Great Smoky Mountains Rainbow Falls Trail Reopens

Rainbow Falls trail is one of our favorite routes to the summit of Mount LeConte with a beautiful waterfall as a bonus!

Rainbow Falls trail is one of our favorite routes to the summit of Mount LeConte with a beautiful waterfall as a bonus!

Great Smoky Mountains Rainbow Falls Trail Reopens. After two diligent work seasons, the Rainbow Falls Trail has reopened!  From May through November in 2017 and 2018, the 6-mile trail that accesses popular Rainbow Falls and the summit of Mt. LeConte has been closed Monday through Thursday to accomplish much-needed rehabilitation. Great Smoky Mountains National Park hosted a ribbon-cutting event to thank the work crew, volunteers, park partners, and donors for their support of the project. The event recognized the National Park Service Trails Crew, the American Conservation Experience Youth Crew, Friends of the Smokies, and the Aslan Foundation.

“We are pleased to announce the completion of renovations to the popular Rainbow Falls trail,” said GSMNP Deputy Superintendent Clay Jordan. “The improvements will be enjoyed today, tomorrow and next year by the park visitors, their children and grandchildren.”

In 2012, Friends of the Smokies established the Trails Forever endowment thanks to a matching gift from the Aslan Foundation in Knoxville. The $5 million endowment funds a full-time trail crew in Great Smoky Mountains National Park to reconstruct and rehabilitate some of the park’s most impacted trails.

The Trails Forever program provides the opportunity for highly skilled trail crews to focus reconstruction efforts on high use and high priority trails in the park including Rainbow Falls Trail and the recently restored Alum Cave, Chimney Tops, and Forney Ridge Trails along with other projects across the park. The program also provides a mechanism for volunteers to work alongside the trail crew on these complex trail projects to assist in making lasting improvements to preserve the trails for future generations.

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Cades Cove Stargazing Event

Cades Cove Stargazing Event Saturday, November 17, 2018 at 5:30 p.m. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, in cooperation with the Smoky Mountain Astronomical Society, offers this unique opportunity to the public to explore the universe.  Experienced astronomers and many telescopes will be available to assist attendees in the discovery of the fall 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.

“National Park areas often offer a wonderful opportunity to stargaze,” said Superintendent Cassius Cash. “Parks across the country monitor and manage for natural night sky conditions in much the same way as we do to protect our air and water. Visitors are often amazed at the number of stars that can be seen simply by entering into the natural darkness of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.”

Participants are asked to park at 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. The Cades Cove Loop Road is closed at sunset to motor vehicles and participants are not allowed to drive to the viewing site or to park within the Loop Road.

Attendees should wear comfortable walking shoes, dress warmly, and bring a flashlight. Everyone is encouraged to bring a lawn chair or blanket for relaxing. Binoculars  can be used for stargazing too. To preserve the integrity of the telescope lenses, smoking is not allowed near them. Carpooling is strongly encouraged because parking is limited.

In the event of rain or cloud cover the event may be postponed. If the weather is questionable, call the day of the event to confirm that the program will take place at 865-448-4104 or follow the park’s Facebook page at Facebook.

Ornaments of Joy Event

Ornaments of Joy event set to benefit Appalachian Bear Rescue. The event will be held Saturday, November 17, 2018. Ornaments of Joy is sponsored by Vienna Coffee House and Maryville artist, Deede Edele. Appalachian Bear Rescue (ABR) Curators, and community leaders have hand painted a wide variety of tree ornaments for this event and 100% of all proceeds will help ABR bears! There will also be a silent auction at Vienna from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. and an online sale of Curator and special artist ornaments beginning Wednesday November 14, 2018 and ends the 17th at 2 p.m. Event attendees will enjoy live music all day and plenty of delicious Vienna Coffee.

