. These reminders of past communities allow hikers to discover a glimpse of history along park trails.


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