Grandfather Mountain Slates Rhododendron Ramble
Grandfather Mountain Slates Rhododendron Ramble. Grandfather Mountain is set to showcase the iconic plant that ushers summer into the mountain’s high country, the Catawba Rhododendron.
Grandfather Mountain has scheduled The Remarkable Rhododendron Ramble, June 1-9. The event features a series of short, guided strolls each day at 1 p.m. led by park naturalists who will talk about the history, characteristics and roles these spectacular plants play in the mountain’s ecological communities. An extra added benefit is the spectacular views that are the park’s signature feature. Location for the hikes depends on which section has the best blooms and participants are encouraged to enquire at the park’s entrance gate for the starting point of each day’s hike.
The event culminates on June 9 with a native plant festival and multiple hikes. That day, hikes are scheduled on an hourly rotation and are divided into ability groups. The beginner level hike, from 11 a.m. – noon, travels a quarter-mile through fairly level Woods Walk, and the advanced level hike, slated from 1:30-2:30 p.m., traverses about 1.5 miles at Black rock and highlights a higher elevation rhododendron and acid cove forests. Intermediate level hike, scheduled from 2:30-3:30 p.m. is a one-mile loop that leads through McRae Meadows and ends at Point sublime. Participants are encouraged to select hikes based on ability. All hikes are led by a member of Grandfather Mountain’s naturalist staff.
Also included on this day, the park’s Let-It-Rain picnic shelter will be filled with local organizations, botanists and representatives from local plant nurseries who will share information about native plants. A kid’s craft activity, also located at the shelter, will provide youngsters with an opportunity to make their own Rhododendron blossom to take home.
Four species of rhododendron grow wild on Grandfather Mountain and three of them could be in bloom for this year’s event said, Amy Renfranz, the park’s director of education. The types include flame azaleas (R. Calendulaceum) which range from orange, peach or red; Catawba rhododendron (R. Catawbiense) , possibly the best know of all rhodos, blooms early to mid-June and their deep purple flowers provide a spectacular canopy over many trails. Rosebay Rhododendron (R. Maximum), the last to bloom in late July, spreads a blush of delicate pink blossoms.
Grandfather Mountain is a one tank trip up our sister national park, The Blue Ridge Parkway, and getting there is half the fun! Take a ride with us on a perfect day cruising the parkway!
Smoky Mountain Monarch Migration
Smoky Mountain Monarch Migration is an annual event. Monarch butterflies migrate south each summer and spend their winter hibernating in parts of Southern California and Mexico where the climate is warm year-round. Monarchs living east of the Rocky Mountains migrate to Mexico overwintering in Oyamel Fir trees. Monarchs living west of the Rocky Mountains overwinter in Pacific Grove, California in eucalyptus trees. The butterflies return to the same trees each year which is unusual because the same butterfly never makes the trip twice and yet, somehow, the fourth generation of Monarchs find the right tree! Amazingly this fourth generation migrates over 2,500 miles each year for the perfect hibernation climate and tree.
Monarchs depend on the migration to avoid freezing in winter and to provide food for their larvae and these plants only grow in the northern regions where the butterflies spend their summer. To sustain their population they travel back and forth each year to continue to propagate the species.
The Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont monarch butterfly tagging program is an effort to
monitor the health of the Monarch population and to track the butterflies progress along their migration route. Each year in late summer and early fall volunteers flock to Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains Tagging program. Part of the fun is discovering, months after the event, that the butterfly you tagged was located thousands of miles away.
What could be more fun than running around a sunny field with a butterfly net chasing Monarchs? The tagging outings are open to school groups and individuals. The Institute provides all the equipment needed for tagging Monarchs. There are often more people who want to attend than equipment available, so these days are limited to 18 people (no more than 8 people per party please, to save room for others). Each party/family may attend one day of tagging in order to give everybody a chance. Alternatively, if the dates don’t fill up and you’d like another chance to go out, you are most welcome! Remember children under 18 are required to have an adult guardian to accompany them. To sign up visit Cades Cove Monarch Tagging.
Tremont Institute Monarch tagging dates:
September – 12th, 14th, 17th, 20, 22nd, 23rd, 25th, and 28th.
October – 1st, 4th, 6th, 9th, 12th, 16th, 19th, 21st, 22nd, 24th, 27th, and 30th.
The HeySmokies.com team has participated in the Monarch tagging program in years past and can say this event is a lot of fun for the entire family! The event is fun, educational, and interesting in one of the most beautiful valleys in the United States! Plan now to experience this for yourself and come back to the mountains soon.
Bonus tip: Our sister national park the Blue Ridge Parkway has an abundance of places to see Monarch butterflies migrate in person. Most hight elevation spots on the parkway have a good chance to find Monarchs, but specifically Double Top Mountain Overlook at Balsam Gap near the junction of Route 215 is an excellent view spot as well as Doughton Park at Bluff Mountain!
Six Great Synchronous Firefly Viewing Areas For 2018!
Six Great Synchronous Firefly Viewing Areas For 2018! A spectacular display by the Synchronous Fireflies and the Blue Ghost Fireflies will light up the sky in the Great Smoky Mountains in late May and early June 2018. The annual event has become so popular that several venues are now available to the public where they can enjoy the amazing show as blinking beetles rise from the ground and surround them in waves of tiny twinkling lights.
