Guided Backcountry Overnight Hikes in Great Smoky Mountains National Park ...Great Smoky Mountains National Park Institute at Tremont offers several guided backcountry overnight hikes as does The University of Tennessee and A Walk in the Woods. All guided hikes have registration fees.
Institute at Tremont Guided Overnight Hikes: Family Adventure Weekend - Run away from home and bring the family with you! What better way is there to spend a weekend with the family than exploring Great Smoky Mountains National Park? This weekend is chock full of hikes, crafts, games, waterfalls, beautiful views, campfires and plenty of time to enjoy being with the ones you love. We will provide discovery and adventure AND we do all the cooking! It doesn't get much better than this! Join our talented staff for a weekend you will never forget. Program lasts from Friday supper through Sunday lunch. February 10-12, 2012 Smoky Mountains Family Camp - Spend your family vacation in the middle of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Surround your family with the magic of the mountains as you hike ridges, study wildlife, explore secret places, and take afternoon dips in the Middle Prong. This week-long adventure is designed for families that are ready to leave their cares behind in exchange for a week of unending family fun. Each day brings new activities in which to choose; hike in the high country, explore Cades Cove, search for salamanders, and enjoy fantastic evening entertainment. July 2-7, 2012 Autumn Brilliance Photography Workshop - What better place to improve your photography skills than in the Smokies during the peak of fall leaf color? Join us for the weekend as photographer Willard Clay shares the splendors of fall in the Smokies. Field sessions and lectures will cover the use of light, composition, landscape photography, close-ups, and how to find the right picture. An emphasis will be placed on digital photography, however all formats are welcome. The program will combine natural history interpretation with photographic technique and is designed for serious beginners through intermediate photographers. Program lasts from Friday dinner to Monday mid-morning. October 21-24, 2011 Southern Appalachian Naturalist Certification Program (SANCP) - Become a better naturalist, communicator, and land steward by learning the ecology and natural history of the Southern Appalachian Mountains. The Southern Appalachian Naturalist Certification Program provides fundamental and specialty skills in Southern Appalachian ecology and interpretive techniques. This is accomplished via a series of field courses covering subjects such as ecological communities, plant identification, birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians, stream ecology, the history of nature study, interpretation, and other skills necessary to an educational naturalist. To qualify for the non-credit Southern Appalachian Naturalist Certificate, you must complete eight core courses. Students not enrolled in the certification program may take courses individually. Women's Backback Trip - Join park guides and experience the beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains firsthand on a three-day backpacking adventure. All information, food, and gear (except sleeping bag) are provided for your excursion. This is a safe, educational, and enjoyable way to learn about backpacking in the Smokies. Participants must be in good physical condition and be able to hike 5-8 miles a day in rugged, mountainous terrain. Program lasts from Friday morning to Sunday afternoon. October 21-23, 2011
University of Tennessee Guided Overnight Hikes: Mount LeConte Hike and Overnight in the Lodge - Since its establishment in the 1920s, LeConte Lodge has been a rustic attraction for hikers. At an elevation of 6,360 feet, it is the highest guest lodge in the eastern United States. The mountaintop serves as a grandstand for the whole Park, and the pleasures of a visit to the lodge can include breathtaking sunsets from Cliff Top, clear night skies for stargazing, and spectacular sunrises from Myrtle Point. The true charm of LeConte Lodge is in the friendly spirit of the people who come here—people who find relaxation and renewed energy in the cool, majestic solitude at the top of the Smokies. This is a strenuous hike. The trails are steep and rocky and range from 5 to 8 miles each way. You need to be in good physical condition ready for a rigorous climb. We suggest you sign up with an old friend, or be prepared to bunk with a new one! Hazel Creek Overnight - Spend the night on Hazel Creek, a beautiful area in Great Smoky Mountains National Park off the beaten path. After meeting at Fontana Marina near Fontana Dam, N.C., we’ll shuttle across Fontana Lake to the town of Proctor. After an easy to moderate five-mile hike, we’ll spend the night at Sugar Fork campsite. We will be primitive camping, requiring that participants carry their own gear. We’ll be staying in Kephart Country and explore the area’s rich natural beauty and cultural heritage. Horace Kephart first visited this area in the early 1900s and later introduced American urbanites to the communities along Hazel Creek through his book, Our Southern Highlanders. This trip will be an immersion in the natural beauty of this great Appalachian forest, but it will also be an introduction to the cultural traditions of the various groups of people who have called Hazel Creek home over the last two centuries. Boat ride, dinner, breakfast, group equipment, and planning details are included. Register early as space is limited to six people. Instructors: Cassie and Jason Robinson, a brother and sister duo native to western North Carolina. Cassie has an M.A. in Appalachian studies, focusing in cultural