Trail Openings and Closings in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Visitors should be aware of some recent trail openings and closings in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail reopens just as Alum Cave Trail closes on weekdays until November 19, 2015 for needed restoration work.

One of eight new bridges on Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. Photo courtesy of Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is a unique 5.5 mile, one-way road through a very beautiful slice of the National Park and provides access to several trails leading to the summit of Mt. LeConte and LeConte Lodge. Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail leads you into a majestic, natural sanctuary just three miles from downtown Gatlinburg.

Directions to Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail

At traffic light #8 on the Parkway in downtown Gatlinburg, turn onto Historic Nature Trail-Airport Road. Keep right past the turnoff to the left to the Park Vista Hotel and enter the National Park on Cherokee Orchard Road. You’ll pass the Noah “Bud” Ogle Self-Guiding Nature Trail. Go another half-mile to reach the entrance to the auto trail through the historic Roaring Fork Community.

Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail Highlights

Experience Forest Communities of Cove Hardwood, Pine-Oak and Old-Growth Hemlock.
Visit Historic Farmsteads: Ephraim Bales Place and Alfred Reagan Place.
See “Place of a Thousand Drips” Waterfall.
Rainbow Falls Trail and Trillium Gap Trail to Grotto Falls.
Note: Large motor homes, buses and trailer are prohibited.

Alum Cave Trail will be open each week on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday as the Trails Forever Crew work during the week to restore several locations along the five-mile trail.

The summit of Mt. LeConte, LeConte Lodge, and the LeConte Shelter can still reached by hiking one of five other trails, three of which are accessed via Cherokee Orchard Road which leads to Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail.

Rainbow Falls Trail – 6.6 miles from the Rainbow Falls Parking Area on the Cherokee Orchard Road to the summit of Mt. LeConte. Rainbow Falls is 2.7 miles from the trailhead.

Trillium Gap Trail – 8.7 miles from Rainbow Falls Parking Area on the Cherokee Orchard Road to the summit of Mt. LeConte. Grotto Falls is 3.5 miles from the trailhead.
The Boulevard Trail via The Appalachian Trail – From Newfound Gap hike north on the Appalachian Trail for 2.7 miles, then hike 5.3 miles on the Boulevard Trail to the summit of Mt. LeConte.
Bull Head Trail – Accessed via Old Sugarlands Trail near the Rainbow Falls Parking Area on the Cherokee Orchard Road. Walk .4 miles on Old Sugarlands Trail to Bullhead Trail. Then walk 6.4 miles to the summit of Mt. LeConte. Many folks hike up to Mt. LeConte on Rainbow Falls Trail and return on Bull Head Trail for a nice loop walk.
Brushy Mountain Trail via Porters Creek Trail – Porters Creek Trail begins in the Greenbrier section of the National Park located off U.S. Highway 321 about six miles east of Gatlinburg. Travel approximately 4.1 miles down Greenbrier Road to a traffic loop with a gate and trail sign. Walk 1 mile on Porters Creek Trail, then 4.5 miles to the intersection with Trillium Gap Trail with the summit of Mt. LeConte in another 3.6 miles.

Parking is limited at all of these trailheads so carpooling is greatly encouraged.

For more information about the restoration project for Alum Cave Trail visit www.nps.gov.

Tennessee Spirits at the Smokies Festival on June 27 Brings Together the Best Craft Distilleries in the State

Join the Tennessee Distilleries Guild for its inaugural Tennessee Spirits at the Smokies Festival on Saturday, June 27, 2015 from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Smokies Stadium Park in Kodak. Guests will enjoy sampling authentic, made-in-Tennessee spirits from over 20 of the state’s top craft distilleries.

“We believe we have the best tasting spirits in the world and look forward to showcasing the wide variety of those spirits to the visitors and local patrons,” says Kris Tatum, Distillery Manager with the Tennessee Distillers Guild.

Tickets are on sale now online at www.eventbrite.com or call the Smokies Ticket Office at 865-286-2300. Tickets are $35 per person and can be purchased online or at the door. Guests will receive a commemorative, five-ounce sample glass. To enjoy responsibly, designated drivers are highly encouraged to attend and will receive free admission and soft drinks.

Enjoy fabulous food and live entertainment during the Tennessee Spirits at the Smokies Festival. You can meet with the folks who make your favorite libations like Jack Daniel’s head distiller, Jeff Arnett, from Lynchburg, Tennessee. You can also meet newcomers like Old Forge Distillery from Pigeon Forge and Sugarlands Distillery from Gatlinburg.

