What’s the Smoky Mountains Connection to the “Mountain of Butterflies” in Mexico? And How Can You Be a Part of It?

The “Mountain of Butterflies” in Mexico is the winter habitat for millions of beautiful orange and black Monarch Butterflies. In 1980, the habitat became officially known as the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, and like the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, it’s also designated a World Heritage Site. But what’s the connection between these two places and how can you be a part of this amazing world of butterflies?

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Some of the butterflies that winter in Mexico have traveled through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and have been tagged by volunteers via the Great Smoky Mountains Monarch Watch Project led by the staff of the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont. 

In the summer of 2015, Jaimie Maussan, a journalist from Mexico, visited Cades Cove and presented National Park and Tremont officials a 14-year-old Smokies Monarch Butterfly tag that was recovered from a part of the reserve known as El Rosario. The tag had been placed on a female monarch in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on October 4, 2001.

How can you and your family be a part of the fun and exciting Great Smoky Mountains Monarch Watch Project?

The Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont offers opportunities for volunteers to tag monarch butterflies every year in September and October as they migrate to Mexico for the winter. The program allows scientist to learn about migration patterns and population which sadly has been in steady decline over the years.

You and your family can have a great outing in the fall as you run through the beautiful fields of Cades Cove with butterfly nets and have experts on hand to help you tag  the Monarchs. The staff at Tremont will also assist in identifying other butterfly and insect species you may catch.

For more information on exact dates in September and October for the tagging events, visit Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont and be sure to check out their Facebook page for other great activities and programs offered for students and families.

Celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the National Park Service with the Smokies Centennial Challenge: Hike 100

On August 25, 2016 the National Park Service will celebrate its 100th birthday! You can celebrate the big event in the Great Smoky Mountains by taking part in the Smokies Centennial Challenge: Hike 100!

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The Great Smoky Mountains National Park offers their “Hike the Smokies Challenge” for both individuals and families. And this year the challenge takes on special significance as the National Park Service celebrates its centennial.

The challenge is to record the mileage from your hikes (even if you hike the same trail over and over) in the Official Hike 100 Mileage Log to receive a special, commemorative “Smokies Centennial Challenge: Hike 100” pin and be invited to a park celebration hosted by Superintendent Cassius Cash on December 8, 2016. Hikes taken between January 1 – December 6, 2016 qualify for the challenge.

Families who take on the regular “Hike the Smokies Challenge” are rewarded with special stickers and pins after they’ve hiked 10 miles, 25 miles, 40 miles and 50 miles. Family mileage booklets are also available at the visitor centers for $1.00. A family can include grandparents, siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles, so gather them up and have some great fun outdoors this year! Great Smoky Mountains National Park Visitor Centers are located at Sugarlands, Oconaluftee, Clingmans Dome and Cades Cove.

For more information on this fun program, visit Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Check back often at HeySmokies.com for more information on upcoming special events for the National Parks Service Centennial Celebration in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 2016!

Harrah’s Cherokee Resort is the Hottest Ticket to Big-Name Entertainers in the Smokies in 2016!

 

Harrah's Cherokee Resort Concert Events 2016

Harrah’s Cherokee Resort Event Center in North Carolina has some of the hottest entertainers coming to the Smoky Mountains in 2016! Check out these great shows in the beautiful 3,000-seat event center. All guests must be 21 years of age or older and must present valid identification.

GREGG ALLMAN
Saturday, January 9, 2016 @ 7:30 pm
The Southern blues rock legend will warm up the winter evening with his vast array of hits that have inspired and entertained audiences for generations. Don’t miss the one and only Gregg Allman! Tickets $19.50 – $34.50 per person.
JENNIFER NETTLES with 2016 NEXT WOMEN OF COUNTRY TOUR presented by CMT
Saturday, February 6, 2015 @ 7:30 pm
Jennifer Nettles, who did a great job recently portraying Dolly Parton’s mother in the NBC movie “Coat of Many Colors” joins fellow superstar girlfriends Brandy Clark, Tara Thompson and Lindsay Ell for an evening of country music and fun. Tickets $43 – $68 per person.
TRACY MORGAN
Saturday, February 13, 2016 @ 7:30 pm
Thank goodness this funnyman is back making audiences laugh all over the world. See Tracy Morgan live at his Picking Up The Pieces 2016 Tour. Welcome Back Tracy! Tickets $19.50 – $30.50 per person.
BREAKING BENJAMIN
Friday, February 26, 2015 @ 9:00 pm
This alternative metal band with their signature “crunching” guitars are in town for an evening of  good ol’ post grunge rock ‘n roll! Tickets $18 – $20.50 per person.
DWIGHT YOAKAM
Saturday, March 5, 2016 @ 7:30 pm
As the most frequent musical guest on NBC’s Tonight Show, Dwight Yoakam orginally made his mark on country music in the 1980’s and he has been a force ever since. Now an actor, director and biscuit maker (Bakersfield Biscuits), Yoakam still charms audiences with his brand of hip, honky-tonk, country music. Tickets $34.50 – $54.50 per person.
THE MOODY BLUES
Saturday, March 19, 2016 @ 7:30 pm
Don’t miss this legendary band from England on their Fly Me High Tour 2016! The Moody Blues have been combining classical music, rhythm and blues, and rock n’ roll since the ’60s…and they are better than ever! It’s an evening with the pioneers of the genre progressive rock. Tickets $39.50 – $59.50 per person.
AARON LEWIS
Friday, June 17, 2016 @ 9:00 pm
As founder of the rock group Staind, which recorded seven albums, Aaron Lewis has since ventured into the country music scene and is making quite a splash there too. His hit song “Country Boy” features the likes of Chris Young, Charlie Daniels and George Jones. With a new album coming out in 2016, you can be the first to hear all his great new songs live! Tickets $17.50 – $22.50 per person.

