Spring Break 2016 in the Smoky Mountains! There’s Fresh Air and Fun in the Sun in the Smokies!

Spring break at the beach? Yeah, been there done that! Find out why the Great Smoky Mountains are the hippest spring break destination in the country. Families and college kids love these mountains and with more things to do than ever, it’s the place to be!

Spring Break 2016 in Great Smoky Mountains, Charlies Bunion

The view from Charlies Bunion on the Appalachian Trail (photo: Andrew Eames/Independent)

We’ve compiled a list of the Top Activities for Spring Breakers in the Smokies! What will you do this year?

Hit the trail – the Appalachian Trail! 
Sure hiking is great fun year round but springtime is a real treat. The views during spring are second to none in the Smokies’ high country with visibility over one hundred miles (weather dependent, of course!) We suggest driving to Newfound Gap and walking along the famous Appalachian Trail (AT). The leaves are off the trees which afford striking views of the National Park and nearby mountain ranges like the Stecoahs. The hike from Newfound Gap to the Clingmans Dome Observation Tower puts you at the highest elevation on the entire Appalachian Trail! Clingmans Dome is the second highest peak in the Eastern United States at 6,643′ above sea level. The hike from Newfound Gap to Clingmans Dome is a rocky 7.9 miles one-way, so you’ll need to park an extra car at Clingmans Dome or arrange for a pick-up to take you back to Newfound Gap. The hike from Newfound Gap to Charlies Bunion is 8 miles round-trip and offers panoramic vistas along the way to one of the most spectacular bluffs in the Appalachian Mountains. Use caution when exploring the craggy cliffs of the Bunion. Be sure and prepare for the hike with our 10 Essentials for Hiking in the Smokies suggestions. A little nervous about hitting the trails alone? Hire an expert guide to lead the way and enjoy the journey. Our friends at The Wildland Trekking Company can help you out!

Hit the Rocky Top Wine Trail and More!
Almost every group of spring breakers has a party animal in the bunch who will love the diverse choice of wineries, breweries and moonshine distilleries that have exploded in the Smokies. The Rocky Top Wine Trail offers a tour of five wineries in a 12-mile area within the Pigeon Forge/Sevierville TN area. You can sample over 60 varieties of vino and tour the wine cellars and tank rooms of some of the wineries. Pick up your passport and wine glass at your first stop and receive a special free gift upon completing the trail.Rocky Top Wine Trail Map Smoky Mountains

Or perhaps you came to sample some good ol’ Mountain Dew – that’s hillbilly talk for moonshine! It’s legal now and with so many flavors to choose from you could spend all night at the sample bar but save room for some great locally-crafted brews at Smoky Mountain Brewery in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, TN. Sugarlands Distilling Company in Gatlinburg and Ole Smoky Moonshine Holler in Gatlinburg and Ole Smoky Moonshine Barn at The Island in Pigeon Forge offer live music concerts from popular performers. If you’re over on the North Carolina side of the Smokies, be sure to check out the Nantahala Brewing Company in Bryson City for the awesome Trail Magic  Ale.

Grab a Paddle!
If you’re craving some waves this spring break, no worries! There’s waves of fun on a Big Pigeon River Whitewater Rafting adventure! You can choose a wild ride with Class III & IV rapids on the Upper Pigeon or take it slow and easy on your raft on the Lower Pigeon, either way our friends at Smoky Mountain Outdoors can hook you up with a Spring Break adventure you’ll never forget! Be sure to check out Hey Smokies Rafting for more info.

Mountain Bike Trail at CLIMBWorks Gatlinburg TN

Biking in the Mountains! (photo: CLIMBWorks Gatlinburg)

Grab a Rope! Jump on a Mountain Bike!
Your feet won’t touch the ground for 2 1/2 hours on a high-flying Zipline Tour with CLIMBWorks in Gatlinburg. And for a one-of-a-kind mountain bike experience, you don’t even have to bring your own bike! ClimbWorks has everything you need to explore the mountains in a whole new way!

Pitch a Tent!
Camping is always a great way to spend time with your friends and make memories that will last a lifetime. Smoky Mountain memories don’t make themselves they need your help. All you need is a tent, a campfire, s’mores, and a rushing mountain stream and you’re in heaven! It’s often said that camp life is where authentic Smoky Mountain memories are made, and it is so easy to do!  Some favorite Campgrounds in Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Cades Cove, Big Creek, Cataloochee, Cosby, Elkmont,  Abrams Creek, and Deep Creek. You can reserve your campsite on line at Recreation.gov. For campgrounds outside of the park, visit Hey Smokies Campgrounds.