Top 20 Ways to Celebrate Father’s Day in the Smokies

Father’s Day is Sunday, June 21, 2015 and we’ve got the Top 20 Ways to Celebrate Father’s Day in the Smokies this year!

The #1 Way to Celebrate Father’s Day is to “Treat Dad to Dinner!” on Saturday, June 20 at the Pets Without Parents event at River Terrace Resort in Gatlinburg from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Treat Dad to a special spaghetti dinner on June 20. All proceeds to benefit Pets Without Parents!

Tickets are $10 per person and Dad’s dine FREE! You’ll enjoy a great dinner of spaghetti and meatballs, garlic breadsticks, salad, and fruit cobbler. But that’s not all! Entertainer Jamie Simpson will be on hand to tickle funny bones as dad-approved “Jeff Foxworthy.” Door Prizes and a Silent Auction round out the evening of fun for a good cause. For tickets and more information, visit Pets Without Parents, or call Dani at 865-851-6676.

The #2 Way to Celebrate Father’s Day is at Tennessee Smokies Baseball Stadium in Kodak on Sunday, June 21 at 2:00 p.m. when the Smokies take on the Mississippi Braves.

It’s a game winning recipe of family fun with a special Father’s Day Pre-Game Catch and lots of other raffles and fun for you and Dad! It’s all at America’s Friendliest Ballpark! For tickets, visit SmokiesBaseball.com.

The #3 Way to Celebrate Father’s Day in the Smoky Mountains is at Lumberjack Feud in Pigeon Forge. Dads get FREE admission on Sunday, June 21 in honor of Father’s Day!

You and Dad will fall in love with their high flying Timber Dogs and enjoy the thrill of the competition of real ESPN lumberjack athletes. Showtimes are at 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Call Lumberjack Feud Box Office at 865-428-8688 for tickets.

A Father’s Day Celebration would not be complete without a visit to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. OMG! There are a lot of FREE programs going on in the Park during Father’s Day Weekend, so be sure to spend some time outside with Dad!

#4 Way to Celebrate Father’s Day –

Back Porch Old Time Music @ Oconaluftee Visitor Center
Saturday, June 20, 2015 1:00 -3:00 p.m.
It’s a free, old-time jam session of traditional Appalachian music. You and Dad can bring your own instrument and play along!

#5 Way to Celebrate Father’s Day –

On Top of Old Smoky @ Clingmans Dome Visitor Center
Saturday, June 20, 2015 10:00 – 11:30 a.m.
Take in the 360-degree views with Dad at the highest peak in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. A Ranger will lead you on a moderate 1-mile hike through this Canadian Zone environment of endangered spruce and fir trees.

#6 Way to Celebrate Father’s Day –

Women’s Work Festival @ Oconaluftee Visitor Center’s Mountain Farm Museum
Saturday, June 20, 2015 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Ironic this festival is held on Father’s Day Weekend; but as they say, a woman’s work is never done! Head over to the farm and see how it really was done in the days of old with demonstrations of open hearth cooking, weaving, spinning, sewing, and other mountain crafts. Mom would probably love to drag Dad to this festival on his special day!

#7 Way to Celebrate Father’s Day –

Get Your Kids Hiking! @ Sugarlands Visitor Center
Saturday, June 20, 2015 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Park Rangers team up with the award-winning author and family hiking expert, Jeff Alt, for a fun outdoor adventure for the whole family! Children of all ages will enjoy this “hike” of less than a mile and learn some simple techniques to turn any walk into a family adventure!

#8 Way to Celebrate Father’s Day –

Cataract Falls Walk @ Sugarlands Visitor Center
Saturday, June 20, 2015 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Sunday, June 21, 2015 11:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m.
Join a National Park Ranger for this short walk along Fighting Creek to the beautiful 12-foot waterfall known as Cataract Falls. You’ll have an opportunity to ask questions and learn all about the Park’s flora and fauna.

#9 Way to Celebrate Father’s Day –

Gristmill Demonstration @ Mingus Mill
Saturday, June 20, 2015 11:30 a.m – 12:00 p.m and 12:30 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Sunday, June 21, 2015 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and 12:30 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
You and Dad can talk with a real miller and learn all about how this historic gristmill played an important role in early mountain life. Mingus Mill is located just 1/2 mile north of the Oconaluftee Visitor Center.

#10 Way to Celebrate Father’s Day –

Junior Ranger Program: Animal Olympics @ Cades Cove Visitor Center/Cable Mill Historic Area*
Saturday, June 20, 2015 1:00-1:45 p.m.
You and Dad will have a blast comparing your senses and abilities to those of the animals in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park!

