A 200 foot geyser erupted yesterday in the very heart of Cades Cove

 

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Park officials warn onlookers to remain a safe distance from the geyser.

A 200 foot geyser erupted yesterday in the very heart of Cades Cove located in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park from a sinkhole that officials say has increased in size during recent weeks. Both geyser and sinkhole are possibly related to seismic activity along the New Madrid Fault, said park geologist I. Dig Rocks, adding “the fault produces frequent earth tremors that are usually of no consequence.”

A Representative from the United States Geological Survey said this is not always the case citing early 1800 earthquakes along the fault which caused the mighty Mississippi River to flow backwards creating Reelfoot Lake, a 15,000 acre body of water located in the Northwest corner of Tennessee.
Hundreds of visitors flocked to the area to view the phenomenon first hand; ignoring barricades and venturing dangerously close to the geyser. Concerned park officials are trying to keep them at a safe distance. “We are worried that someone may be injured,” says one official. “We don’t know if this is as big as the geyser will get or if it could blow up and take half the valley with it.”

Local resident Ima Mazed was one of the curious. “I have seen Old Faithful in Yellowstone, but it is nothing compared to this,” she said.

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Hike into spring in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

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The amazing fire pink (Silene virginica) wildflower can often be found in sunny, rocky outcrops alongside trails and roads.

Hike into spring in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Spring in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina is magical. A time of renewal and rebirth and it has never been more welcome than this year following on the heels of the recent devastating fires.

Spring is a season best experienced first hand. Poplar and Sourwood trees are showing their buds. Delicate pink and white Dogwoods can be found blooming throughout the landscape and soon will usher in a blazing display of color as wild azaleas strut their stuff, punctuating the mountains against the dense evergreen of Mountain Laurel, Rhododendron, and Hemlock. A warm, gentle breeze carries the hint of blossoms, moist earth, and that indefinable smell of spring. A favorite activity for us is to hike with spring over the coming months as warm temperatures climb the mountains heralding the seasons change at each elevation.

One of our favorite places to enjoy spring and view amazing wildflowers is the Porters Creek Trail in Greenbrier. This trail is easy to find and fairly easy to walk. In addition to an amazing wildflower display you can enjoy the impressive John Whaley cantilevered barn built in 1875 and the historic Smoky Mountain Hiking Club cabin.

Beyond the the historic structures, a profusion of wildflowers carpet the forest floor. Keep an eye out for bloodroot, hepaticas, white fringed phacelia, trilliums of every color, bluets, and jack in the pulpit.

Approximately two miles above the trailhead is the spectacular Fern Falls which plunges sixty feet down to the trail and beyond to it’s confluence with Porters Creek. These falls are dramatic during times of high water, and the cool breeze flowing down from its rocky heights is always refreshing during warm summer months!

The trail continues another 1.7 miles past Fern Falls ending at Backcountry Campsite 31, a spacious site located conveniently next to Porters Creek and in the shadow of Mount LeConte and adjacent to the Appalachian Trail.

Great Smoky Mountains Scavenger Hunt at Tremont Institute on March 25, 2017!

Great Smoky Mountains Scavenger Hunt at Tremont Institute on March 25, 2017 is your chance to test your Smokies knowledge!  The hunt uses trails and roads to access areas all over the park where your team will answer about 75  questions. Some of the questions will require a little research but that is part of the fun. If you get stumped ask a ranger or a volunteer, they are an invaluable resource while scavenging.

To document your findings bring along your digital camera and snap a few quick pictures. Be sure and take only pictures and leave only footsteps as it is illegal to remove items from the park. Each question is designated a point value based on the level of difficulty. At the end the team with the most points is the winner and may be awarded prizes but the fact is everyone is a winner!

“People go crazy for it, just wandering all over the Smokies looking for answers to questions. The have a good time with that,” says Caleb Carlton of the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont, which organizes the annual Great Smoky Mountains Scavenger Hunt.

“The Scavenger Hunt has become a perfect way to reconnect with family and friends,” according to Carlton. “We have a lot of different types of groups,” he says. “(We might have) a group of girlfriends that all get together and make a weekend of it,” says Carlton, adding that co-workers often form teams as do many families.