traditions of western North Carolina, and Jason has an M.A. in fisheries and wildlife sciences. Both have spent extensive time in the Fontana watershed of the Smokies. Cassie has led hikes in the area for Fontana Village Resort and as a previous interpretative ranger in the Smokies, and Jason as an avid fisherman and researcher. Backpacking with Confidence - Whether you’re a novice backpacker, want to gain more confidence while in the backcountry, or just want to get out and greet the extraordinary Smoky Mountain springtime, this class is for you. Learning the basics of backpacking (from how to get safe drinking water and storing your food, to setting up camp) will help you cope with whatever challenges you may encounter and make any adventure safe and enjoyable. You will gain the confidence and know how to care for yourself and the backcountry. We’ll also discuss wildlife that might be encountered to help you become more familiar and comfortable. We’ll enjoy both natural and cultural history aspects of the Smokies along the Grapeyard Ridge Trail (6.4-miles roundtrip, moderate). Meals and some gear are to be provided by each participant. Instructor: Liz Domingue, M.S., wildlife and conservation biology, is a naturalist, educator, photographer, and writer. Through photography, observation, and research, Liz has studied wildlife, plants, and the natural world throughout the United States and abroad. A Walk in the Woods Guided Overnight Hikes: Backpacking 101: Everything you ever wanted to learn about backpacking, but were afraid to ask - Turn that curiosity into knowledge with a one night trip into the woods. Learn everything about the exciting and challenging sport of backpacking while meeting other people. On this trip, you will learn all the steps needed to become a proficient backpacker, find out what to pack and not to pack, how to pack and how to wear your pack for the most comfort. You'll learn how to use the best gear and what to do in the event that things don't go as planned, if the weather changes or your gear doesn't work well. You'll learn how to identify wild plants, which ones are edible and poisonous, how to cure headaches and poison ivy, and how to survive in case of emergency. We'll start with a brief class on backpacking and apply it in real life. Appalachian Trail Adventure One-Night Backpacking Trip - Disconnect from the stress of modern life and corporate pressures while exploring the famous Appalachian Trail. Find out why thousands of people have attempted to thru-hike the AT. This trip will take you over the second highest peak in Eastern North America as you explore the Boreal Forest of the high country, a forest normally found in Canada. Your guide will introduce you to the AT on this one night trip through the Smokies. You will gain confidence as you learn all the steps needed to become a proficient backpacker. Our experienced guide will teach you what to carry and what to leave behind, as well as time-tested strategies for packing and enjoying the optimum comfort and fit from your pack. Learn the techniques for taking the pain out of hiking, rules of hydration, blister prevention, the best cooking and purification gear, the etiquette of spending the night in an AT trail shelter, and low impact use of the backcountry. Before the trip is through, you will know how to identify several of the most useful upper elevation wild plants and trees, their medicinal and edible uses, plus crucial wilderness survival skills. This short trip is a great way to ease into the art of backpacking, and the mystique of the Appalachian Trail. Appalachian Trail Adventure Three-Night Backpacking Trip - Ready for more of a challenge? This three night Appalachian Trail backpacking trip is just the thing. This trip covers a part of the highest section of trail east of the Rockies. Traverse a narrow ridgeline as it passes through old-growth forest. On clear days, enjoy breathtaking views of the sea of mountains that seem to unfold forever as we pass some of the most prominent geologic features in the Park. Explore the forest that you love, stand in awe under ancient trees, some of the oldest in East, discover plants and animals found only here and no where else in the world. Learn about those plants and their traditional uses for food and medicine. Experience a taste of the Appalachian Trail thru-hiker life by spending nights in primitive AT shelters. Never backpacked before, but looking to challenge your body and mind? Gain confidence and knowledge while traveling with a guide. We'll take the worry out of venturing into the unknown, whether you are alone or with your family and friends, learn all the steps needed to become a proficient backpacker, from what to pack and how, which gear is best for you and how to use it, the do's and don'ts of a successful trip. Already an experienced backpacker? Hone advanced skills with an experienced guide. Learn survival techniques, the latest strategies for avoiding lightening during storms, cut through the confusion over hydration, proven methods for taking the pain out of backpacking, and much more. Warning, this trip might tempt you to become a thru-hiker. Llama Trekking (overnight trips): Hiking in the Smokies - English Mountain Llama Treks provides hearty meals, snacks and beverages, as well as all your camping gear for your back country adventure. You'll be surprised at what a comfortable camp you will have when you hike with us. Besides tents, sleeping mattress and bags, there are roll up tables and stools for the dining area and paraflies to keep the rain off. Forget the freeze dried normal backpacker meal, we can have coolers for ice water, fresh fruits and vegetables, meats and frozen deserts! |
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