The Smoky Mountain Hiking Blog: Laurel Creek Road and Cades Cove Closed Until Noon...: Managers at Great Smoky Mountains National Park have announced that the Laurel Creek Road, which carries traffic from the Townsend, TN Entrance into Cades Cove will be closed until noon on the morning of Thursday, March 1. The closure will allow the Park to safely remove two very large hazardous trees. The closure applies to hikers and cyclists as well as vehicles.Traffic coming into the Townsend Entrance and traveling east-bound on Little River Road enroute to Gatlinburg, TN and Cherokee, NC will not be affected.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Group Camping In The GSMNP
The park has seven areas where groups may camp. These areas are listed below, along with the operation dates and numbers to call for information. They are open only during the months listed. You must have reservations to stay at these areas. These areas will accommodate tents only. Trailers, campers, or other wheeled units are not permitted. Also be aware that showers and electric hookups are not available.
The minimum party size is eight, and the maximum length of stay is seven nights in these areas. Check out time is noon. You are welcome to call the ranger station to obtain site-specific information, but be aware that the ranger stations are field offices and are not staffed during all hours!
All group campsites require reservations. To make reservations, you must call the National Park Reservation Service at: 800-365-2267
Camping dates may be reserved up to five months in advance, and payment is required at the time the reservation is made.
The minimum party size is eight, and the maximum length of stay is seven nights in these areas. Check out time is noon. You are welcome to call the ranger station to obtain site-specific information, but be aware that the ranger stations are field offices and are not staffed during all hours!
All group campsites require reservations. To make reservations, you must call the National Park Reservation Service at: 800-365-2267
Camping dates may be reserved up to five months in advance, and payment is required at the time the reservation is made.
| Campground | Phone # | Open | Close | Sites | Max # of people | Fee |
| Big Creek | 828-486-5910 | mid Mar | beg Nov | 1 | 25 | $ 40.00 |
| Cades Cove | 800-365-2267 | mid Mar | beg Nov | 2 | 20 | $ 33.00 |
| Cades Cove | 800-365-2267 | mid Mar | beg Nov | 1 | 30 | $ 48.00 |
| Cades Cove | 800-365-2267 | mid Mar | beg Nov | 1 (pavilion) | 30 | $ 63.00 |
| Cataloochee | 828-497-1930 | mid Mar | beg Nov | 3 | 25 | $ 30.00 |
| Cosby | 423-487-2683 | mid Mar | beg Nov | 3 | 20 | $ 20.00 |
| Deep Creek | 828-488-3184 | beg Apr | beg Nov | 3 | 20 | $ 30.00 |
| Elkmont | 800-365-2267 | mid Mar | beg Nov | 1 | 12 | $ 23.00 |
| Elkmont | 800-365-2267 | mid Mar | beg Nov | 1 | 15 | $ 23.00 |
| Elkmont | 800-365-2267 | mid Mar | beg Nov | 2 | 20 | $ 33.00 |
| Elkmont | 800-365-2267 | mid Mar | beg Nov | 1 | 30 | $ 48.00 |
| Smokemont | 800-365-2267 | mid Mar | beg Nov | 1 | 15 | $ 23.00 |
| Smokemont | 800-365-2267 | mid Mar | beg Nov | 2 | 20 | $ 33.00 |
Friday, February 24, 2012
Adventures In Stoving: Wood Fired Cooking on a Caldera Cone
Adventures In Stoving: Wood Fired Cooking on a Caldera Cone: It can be tough to do real cooking on a wood fire in the backcountry. Sure, there are guys who can do it, but it's not all that easy, even for the experienced. Is there a way we can make cooking on a wood fire a little more accessible? As a matter of fact, there is: A wood burning stove.If you've been following my blog, you know I've been evaluating a Sidewinder version of the Ti-Tri Caldera Cone
T Look Rock Observation Tower to Close for Construction
The Smoky Mountain Hiking Blog: Look Rock Observation Tower to Close for Construction : Managers at Great Smoky Mountain National Park have announced that the observation tower at Look Rock on the Foothills Parkway in Blount County, TN will be closed for construction work from Monday, February 27 through Friday, March 23.During the closure period a new radio repeater will be installed by the Blount County Sheriff’s Office to upgrade the radio communications available to Blount County Sheriff’s Office and local Emergency Management Services. The paved trail that leads from the Look Rock Parking area to the Tower is also closed at its entrance off the Parkway. In addition to its role as a public observation tower, the Look Rock Tower hosts an Air Quality monitoring site, and houses radio repeaters serving the Park, the Blount County Sheriff’s Office, Ft. Loudon Electric Cooperative, and the U.S.D.A. Forest Service.