*Here’s an Insider Travel Tip for you. Due to the popularity of Cades Cove, traffic moves slowly. Travel time for the 6-mile trip from the beginning of the Cades Cove Loop Road to the Visitor Center may take over an hour to drive, so please plan accordingly.

Firefly Viewing in Elkmont | Tickets go on sale Thursday, April 30

April 29, 2015
Events
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elkmont, synchronous fireflies great smoky mountains national park

Peak time to view the phenomenon this year is June 2 through June 9. The event has become so popular that the Park Service now limits car access to the campground to registered campers, but others may visit the site via shuttles from the Sugarlands Visitor Center.

As the purple shade of night draws across the darkening forest in late May and early June at Elkmont in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, it brings forth an amazing light display as slowly, then steadily, thousands of fireflies emerge from the lush undergrowth. Looking like tiny, twinkling earthbound stars, the fireflies blink in an age-old mating ritual. These unique fireflies (Photinus carolinus) are one of 19 species in the park and are the only ones that can synchronize their flashing lights, and by mid-evening around 9:45 p.m. visitors find themselves surrounded by a remarkable display uniquely arranged by Mother Nature. Male fireflies soar and flash while females remain stationary and respond with a different flash.

Synchronous Fireflies in Elkmont. Photo by Bernie Kasper of Indiana.

GET YOUR TICKETS!

You must obtain a parking pass for Sugarlands Visitor Center as shuttle service is available only to the occupants of cars with a parking pass. Passes are free, but a $1.50 reservation fee is required. Passes are non-transferable (person named on pass must be present), non-refundable and are good ONLY for the date issued. The first trolley leaves Sugarlands at 7 p.m. and returns (once filled to capacity) about 9:30 p.m. Trolley fees are $1 per person. NOTE: Tours are cancelled only when weather is threatening. Come prepared for inclement (and sometime unseasonably cool) weather. Alcohol is prohibited in the National Park. Portable toilets are available on-site.

There are three categories for parking passes which are available at www.recreation.gov.

Advance: Tickets go on sale April 30, 2015 at 10 a.m. There are 888 passes available for vehicles up to 19’ in length with no more than 6 occupants.
Day Before: (85 passes available) each day at 10 a.m. of the 8 day event for cars up to 19’ in length with no more than 6 occupants.
Day of: Large vehicles (36 passes only available) for vehicles up to 30’ with up to 24 occupants.

Visitors waiting for the big show which begins at dark around 9:45 p.m. Photo by Shawn Poyntner/The New York Times.

Firefly Etiquette

Take a flashlight (it will be dark) and cover the lens with blue or red cellophane tape. Shine directly on the ground and use only until you reach your viewing site.
Stay on trails to protect firefly habitats.
Pack out all garbage (your mother does not work here!)
Do not catch the fireflies!

Newfound Gap Road Travel Advisory in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced a Newfound Gap Road resurfacing project that is expected to create delays from now until June 15, 2015. The 4.3-mile section to be resurfaced extends from Sugarlands Visitor Center south to Chimney’s Picnic Area.

Be alert for workers and expect a road shift on Newfound Gap Road near Carlos Campbell Overlook.

In addition to the repaving, several drainage culverts will be replaced and two retaining walls will be constructed near the Carlos Campbell Overlook. The contractor will temporarily shift the road to the west by 2 to 3 feet to accommodate a drill rig used for setting the structural parts of the retaining wall near the pullout just north of the main Carlos Campbell Overlook. This lower pullout will be closed for approximately two months while the retaining wall is being constructed, but the main, upper overlook will remain open.

Motorists should expect delays due to lane closures through June 15. There will not be any daytime lane closures from June 15 through August 15, but nighttime lane closures may occur throughout the project. After August 15, daytime lane closures will again be allowed through September 30. No work of any kind will be permitted on federal holidays or during the month of October. Daytime lane closures will resume from November 1 through December 17.

For the most current road closure information, please follow SmokiesRoadsNPS on Twitter or call 865-436-1200 x 631.

Welcome to the new Park Superintendent Cassius Cash!

“The scenic drive along Newfound Gap Road is enjoyed by millions of people each year and we are pleased to have this opportunity to improve road conditions,” said Superintendent Cassius Cash. “We have made every effort to minimize the inconvenience to park visitors traveling along the road to reach both park destinations and our gateway communities. The contract includes a variety of work restrictions selected to minimize lane closures during the busiest periods.”