Great Smoky Mountains National Park Hosts Star Gazing Event at Cades Cove

Cades Cove Stargazing must be seen to be believed! Bring the family and explore the universe! (Photo credit – ESB Professional/Shutterstock.)

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Hosts Star Gazing Event at Cades Cove. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, in cooperation with the Smoky Mountains Astronomical Society, will offer a stargazing program in Cades Cove on Saturday, September 23, 2017 beginning at 7:30 p.m. Experienced astronomers and numerous telescopes will be on hand to provide a discovery of the spring sky’s position of stars, galaxies, and constellations, including the Milky Way. In case of rain or cloud cover where night skies are not visible, the program will be cancelled.

It’s a great opportunity to gaze at the star-studded sky without the obstruction of artificial light as seen in developed areas outside the park,” said Park Ranger Mike Maslona. “People will be amazed at the vast depths of this planetary world and all that they can see in the complete darkness. This program mixes astronomy, legends, and the beauty of the stars to create a worthwhile exploration into the wonders of the heavens.

Participants for the program will be directed to park near the orientation shelter at the entrance to the Cades Cove Loop Road. A park ranger will walk with the group one-third of a mile to a nearby field to the viewing location. No vehicles are allowed to drive to the site.

Those planning to attend should dress warm and bring a flashlight. Participants might also like to bring a lawn chair or blanket for sitting, along with binoculars which can be used for stargazing. Carpooling is strongly encouraged.

The program is subject to postponement due to rain or cloud cover. Call the day of the event to confirm that the program will take place at 865-448-4104.

Cades Cove Foot Race

Lace up your sneakers and head to Cades Cove for this foot pounding annual event!

Cades Cove Foot Race (AKA – the Cades Cove Loop Lope) hosted by Friends of the Smokies and the Knoxville Track Club is scheduled for Sunday November 5, 2017. This exciting race was originally billed as a one time event at it’s inauguration in 2010. Since then it has grown in popularity. Participation is limited to 500 total runners and all participants will be awarded a t-shirt and finishers medallion.

We are very excited to bring this race back to such a beautiful part of our national park,” says Jim Hart, Friends of the Smokies president. “This is a unique way to experience the splendor of the Cove and raise money to protect it for future generations at the same time.

heysmokies

HeySmokies owner meets Great Smoky Mountains National Park superintendent Cassius Cash.

Friends of the Smokies will provide more than $90,000 for historic preservation and wildlife  management programs in Cades Cove and a total of $1.4 million for other critical park projects.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Superintendent Cassius Cash remarked the race marks an opportunity to connect with the next generation of public lands stewards who are active in our national parks.

We are pleased to work with the Friends to offer this opportunity that supports the park and encourages people to use the park for fitness,” said Superintendent Cash. “The park provides an incredible setting for people to improve mind, body, and spirit.”

Registration began August 1, 2017 at RunSignup.com. Participants can choose between the 3.1 mile (5K) or the 10-mile loop routes.

 

CANCELLED – Cades Cove Stargazing Event on October 8! View our Amazing Milky Way Galaxy!

This event has been cancelled due to cloud cover; confirmed with the Cades Cove ranger station at noon today. We’ll keep you posted on the next scheduled event!

Don’t miss the Cades Cove Stargazing Event on Saturday, October 8, 2016! Come view our amazing Milky Way Galaxy! If you’re a Neil deGrasse Tyson wannabe, or just a fan, then this is the event for you! The Great Smoky Mountains National Park has partnered with the Smoky Mountains Astronomical Society to offer a 2 1/2 hour stargazing program this fall.

Cades Cove Stargazing Event October 8

The FREE program begins at 7:30 p.m. at the orientation shelter at the entrance to the Cades Cove Loop Road. A National Park Ranger will lead guests on a 1/3 mile walk to the viewing area. Please note that vehicles are not allowed to drive to the field for viewing so carpooling is highly encouraged.

Join experienced astronomerswith LOTS of awesome telescopes, and explore our galaxy. The amazingly low light environment of remote Cades Cove is one of the best locations to explore the  autumn skies. With a little help from Mother Nature, here’s hoping for clear skies and the unique opportunity to view stars, planets and constellations. Join a National Park Ranger and discover how the constellations received such interesting names and their significance to our human history.

“People will be amazed at the vast depths of this planetary world and all that they can see in complete darkness,” says National Park Ranger Mike Maslona,  “This program mixes astronomy, legends, and the beauty of the stars to create a worthwhile exploration into the wonders of the heavens.”

 PLANNING TIP! Remember the seasons are changing here in the Smokies so a warm jacket, hat, and gloves are a good idea for this adventure. Bring along a flashlight and binoculars. A lawn chair and blanket will add comfort to your outdoor nighttime experience.

Even if you only have a passing interest in the heavens this event should not be missed! In case of inclement weather. the program will be cancelled. Please call the Cades Cove Visitor Center at 865-448-4104 on the day of the event to confirm. Visit Smoky Mountains Astronomical Society to learn about other stargazing events throughout the year.