To purchase tickets for any of these events, visit harrahs-cherokee/shows.

INSIDER TRAVEL TIP: Harrah’s Cherokee Resort Hotel is pet-friendly. They even have a special PetStay Luxury Room for up to two of your four-legged family members of the canine persuasion.

If you love Monopoly and you love the Smokies, you’re really gonna love the Smoky Mountain-opoly Board Game!

Get the board game Smoky Mountain-opoly! Relay for Life of Sevier County acquired exclusive rights to create a Smoky Mountain version of the beloved board game to help raise funds for cancer research. Filled with the iconic amusements and attractions in the Smoky Mountain region, your family and friends will have big time fun playing Smoky Mountain-opoly!smoky-mountain-opoly-game-heysmokies

Which game piece will you pick? The Great Smoky Mountain Wheel at The Island in Pigeon Forge, the Helicopter from Scenic Tours, a Wine Bottle from Rocky Top Wine Trail, a Pick from Pigeon Forge Gem Mine, the Cable Car from Ober Gatlinburg’s Aerial Tramway, or the cutest Bear from Three Bears General Store.

“Proceeds from sales of the board game will benefit American Cancer Society and our fight to end cancer,” says Relay for Life of Sevier County Chairman, Sophia Conerly, “We are so excited about Smoky Mountain-opoly because it is something that both locals and visitors can enjoy.”

Get a Smoky Mountain-opoly Game and make someone’s holiday. Visit these fine establishments today and pick up a board or two or five! And help in the fight against cancer!

SAVE THE DATE! Relay for Life is scheduled for Friday, June 2, 2017 at Patriot Park in Pigeon Forge. For more information visit Relay for Life of Sevier County of Facebook.

The Greenbrier Experience in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

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Smoky Mountain Hiking Club Cabin

…feeling great in GREENBRIER!

The Greenbrier section of Great Smoky Mountains National Park can be found six miles east of Gatlinburg, Tennessee on Highway 321. Also known as Big Greenbrier, this watershed is widely considered the finest example of a cove hardwood forest on planet Earth. The entrance to the cove is a narrow paved road which meanders alongside the Middle Prong of the Little Pigeon River.

 

A Driving Tour of Greenbrier

The first mile into Greenbrier has many riverside pull outs for fishing, paddling, and the occasional wedding ceremony. After passing the ranger station the road turns to gravel and narrows, so please be courteous and allow room for other vehicles to maneuver. Past the ranger station the next landmark will be a quiet picnic area on the left next to the river. The picnic grounds have several tables and composting toilets.

Traveling on you will soon find a pair of bridges on the left. The Grapeyard Ridge trail begins on the west side of the bridges. Grapeyard Ridge meanders 7.6 miles west ending at the Cherokee Orchard Motor Nature Trail.

The Old Settler’s trail begins on the east side of the bridges. Old Settlers trail stretches 15.9 miles east to its junction with Maddron Bald trail and Gabes Mountain trail.

Turn left onto the bridge and drive 1.5 miles to the Ramsay Cascade trailhead. Ramsay Cascades is a tough eight mile round trip hike to one of the tallest and most beautiful waterfalls found in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. The trail is renowned for its old growth forest and giant trees in addition to the awe inspiring waterfall.

Remaining straight at the bridge will bring you to the second picnic area found in Greenbrier. This spot has a covered pavilion, picnic tables, a pure, running spring and composting toilets.

A half mile after the picnic area the road dead ends at the Porters Creek trailhead. Porters Creek trail is 3.7 miles long and is a favorite among wildflower enthusiasts during the spring. Porters Creek trail also provides access to the historic Smoky Mountain Hiking Club cabin and the Brushy Mountain Trail. Brushy Mountain is 4.7 miles long to its junction with Trillium Gap trail and is considered one of the most challenging ways to access the summit of Mt. Leconte. Continue reading…