The Synchronous Firefly (Photinus carolinus) and the Blue Ghost Firefly (Phausis reticulata) are two species found only in the Southern Appalachian Mountains which include the Great Smokies. And during the short mating season in late May and early June, both firefly species put on a mini firework display choreographed by Mother Nature.
Male Synchronous Fireflies flash little green-yellow bioluminescent lanterns in unison for about 6-8 blinks casting an eerie wave of light throughout the forest before going dark for a few seconds. The male Blue Ghost Fireflies do not blink to attract mates but instead feature blue-white lights that glow continuously just a few inches above the ground creating a surreal carpet of light that is certain to delight and amaze all ages. The National Park scientists use air and soil temperatures to predict the timing of each year’s mating season and the dates will be announced sometime in April 2018. Check with HeySmokies.Com for updates on this popular event.
Synchronous Fireflies with Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN
One of the best places to view the Synchronous Fireflies is in Elkmont in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park— a location so popular that a free lottery system was instituted for the $1.50 parking passes during the eight-day shuttle period to Elkmont. Elkmont closes at dusk during this peak viewing period allowing only shuttle ticket holder and Elkmont campers in Elkmont Campground.
Dates for the 2018 Sychronous Firefly event will be announced in April. You may apply for a chance to win a pass April 28 through May 1 by going to www.recreation.gov and search for firefly event lottery. Winners will be notified on May 10.
Synchronous Fireflies with Discover Life in America in Gatlinburg, TN
For a few nights during peak firefly viewing time, Discover Life in America hosts a fundraising event featuring nightly presentations and field walks at the Norton
Creek Sanctuary near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Tickets for the event are $100 each and the event is geared toward persons ages 10 and older. For reservations for this exclusive event, call Discover Life in America at 865-430-4757 or email todd@dlia.org.
Synchronous Fireflies in Cataloochee with Cataloochee Valley Tours
Take a Synchronous Firefly Night Walk with Cataloochee Valley Tours out of Waynesville, NC. Small groups of guests are outfitted with safety vests and flashlights for a walk to the tour company’s secret viewing locations! Tour tickets are $60 per person. Tours are from 8:30 – 11:30 p.m. weather permitting. For more information, visit Cataloochee Valley Tours.
Blue Ghost Fireflies in DuPont State Recreational Forest near Asheville, NC
DuPont State Forest is located in Cedar Mountain, NC about 30 miles outside of Asheville. Due to the popularity of this location in recent years, some of the trails in the High Falls parking area will be closed during peak viewing season. Visitors are urged to stay on designated trails because female Blue Ghosts stay on the ground and many have been killed by visitors wandering off trail. For more information, visit DuPont State Forest.
Transylvania County Blue Ghosts
The Pisgah Field School offers a firefly hike led by a trained naturalist under the cover of darkness along paved trails at the Cradle of Forestry. You never know what you will find on this hike so call 828-884-3342 to make a reservation or go to Pisgah Field School to learn more about this rain or shine, family friendly event!
Fireflies on the Blue Ridge Parkway
Overlooks along the Blue Ridge Parkway are a great place to view starry nights as well as the fireflies in June and the Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center in Asheville usually offers a family-friendly firefly viewing event. For more information, visit Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center.
Both firefly species are common in other areas of Southern Appalachia and perhaps may make an appearance in your backyard during the month of June. Beginning around 10 p.m. turn off the lights, grab a comfy chair or spread a blanket on the ground, sit back and relax and wait for your own private firefly show to begin.
HeySmokies left the crowds at Elkmont Campground and backpacked a bit further up Little River Trail to enjoy the show! Remember a permit is required for an overnight stay at a backcountry site. Happy Trails!
Cherokee / Great Smokies KOA
Cherokee / Great Smokies KOA nestled in the foothills of Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Cherokee, North Carolina is a great destination for a weekend or a week! Open year round this campground has it all. Only one mile from the Blue Ridge Parkway this KOA has 360-degree views of the Smoky Mountains and is flanked on one side by the beautiful and wild Raven Fork River.
Campground amenities include 50 max amp, 136′ max length, free wifi, cable, pool open year round, hot tub, snack bar, propane, fishing, mini golf, firewood, pavilion, bike rentals, and tour shuttle.
Cherokee KOA makes a great and affordable basecamp to explore the surrounding mountains. The property offers multiple stocked trout ponds as well as miles of river fishing for native, brown and rainbow trout. Downtown Cherokee is a short drive with plenty of shopping and attractions, Harrah’s Cherokee Casino is always a popular destination and a short one hour drive north will bring you to the Tennessee side of the Smokies where you can explore Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville. An hour drive to the east will bring to beautiful Asheville, North Carolina home of the famous Biltmore Estate and Gardens and some of the best food, micro-breweries, and wineries in the South!
Onsite there are plenty of special events and theme weekends to enjoy as well as activities specific to each season. The free daily shuttle allows you not to worry about driving and just sit back and enjoy the view. Also there is so much fun to be had horseback riding, zip lining through the canopy of the trees, river tubing, exploring the Museum of the Cherokee Indian and the Oconaluftee Indian Village as well as a reenactment of the Trail of Tears. For those who would like to learn more about the history of the Cherokee people catch a performance of Unto These Hills.