Tremont Institute places no limit on the size of teams but does ask that everyone is able to fit safely into one vehicle. The event will occur over a 25-hour period with teams being e-mailed their questions on Friday, March 24, 2017 and are required to submit their answers at Tremont by 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 25th. Dinner will be served as the correct answers are tallied. The event has only 200 slots available so you are asked to register early.

Cost per team:

$50 if registered by Thursday, March 23, 2017 at 4 p.m.

$60 Friday, March 24, 2017  and Saturday, March 25, 2017

All proceeds from the Great Smoky Mountains Scavenger Hunt benefit Tremont programs.

Be aware you will need to fill out a waiver. Waivers are not included in the online registration and will need to be sent separately.

Four fun St. Patricks Day things to do in the Smoky Mountains

Four fun St. Patricks Day things to do in the Smoky Mountains. You don’t have to kiss the Blarney Stone to have a great time this St. Patricks Day on Friday, March 17, 2017! Remember to wear green on St. Patricks Day or you may get pinched. But if you are in a pinch for ideas of what to do, look no further.

Smoky Mountain Brewery is always a great place to wet your whistle on this holiday. With locations in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg it’s your lucky day. Try a flight of sample beers or dive into a pint and enjoy some of the most flavorful beers in Smokies!

Want to really get traditional on the day of the Irish? No problem. Fox and Parrot Tavern has been hosting a great St. Patricks Day party every year since 1998. All your favorite Irish beers will available at this family oriented pub.

Go green in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The park is steeped in Scots-Irish heritage that you can discover! From music to culture these folks have left their mark on our land. Take a hike or visit the museum at Sugarlands Visitor Center and just enjoy the day.

Going green on the North Carolina side of the Smokies? This can be a delicious undertaking at Nantahala Brewing Company. Nestled in beautiful Bryson City, North Carolina this brewery never fails to satisfy. The selection of beers at this watering hole is the reason why folks come from far and wide. Enjoy!

Bonus fun – Green Man Brewery in Asheville, North Carolina has it going on. The legendary Green Man has existed for centuries but it’s no myth that he’s been brewing great beer in Asheville since 1997. As one of North Carolina’s original breweries, Green Man has been producing some of the beer scene’s most iconic ales.

Total Lunar Eclipse Viewing at Clingmans Dome in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Total lunar eclipse viewing at Clingmans Dome in Great Smoky Mountains National Park on Monday, August 21, 2017. Great Smoky Mountains is providing a unique ticketed event to view a total lunar eclipse at Clingmans Dome as well as informal viewing at Cades Cove and Oconlaluftee. The park has partnered with NASA, Southwestern Community College and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to provide a well rounded program of storytellers and speakers as visitors discover the scientific and cultural connections to this unique natural event.

Clingmans Dome is the highest point in the Smokies at 6,643 in elevation. This elevation will allow viewers to see the shadow of the moon approach across the mountains. The area will be closed to all but the lucky 1,300 ticket holders. The parking area will be converted into a special event site including a jumbotron for participating in a nation wide NASA TV broadcast, telescopes, educational exhibits, and a stage for the featured speakers.

March 1, 2017 tickets will be available for purchase on a first come first serve basis for $30.00 each at www.recreation.gov. No one will be admitted to Clingmans Dome without a valid ticket. Eclipse viewers will be shuttled to and from the site from Gatlinburg, TN and Cherokee, NC by a coach bus. The event will last approximately three hours in the afternoon when the sun will be briefly be obscured by the moon.

“We are thrilled that the park lies within the narrow viewing band of this spectacular, natural phenomena,” said Deputy Superintendent Clay Jordan. “I have great memories of the time I experienced a partial solar eclipse as a child and I am thrilled to view my first total eclipse from the top of the Smokies in the company of a passionate group of visitors.”

Newfound Gap Road, may close on the day of the event depending on traffic congestion. For more information about the solar eclipse events, please call the information line at 865-436-1585 or visit the park website at https://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/2017-solar-eclipse.htm.