Bicycle Mornings in Cades Cove begin May 11th! Passing on your left!

Beginning Wednesday, May 11, 2016 Cades Cove Loop Road will be closed to motor vehicles until 10:00 a.m. on both Wednesday and Saturday mornings to allow bicyclists, runners, and walkers time to enjoy the cove without having to worry about heavy traffic. This special experience on the 11-mile paved loop road will last until late September.

Bicycle Mornings in Cades Cove on Wed and Sat

Enjoy Bicycle Mornings in Cades Cove on Wednesdays and Saturdays until 10:00 am. (photo credit: Smoky Mountain Tourism Development Authority)

During the season, bicycles can be rented at the Cades Cove Campground Store. For pricing info, give them a call at 865.448.9034. Of course, you can bring your own bikes and helmets to enjoy the scenic ride through this historic landscape. Be mindful that Tennessee law requires cyclists under the age of 16 to wear a helmet. HeySmokies and the GSMNP recommend anyone of any age wear protective head gear…just sayin’!

You won’t find any mountain biking trails within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. There are only 3 trails in the National Park that allow bicycles:

Gatlinburg Trail
Begins at Sugarlands Visitor Center and travels 1.9 miles one-way toward the outskirts of Gatlinburg along the West Prong of the Little Pigeon River. Leashed pets are allowed on this trail.

Oconaluftee River Trail
Begins at Oconaluftee Visitor Center and travels 1.5 miles one-way toward the outskirts of Cherokee along the Oconaluftee River. Leashed pets are allowed on this trail.

Deep Creek and Indian Creek Trails
From the Deep Creek Campground, cyclists can access both Deep Creek and Indian Creek Trails. Bicycles are allowed on both trails until the point where the old roadbed ends and the hiking trails begin. Pets are not allowed on this trail.

Bicycles are allowed on most roads in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, so drivers need to be alert of cyclists when driving through the park.

For more information on bicycling in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and adjacent National Forests, please visit NPS.gov.

Discover America’s Largest Underground Lake, The Lost Sea, in the Foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains

In the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains is America’s largest and the world’s second largest underground lake, The Lost Sea. The lake is located in an extensive cave system known as Craighead Caverns, a National Park Service National Natural Landmark, located in Sweetwater, TN.

The Lost Sea America's Largest Underground Lake

America’s Largest Underground Lake is The Lost Sea in Sweetwater, TN (photo: The Lost Sea Adventure)

The caverns are named after their former owner Cherokee Chief Craighead and were used by the Native Americans as a tribal council meeting place. In 1939, 20,000 year-old bones and footprints of a giant Pleistocene jaguar were discovered in Craighead Caverns and are now on display at the Museum of Natural History in New York City. There are markings on the walls of the cave left by Confederate soldiers who mined saltpeter in the cave during the Civil War.

The underground lake was discovered in 1905 by 13-year-old Ben Sands. At 220 feet wide and 800 feet long, The Lost Sea has made it into the Guinness World Records. The Lost Sea is second only to Dragon’s Breath Cave as the world’s largest, non-subglacial, underground lake. That cave is located in Namibia, a country in southern Africa.

HeySmokies’ own intrepid reporter Laurie Crater Battles, recently visited The Lost Sea for a first-hand account of this amazing adventure deep under the mountains:

Go underground at The Lost Sea Adventure in Sweetwater, Tennessee for a land and water experience that’ll have your family talking for years! I love caves. I suppose that makes me a cave woman (who reads an awful lot). I was not surprised to find myself relishing every minute of a recent tour of this fabulous attraction. It’s basically a wide-open cavern, complete with twists, turns, ups and downs, and eons of history that also features a 4-acre lake you can traverse by glass-bottomed boat. What could be better for the urban adventurer? Nothing, I submit to you!

America's Largest Underground Lake The Lost Sea

A yellow tunnel takes you into and out of the caverns at The Lost Sea (photo: The Lost Sea Adventure)

Though visiting in winter means you don’t get to tour the attraction’s village of historical shops and sites (more about that later), what it does mean is that you are not sandwiched into the throng (up to 1,000-person-a-day strong) that passes through the doors of this place every summer. You get to hop into a tour with a handful of others and meander through the place at a leisurely pace. You’re not crowded. You get good pictures and, best of all, you can savor this unique and wonderful natural phenomenon.

As soon as you enter the caverns, you’re treated to a vista that’s fairly expansive. You can see bends in the path, lit by recessed illumination that was added to give you a feel for the nooks and crannies that give the cave character. Your tour guide will fill you in on where to spot crystals and formations (like the larger one that resembles giant slices of bacon) and regale you with stories of Indians meeting in secret (See the smoke stains?) and Confederate soldiers using stalagmites for target practice.

Calcium deposits on the ceiling produce a substance that has “Neosporin”-like healing properties. Plants in the caverns grow due to the spores brought in by people like me. There is a secretive world underground here, and it’s fun to explore it.

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