Bicycle Mornings in Cades Cove begin May 11th! Passing on your left!

Beginning Wednesday, May 11, 2016 Cades Cove Loop Road will be closed to motor vehicles until 10:00 a.m. on both Wednesday and Saturday mornings to allow bicyclists, runners, and walkers time to enjoy the cove without having to worry about heavy traffic. This special experience on the 11-mile paved loop road will last until late September.

During the season, bicycles can be rented at the Cades Cove Campground Store. For pricing info, give them a call at 865.448.9034. Of course, you can bring your own bikes and helmets to enjoy the scenic ride through this historic landscape. Be mindful that Tennessee law requires cyclists under the age of 16 to wear a helmet. HeySmokies and the GSMNP recommend anyone of any age wear protective head gear…just sayin’!

You won’t find any mountain biking trails within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. There are only 3 trails in the National Park that allow bicycles:

Gatlinburg Trail
Begins at Sugarlands Visitor Center and travels 1.9 miles one-way toward the outskirts of Gatlinburg along the West Prong of the Little Pigeon River. Leashed pets are allowed on this trail.

Oconaluftee River Trail
Begins at Oconaluftee Visitor Center and travels 1.5 miles one-way toward the outskirts of Cherokee along the Oconaluftee River. Leashed pets are allowed on this trail.

Deep Creek and Indian Creek Trails
From the Deep Creek Campground, cyclists can access both Deep Creek and Indian Creek Trails. Bicycles are allowed on both trails until the point where the old roadbed ends and the hiking trails begin. Pets are not allowed on this trail.

Bicycles are allowed on most roads in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, so drivers need to be alert of cyclists when driving through the park.

For more information on bicycling in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and adjacent National Forests, please visit NPS.gov.

Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage in Great Smoky Mountains National Park April 19-23! Online Tickets Available Now!

Make plans for the 66th Annual Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park April 19-23, 2016. Tickets are now available online and there are some great free programs too! The Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage is held at one of the most incredible times of the year to be in the Smokies. Be sure to put this pilgrimage on your 2016 Bucket List!

The Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage is a fabulous five-day event celebrating springtime in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. As an International Biosphere Reserve, the Smokies’ lush, one-of-a-kind forest really springs to life in April!

Most of the programs for the pilgrimage are held out on the trails with expertly guided hikes exploring the park’s gorgeous display of wildflowers, abundant wildlife, cultural curiosities and natural history. Hikes are available for all skill levels.

All programs will be held rain or shine; worry not, there are plenty of motorcade trips with short walks and lots of outstanding indoor programs and workshops available at Mills Conference Center in downtown Gatlinburg and nearby Sugarlands Visitor Center Training Room.

Some of the free events that are open to the public with no registration required are:

Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage Artist-of-the-Year Reception @ Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts
Wednesday, April 20, 2016 @ 5:30 – 7:30 pm
Nelson Zieglar’s painting “Roaring Fork” was selected for this year’s pilgrimage brochure and commorative t-shirt. His artwork will be exhibited in the Wolpert Gallery on Arrowmont’s campus until April 24, 2016.

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Wilderness Wildlife Week in Pigeon Forge May 18-22, 2016! New Time of Year, Same Great Celebration of All Things Smoky Mountains!

Wilderness Wildlife Week in Pigeon Forge will be held for the first time in Spring this year on May 18 – 22, 2016 at LeConte Center in Pigeon Forge. This year’s event promises to be the best yet with a first-ever Farmer’s Market and an Appalachian Homecoming festival at Patriot Park on May 21 at 6:00 p.m.

This free event is your opportunity to discover something new and exciting about the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. From guided hikes and other outdoor excursions to hands-on workshops and panel discussions, there truly is something for everyone at Wilderness Wildlife Week!

This is by far one of HeySmokies’ favorite events of the year! There are just too many great activities and workshops to mention, so be sure to check out the link below for a comprehensive listing!