Friday, February 17, 2012
5 Different Types of Forest In The GSMNP
Five forest types dominate the Great Smoky Mountains. Together these forests sport more than 130 species of trees, and 4,000 other plant species. They represent all the major forest types along eastern North America. As elevation increases within the park, temperature decreases and precipitation increases. Each 1,000 feet of elevation gained is the equivalent of moving 250 miles north. The additional precipitation classifies small sections of the Park as a rainforest. All five types can be seen at once from Campbell Overlook, two miles south of the Sugarlands Visitor Center on Newfound Gap Road (US 441).
The spruce-fir forest caps the Park's highest elevations. Most areas above 4,500 feet support some elements of this forest. It is best developed above 5,500 feet. In terms of climate the spruce-fir forest relates to areas such as Maine, and Quebec, Canada. The main components of the spruce-fir forest are red spruce and Frasier fir. Other important species include yellow birch, mountain-ash, hobblebush, and blackberries. The balsam woolly adelgid killed 95% of the Frasier firs over the past decade. Accidentally introduced from Europe, this tragedy threatens the fate of the entire forest type. The Park sprays to control the insect, but this is a labor consuming process that needs to saturate each tree. Environmental pressures, including acidic deposition and ozone present further threats.
A northern hardwood forest dominates the middle to upper elevations from 3,500- 5,000 feet. It mixes with many species from other forest types, but is characterized by sugar maple, American beech, and yellow birch. These forests resemble those throughout much of New England, New York, Pennsylvania, and southern Ontario. The northern hardwood forest, specifically sugar maples, produces the most brilliant fall color.
Drier ridges in and around the Park hold a pine-oak forest. Despite plentiful amounts of rain, these excessively drained slopes dry out often, and fire is a regular part of these forest communities. In late 1996, the Park began controlled burning to prevent unintentional fires from threatening lives and property. This also insures natural regeneration of species requiring fire for propagation. Major species include red, scarlet, black and chestnut oaks, along with table mountain, pitch, and white pines. Some areas also have hickories.
A hemlock forest often grows along streambanks. Water temperatures remain cold year- round, and this cools and dampens the air. Hemlocks survive better in these conditions than any other species. Hemlocks dominate streamsides throughout the Appalachians. An insect, the hemlock woolly adelgid is moving south and west. It threatens every hemlock in the eastern united States.
The cove hardwood forest lines the valleys throughout the Park. It is the Smokies most diverse ecosystem. Important species include, tulip poplar, American basswood, red maple, sweet gum, yellow buckeye, black birch, and dogwood. This lush, diverse forest enjoys warm temperatures, a long growing season, and plentiful rainfall.
Other Trees
Sixty years ago, the most common Park tree was American Chestnut. About 30% of the Park was chestnut forest. Due to a disease, chestnut blight, every adult chestnut in the eastern United States died. Loss of the chestnut heavily impacted animals depending on the nuts for winter fat. Scientists continue to work search for hybrid chestnut species that can resist this disease.
Black walnuts are common near homesites. Often planted in yards, walnut wood was valuable, and the nuts made good food.
Black cherry is another valuable wood and food source. The cherries are a favorite of bears when they ripen in August. Cherry trees are often damaged by climbing bears.
Tennessee's state tree, tulip poplar, is abundant in the Park. Builders favor it for cabins. It grows long and straight, striving for the sun without pause.
