Wilderness Wildlife Week Celebrates 25 Years of Sharing Great Smoky Mountains Heritage

January 24 – 31 at LeConte Center in Pigeon Forge

Sign up early for a guided winter hike in the Great Smoky Mountains! Photo credit: Imagine This Photography

“It has been our commitment to create an enjoyable yet enriching series of walks, talks and workshops, as well as informative exhibits that entertain while encouraging the participant to know more of the abundant opportunities that await the visitor to this beautifully diverse area,” says Beneath the Smoke gallery’s Ken Jenkins who is also known as the Father of Wilderness Wildlife Week.

Lee Stetson as John Muir and Alan Sutterfield as Theodore Roosevelt.

You’ll want to be there for the opening night ceremony with special guests John Muir and TheodoreRoosevelt as The Tramp & The Rough Rider. Premier storytellers Lee Stetson and Alan Sutterfield bring these legends to life on stage at 7:45 p.m. on Saturday, January 24 in LeConte Center’s Greenbrier Hall C.

• New for 2015 is an extension of the popular hands-on photography series Smokies Through the Lens to a four-day series of programs designed for all skill levels.
• AppalachiaFest now begins on Saturday, January 24 with Appalachian storytelling, music, shaped noted singing, clogging and more activities through Friday, January 30.
• Talk is Cheap performed by Sam Venable, Bill Landry, Jim Claborn and Elizabeth Rose on Friday, January 30 at 7:30 p.m. The free performance event is sponsored by GSM Outfitters. Event will be held in LeConte Hall South.

With more than 400 programs, 65 hikes and field trips, kids’ track activities, and a special closing night fundraiser for Appalachian Bear Rescue, this year’s Wilderness Wildlife Week is truly a celebration of all the greatness of the Smoky Mountains.

Information Desk will be open daily from 7:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. The Exhibit Hall with approximately 80 vendors will open daily at 9:00 a.m. and close at 6:00 p.m.

Click here for a downloadable Program Guide with a complete list of activities. For more information call Pigeon Forge Office of Special Events at 865-429-7350 or 800-251-9100.

Wilderness Wildlife Week has won dozens of awards for its promotion of education, environmentalism, and community outreach for a greater appreciation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. These awards are evidence of the many hours of work from a team of dedicated volunteers who continually make this event better and better each year.