Throughout the event the Information Desk at LeConte Center in Pigeon Forge will be open daily from 7:00 a.m. until at least 6:00 p.m. The Vendor/Exhibit Hall will be open from 9:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. (will close at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 22)

For a complete list of activities available, please visit Wilderness Wildlife Week Program Schedule. For a listing of guided hikes and other outdoor excursions, visit WWW Outdoor Excursions. A word to the wise, pre-registration is limited for hikes and excursions; the Pre-Registration Desk will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday.

For more information, contact City of Pigeon Forge Office of Special Events at 800-251-9100 or 865-453-8674.

Need a place to stay during Wilderness Wildlife Week, check out a variety of comfortable and affordable lodging options at HeySmokiesCabinRentals, HeySmokiesCondos, HeySmokiesCampgrounds or HeySmokiesHotels!

Have your Fantasy Spring or Summer Wedding in the Heart of the Smokies! Here are 10 of the Top Wedding Venues in the Smoky Mountains!

While wildflowers begin to explode with the joys of springtime over mountains and into valleys, the heart of the Smokies is bustling and alive with activity.  Over every hill and dale, nearly, a team of event planners is getting someone’s special day ready. Let yours be next!

Have your fantasy spring or summer wedding in the heart of the Smokies! A Gatlinburg, Sevierville, Pigeon Forge or surrounding area wedding will bring together the elements of scenery, style and fun in an event you and your guests will remember for a lifetime. The astonishing array of venues and diverse and talented community of wedding professionals up in these hills means that you can spend as much or as little as you choose and still have a one-of-a-kind wedding in a very special place.

The Lodge at Brother’s Cove in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee is one of the most popular spots year round. In the spring and summer, this venue offers stunning vistas of the lush, green springtime glory of the Smoky Mountains. Most weddings celebrated there take place outdoors, making full use of a gazebo site with sweeping mountain views, something the lodge, which is located on a mountain ridge, is legendary for. If you are imagining wedding photos with a heavenly backdrop, you are correct!  Most brides opt to move the party into the lodge after the ceremony, which can accommodate up to 300 guests (depending on set-up) after the ceremony. The lodge itself has panoramic views and provides a very nice rain option for the ceremony as well. The resort offers two options; a “Consulting Package,” which means that the bride simply rents the facilities and plans and carries out her own wedding, with an event team member on hand to offer professional suggestions, and a “Full Service Turn Key Package,” which delivers a dream wedding planned and delivered by the event team at the Lodge.

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Pirate’s Ball 2016 at Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies on May 12!

Dust off your puffy shirt and pirate boots and swagger over to the annual Pirate’s Ball at Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies for some great fun and loot!

The Pirate’s Ball begins at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 12, 2016 to raise funds and awareness for the Mountain Hope Good Shepherd Clinic in Sevierville.

The Best Dressed Pirate wins a special award and the Big Door Prize Giveaway is a 32-inch flat screen television!

Enjoy lots of delicious food and beverages, live music and a special Treasure Hunt! Free parking at the Gatlinburg City Parking Garage behind Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies. 

Tickets are $50 adults each, $10 children each. Purchase tickets online!

For more information or to RSVP email Ashley Justice at ajustice@mountainhope.org or call 865-774-7684 ext. 219.

The Pirate’s Ball is proudly sponsored by Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies with 100% of the proceeds benefiting Mountain Hope Good Shepherd Clinic.

Mountain Hope Good Shepherd Clinic in Sevierville provides medical services for the uninsured who live or work in Sevier County. Since the population of Sevier County is largely based on tourism and many jobs are seasonal in nature, many citizens are without proper medical insurance. Mountain Hope provides a medical home for those who are not served by other resources in the
community. Medical students, nursing students and dental hygiene students from different universities in the state rotate through the Clinic meeting patients’ primary medical needs in a warm, loving environment. In addition to general medicine, Mountain Hope provides follow-up care and education for patients with chronic illnesses. For more information on the services provided or to make a donation, visit www.mountainhope.org.