The idea for ABR began to percolate after a severe black bear food shortage in 1989 forced bears to forage in highly populated areas. Leaving the shelter of the mountains the bears had many unfortunate conflicts with humans which resulted in a large number of orphaned cubs. A concerned group of volunteers banded together with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agencyand Great Smoky Mountains National Park obtaining a corporate charter in early 1991 to make a difference in the lives of orphaned bears.

Since it’s founding ABR has received bears from numerous

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national parks, states and the wild lands surrounding the Smokies. Orphaned bears lucky enough to make it to ABR receive a second chance at life in the wild. To date ABR has taken in 269 cubs and yearlings. Current residents include Clementine Bear and Viola Bear. Volunteers work diligently improving the facility to provide the best possible care for each bear needing a new lease on life.

Recent improvements include constructing two new Wild Enclosures and a Cub house for transitioning cubs from the nursery to the outdoor areas. Each Wild Enclosure can support up to ten cubs or yearlings. The oldest building on the property is known as the Red Roof Recovery Center and has recently been upgraded from storage space to a recovery center for injured cubs that are unable to climb.

ABR’s mission is to educate the public on living safely with bears and how to keep them wild. School programs and the Townsend Education Center are vital tools used in accomplishing this mission. ABR offers regular classes and a detailed schedule is available at ABR.org.

ABR is grateful to all of it’s generous supporters without whom this important work would not be possible. Be sure and join us November 17, 2018 for this fun event!

Four Great Smoky Mountain Real Estate Tips

Four Great Smoky Mountain Real Estate Tips

What You Need to Know Before Buying a House in the Smoky Mountains Area

With more than 11 million people visiting the Smoky Mountains area, it’s no wonder that it’s a popular destination for people to move to. After all, what’s not to like about having a log cabin close to the number one most visited park in the US? There are plenty of options for the potential homeowner: several cities and towns with the main areas being Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Sevierville. Whether you’re looking for a second home, wanting to move with a family or retire there, Smoky Mountain real estate offers the buyer a vast range of options to suit everyone’s tastes. If you’re thinking of buying a property in this area, then read on to find out more about moving to Smoky Mountains.

Kicking off your search

It’s no longer simply about searching through property listings for the perfect new home online; nowadays you can make the process easier with technology by doing a great deal wherever you are from your mobile device. From using 3D virtual reality for viewing a property to using a digital mortgage broker and downloading apps which track the progress of a house sale, the different stages of looking and buying a property are rapidly growing more convenient and straightforward.

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Great Smoky Mountains National Park Foothills Parkway Hiking Event

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Foothills Parkway Hiking Event. Great Smoky Mountains National Park invites the public to walk approximately two miles along the new section of the Foothills Parkway between Walland and Wears Valley Thursday, November 8, 2018. Park officials expect this to be a great community day celebration. This special opportunity for pedestrians to experience the series of bridges that connect the 1.65-mile section known as the ‘Missing Link’ will be a treat. The road will open to motorists and cyclists on Saturday, November 10, 2018.

Participants will be shuttled to the site from Townsend, TN between 8:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon weather permitting. Construction activities may be ongoing along sections of the roadway requiring coordinated transportation to the event space. Participants should be prepared to walk at least two miles along a 10% grade. At the event space, the GSMNP will host a variety of interactive educational and artistic activities for the public to enjoy.

“While the parkway is designed as a scenic driving experience, we wanted to provide one special opportunity for people to experience it by foot before it opens to motorists,” said Superintendent Cassius Cash. “We hope the public will join us for this Community Day celebration as we enjoy the beauty of the parkway and the new recreational opportunities it provides for our local residents and visitors.”

Participants will be shuttled from the River Rat parking lot in Townsend, TN (8435 State Highway 73, Townsend, TN 37882) at approximately 8:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., or 12:00 noon. The shuttle ride will take approximately one hour to reach the event space. Participants will have the opportunity to spend one to three hours on site depending on which departure time they choose. The Friends of the Smokies are sponsoring the free shuttle service to the public utilizing charter buses. Participation is available on a first come, first serve basis with anticipated service for approximately 1,000 people.

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