The spruce-fir forest caps the Park's highest elevations. Most areas above 4,500 feet support some elements of this forest. It is best developed above 5,500 feet. In terms of climate the spruce-fir forest relates to areas such as Maine, and Quebec, Canada. The main components of the spruce-fir forest are red spruce and Frasier fir. Other important species include yellow birch, mountain-ash, hobblebush, and blackberries. The balsam woolly adelgid killed 95% of the Frasier firs over the past decade. Accidentally introduced from Europe, this tragedy threatens the fate of the entire forest type. The Park sprays to control the insect, but this is a labor consuming process that needs to saturate each tree. Environmental pressures, including acidic deposition and ozone present further threats.
A northern hardwood forest dominates the middle to upper elevations from 3,500- 5,000 feet. It mixes with many species from other forest types, but is characterized by sugar maple, American beech, and yellow birch. These forests resemble those throughout much of New England, New York, Pennsylvania, and southern Ontario. The northern hardwood forest, specifically sugar maples, produces the most brilliant fall color.
Drier ridges in and around the Park hold a pine-oak forest. Despite plentiful amounts of rain, these excessively drained slopes dry out often, and fire is a regular part of these forest communities. In late 1996, the Park began controlled burning to prevent unintentional fires from threatening lives and property. This also insures natural regeneration of species requiring fire for propagation. Major species include red, scarlet, black and chestnut oaks, along with table mountain, pitch, and white pines. Some areas also have hickories.
A hemlock forest often grows along streambanks. Water temperatures remain cold year- round, and this cools and dampens the air. Hemlocks survive better in these conditions than any other species. Hemlocks dominate streamsides throughout the Appalachians. An insect, the hemlock woolly adelgid is moving south and west. It threatens every hemlock in the eastern united States.
The cove hardwood forest lines the valleys throughout the Park. It is the Smokies most diverse ecosystem. Important species include, tulip poplar, American basswood, red maple, sweet gum, yellow buckeye, black birch, and dogwood. This lush, diverse forest enjoys warm temperatures, a long growing season, and plentiful rainfall.
Other Trees
Sixty years ago, the most common Park tree was American Chestnut. About 30% of the Park was chestnut forest. Due to a disease, chestnut blight, every adult chestnut in the eastern United States died. Loss of the chestnut heavily impacted animals depending on the nuts for winter fat. Scientists continue to work search for hybrid chestnut species that can resist this disease.
Black walnuts are common near homesites. Often planted in yards, walnut wood was valuable, and the nuts made good food.
Black cherry is another valuable wood and food source. The cherries are a favorite of bears when they ripen in August. Cherry trees are often damaged by climbing bears.
Tennessee's state tree, tulip poplar, is abundant in the Park. Builders favor it for cabins. It grows long and straight, striving for the sun without pause.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Take a Hike (in every National Park)
The Smoky Mountain Hiking Blog: Take a Hike (in every National Park): Many individuals have made it their goal to hike every trail within a national park. For those achieving that goal in the Great Smoky Mountains, for example, they earn the right to become a member of the exclusive 900 Miler Club.Even more ambitious are those that seek to hike every trail in a national park over the course of just one year. In 2011, Montana resident Jake Bramante became the first person ever to hike all 734 miles of trails in Glacier National Park in only one year.And then there’s Donna and Mike Guthrie, who have taken it upon themselves to hike at least one trail in every national park in the United States. They plan to achieve this goal by 2016, in conjunction with the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, as well as their 70th birthdays. If you consider the logistics of reaching all 58 national parks – from the Gates of the Arctic in Alaska, to the Everglades in Florida – the travel alone is an enormous undertaking.The Colorado Springs couple set their ambitious goal in late 2009 as a way of seeing more of the country. To date, the Guthrie’s have already been to 32 parks, including a winter excursion to Yellowstone earlier this month. They’ve also seen some of the lesser-known parks such as Cuyahoga Valley in Ohio, and Dry Tortugas in Florida. However, some of their favorites so far have been Crater Lake in Oregon, and Yosemite in California.
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