If camping isn’t your thing, HeySmokies a great selection of recommendations for Cabins, Condos, and Hotels. Whatever you do this Spring Break…have fun, and remember to Spring Break Responsibly because Smokey is watching!

Synchronous Fireflies in Great Smoky Mountains June 2016

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Synchronous fireflies light up the night sky each year in early June in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. (Photo credit: Katrien Vermeire)

Synchronous Fireflies in Great Smoky Mountains June 2016

These aren’t your average backyard lightening bugs; these particular bioluminescent beetles (Photinus carolinus) perform an extraordinarily silent symphony of lights in the warm, dark forest evoking images of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It’s truly a sublime experience.

They’ll be here for a week or two in early June 2016. However, the event has become so popular, bringing over 12,000 visitors to Elkmont, that some advance planning is definitely required. Utilizing scientific data on daily temperatures, park scientists have announced that peak viewing time will be May 31 to June 7, 2016. Here are a few tips to help with your planning:

  • You can camp at Elkmont and have direct access to the trails where you can view the nightly light show. Campground reservations can be made up to six months in advance at www.recreation.gov. If you want to backpack, backcountry reservations are required and can be made at nps.gov up to 30 days in advance.
  • Non-campers have limited to no access to the Elkmont area during the 8-day viewing period; however, nightly trolley Shuttles from Sugarlands Visitor Center are available with a Parking Pass via a new lottery system to award the much sought-after passes.
  • The Shuttle Operating Dates will be from May 31 to June 7, 2016. The new lottery system will be open for applications from 12:00 noon on April 29 until 8:00 p.m. on May 2, 2016.  All entries, regardless of the time of application, will be submitted for the lottery drawing. Results for the lottery drawing will be available on May 10.
  • Visit www.recreation.gov during the specified time period to enter the Lottery. Parking passes may also be obtained by calling 877-444-6777, but National Park officials highly encourage the use of the online process.
  • Lottery applicants must apply for either a regular vehicle parking pass or a large vehicle parking pass. Regular vehicles are passenger vehicles up to 19 ft. in length with a maximum of 6 occupants. Large vehicles are RVs and mini-buses from 19-30 ft. in length with a maximum of 24 occupants.
  • Lottery applicants must choose two possible dates to attend the event over the 8-day viewing period.
  • There is no fee to enter the lottery this year. If selected the lottery winner will be charged a $1.50 reservation fee and awarded a parking pass. Parking passes are non-refundable, non-transferable, and good only for the date issued. There is a limit of one lottery application per household. All lottery applicants will be notified by e-mail on May 10. Arrival times to the Sugarlands Parking Lot will be assigned will be assigned to relieve traffic congestion.
  • Remember to bring a chair or blanket, rain gear, and a flashlight because it’ll be dark. Keep your flashlight covered with either blue or red cellophane, usually available at the check-in table. Visitors are not allowed to walk the Elkmont entrance road due to safety concerns. For up-to-date info from the National Park Service, please visit GSMNP Firefly Event.

Continue reading…

National Junior Ranger Day in Great Smoky Mountains National Park on April 25

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Junior Rangers in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Great Smoky Mountains National Park celebrates National Junior Ranger Day on Saturday, April 25, 2015 from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. at Cades Cove Visitor Center, Oconaluftee Visitor Center and Sugarlands Visitor Center.

This free event for kids and families includes special activities like ranger-guided walks, old-fashioned toy making, fun stuff at the blacksmith’s shop, and more! Learn all about the Park’s wildlife with hands-on activities with animal skins, bones and even scat!

Children ages 5-12 can become a Great Smoky Mountains National Park Junior Ranger. Simply pick up a Junior Ranger booklet for $2.50 at any of the Park’s Visitor Centers or Cades Cove and Elkmont campgrounds. Complete all the activities in the booklet, stop by a Visitor Center and talk to a Ranger to receive your very own Junior Ranger badge!

Be sure to take advantage of the fun and informative Ranger-led programs offered by the National Park Service this season. Click here for a complete schedule of programs.

find-your-park-heysmokiesIn related news, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park recently launched Find Your Park, a public awareness and education campaign to set the stage for the centennial anniversary of the National Park Service in 2016. Find Your Park encourages the public to get out and really experience  our national parks so that they are not only seen as a destination, but a state of mind, a special feeling to bring about a sense of American pride in our nation’s exquisite natural and cultural gems of the National Park system.

Find Your Park is also the theme for this year’s National Park Week, April 18 – 26.

“National Park Week is a time for visitors, of all ages, to get out and experience their national parks, especially the Great Smoky Mountains,” says Superintendent Cassius Cash, “I hope during National Park Week and over the next year as we celebrate the National Park Service’s second century, everyone will take the opportunity to Find Your Park.”