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

January 24 – 31 at LeConte Center in Pigeon Forge

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.

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.

More Hey Smokies Features:

Five Best Hikes To Mount LeConte
Five Best Hikes To Mount LeConte...
Five best hikes to Mount LeConte. LeConte Lodge is the only overnight lodging, other than camping, available within the borders o[Read More >>]
Cades Cove Car Ban
Cades Cove Car Ban...
Cades Cove car ban is under way. Cades Cove Car Ban will end September 24, 2024.  Cove visitors are encouraged to arrive in the afternoons a[Read More >>]
Gregory Bald Native Azaleas
Gregory Bald Native Azaleas...
Gregory Bald Native Azaleas. Gregory Bald, a crown jewel of the Smokies, is renowned for its breathtaking displays of native azaleas and un[Read More >>]
Blue Ridge Parkway
Blue Ridge Parkway...
Did you know that the Blue Ridge Parkway is connected to Great Smoky Mountains National Park? That's right; another National Park is attached to[Read More >>]
LeConte Lodge 100th Birthday
LeConte Lodge 100th Birthday...
LeConte Lodge 100th Birthday. Nestled among the misty peaks of the Great Smoky Mountains, Mount LeConte Lodge stands as a testament to both[Read More >>]
Smoky Mountain Aero Club
Smoky Mountain Aero Club...
Smoky Mountain Aero Club. Since 1936 Radio controlled model airplanes have been cruising the skies at local airfields across the country. M[Read More >>]
No thumbnail available
Synchronous Fireflies in Great Smoky Mountains June 2024...
Synchronous Fireflies in Great Smoky Mountains June 2024. These aren’t your average backyard lightening bugs; these particular bioluminescent b[Read More >>]
No thumbnail available
Smoky Mountain Spring Time Activities...
Smoky Mountain Spring Time Activities. Spring is in the air in the Smoky Mountains! In addition to fine dining, go karts and live music getting[Read More >>]
No thumbnail available
Ramsey Cascades Closed...
Ramsey Cascades Closed beginning April 15, 2024. GSMNP will close Ramsey Cascades Trail on weekdays while trail crews finish the full-scale[Read More >>]
No thumbnail available
Eighties Throwback Party At The Island...
Eighties Throwback Party At The Island. This will be a fun night of nostalgia for the entire family. Mark your calendar for May 18, 2024 [Read More >>]
No thumbnail available
Smoky Mountain Skunk Washing Competition...
Smoky Mountain Skunk Washing Competition! Nothing smells like spring in the Smoky Mountains like the annual skunk washing competition! No-one n[Read More >>]
No thumbnail available
The Island St. Patrick's Day Celebration...
The Island St. Patrick's Day Celebration. The Island will host a free St. Patricks Day celebration with a jam session with Tuatha Dea. Tuatha D[Read More >>]
No thumbnail available
Cades Cove Burns...
Cades Cove Burns. Harnessing Fire: The Ecological Benefits of Prescribed Burns in Cades Cove. Nestled within the expansive Great Smoky M[Read More >>]
No thumbnail available
Smoky Mountain Full Wolf Moon...
Smoky Mountain Full Wolf Moon. Full Wolf Moon to rise on January 25, 2024. Mother Nature is getting ready to howl as the Full Wolf Moon rises [Read More >>]
No thumbnail available
Smoky Mountain Black Bears Winter...
Smoky Mountain Black Bears Winter. Nestled within the misty expanse of the Great Smoky Mountains, a population of black bears thrives in a habi[Read More >>]
New Year's Eve Celebration At The Island In Pigeon Forge
New Year's Eve Celebration At The Island In Pigeon Forge...
Join the fun this New Year's Eve at The Island in Pigeon Forge! New Year's Eve Celebration At The Island In Pigeon Forge. The Island in Pige[Read More >>]
No thumbnail available
Smoky Mountain Parking Pass Scam Alert...
Smoky Mountain Parking Pass Scam Alert! Great Smoky Mountain Park officials are investigating an online scam selling fraudulent parking tag[Read More >>]
No thumbnail available
Aerosmith Rocks Smoky Mountains...
Aerosmith Rocks Smoky Mountains on January 13, 2024. Get ready to welcome rock royalty, Knoxville! Aerosmith, the iconic band that has defined[Read More >>]
No thumbnail available
Fun Filled Christmas Activities At Biltmore Mansion...
Fun-Filled Christmas Activities at Biltmore Mansion. As the holiday season sweeps across the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Biltmore Estate transfor[Read More >>]
No thumbnail available
Smoky Mountain Campfire Ban Expires...
Smoky Mountain Campfire Ban Expires beginning Wednesday, November 29, 2023. Precipitation, cooler temperatures and shorter days allow for camp[Read More >>]