July 31, 2017
Hikes in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Many of our guests spend quite a few of the hours they have here hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. One of our favorite trails for hikes is the one which leads to the Grotto Falls. The Grotto Falls are the only falls in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park which you can walk behind!
The hike to Grotto Falls is very popular with Buckhorn Inn guests.
The Trillium Gap Trail leads to, and behind, the Grotto Falls. The trail winds through old-growth forests and many large eastern hemlocks. The path is wide and well-worn, but be careful of the rocks and exposed roots! Be sure to wear sturdy shoes and bring water. The Buckhorn Inn has hearty and delicious sack lunches available if you choose to take one on your hike. The trail is a moderate climb. The roundtrip to the Falls and back takes about 2-3 hours. During the hike you will cross four small streams. In the springtime watch for the blooms of white and yellow trillium, white violets, and Dutchman’s breeches. The Dutchman’s breeches are so called because the flowers resemble men’s trousers hanging by the cuffs on a clothesline.
White trillium are plentiful in the spring on the hike to Grotto Falls.
The Grotto Falls cascade down 25 feet. The Great Smoky Mountain National Park has all the elements for beautiful waterfalls–ample rainfall and an elevation gradient. In an average year, the mountains receive more than 85 inches of rain. The rain trickles, then rushes down the mountainsides, cascading beautifully onto the large boulders below.
Directions to Grotto Falls for Hikes
From the Parkway in Gatlinburg, turn at light number 8. Follow the Historic Nature Trail into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Take the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail to the large parking area near stop number 5. You will see a sign for the trailhead. For more information on planning your hike, visit http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/grotto-falls.htm Happy hiking!
July 3, 2017
Solar Eclipse Will Happen on August 21
Where will you be when the sun goes out? The Great Smoky Mountains National Park reports that the guided trip to Clingmans Dome for the August 21 solar eclipse already is sold out. The park can provide information on other viewing areas http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/2017-solar-eclipse.htm
The August 21 total solar eclipse will be visible in our area.
Some Fun Facts About The Solar Eclipse:
- Prussian astronomer, Friedrich Bessel, developed the complex mathematical formula for predicting solar eclipses in 1824.
- The speed of the moon as it moves in front of the sun is approximately 1,398 miles per hour.
- Total eclipses cannot be seen from either the North Pole or the South Pole.
- The Citizen Cate (Continental-America-Telescope-Eclipse) Experiment has enlisted scientists from 60 sites across the country to film the eclipse. When edited together, the film will be the longest video of an eclipse ever recorded. It is expected to help investigators research the corona which normally is invisible.
- In Mark Twain’s 1889 book “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court” the protagonist saves himself from being burned at the stake by predicting a solar eclipse in the year 528.
- One of the most memorable eclipses in filmdom is the crucifixion scene in “Barabbas” which was filmed during an actual eclipse in February 1961.
- The Science Fiction Writers of America named Isaac Asimov’s “Nightfall” the best story written prior to 1965. The plot revolves around pending darkness in a world perpetually in sunlight.
- The sun is about 400,000 times brighter than the full moon. Be sure to invest in special filtered glasses to preserve your eyesight.
- Venus should be visible to the upper right of the eclipsed sun.
- The sun’s diameter is about 400 times larger than that of the moon. But because of the distance between the sun and the moon, both appear approximately the same size when viewed from Earth.
- Total solar eclipses are rare. One can be viewed from somewhere on Earth about every 18 months.
Happy viewing!
June 22, 2017
Eclipse Visible in Lower 48 for First Time since 1979
In 1972, Carly Simon sang to a lover who flew his “Lear jet up to Nova Scotia to see the total eclipse of the sun”. Luckily, on August 21 you only need come to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to view the Moon pass between the Earth and the Sun!
The website http://www.greatamericaneclipse.com names the Great Smoky Mountains National Park as one of ten great places from which to view the eclipse. The park offers great vistas from areas such as Clingman’s Dome. These expansive views offer the chance to see the shadow of the moon scurrying across the landscape–sure to be a dramatic sight, indeed.
A rare solar eclipse will be visible in Tennessee on August 21.
Park Preparing for Eclipse
The blotting out of the sun will be visible from the entire western half of the park. Park officials are preparing public viewing events for three locations: Clingman’s Dome, Cades Cove, and Oconaluftee. You are welcome to view from other areas within and without the park on your own. The park expects large crowds, so we advise that you make your plans well in advance of August 21. For information and updates on events in the park, please visit http://www.nps.gov/gsm
Eclipse Details
During a total solar eclipse, the moon covers the sun so that only a sliver of the sun’s corona is visible. In our area, the disappearance of the sun will last for one minute and 17 seconds with totality beginning at 2:35 pm EDT. It is recommended that eclipse viewers purchase solar protective glasses far in advance, wear them while watching, and only remove them during the totality of the darkness. At the Buckhorn we expect to fill up quickly during this time period, so please reserve your accommodations soon!
The Buckhorn Inn provides a serene oasis from the crowds viewing the eclipse.
https://www.buckhorninn.com/lodging
June 14, 2017
Buckhorn Inn is Gateway to Greenbrier Area
Just 1.5 miles from the Buckhorn Inn is the Greenbrier entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Often referred to as “the locals entrance to the park”, the Greenbrier largely is undiscovered by tourists. The Greenbrier area of the park boasts the Ramsey Cascades–the tallest cascades in the Smokies. In the Greenbrier, named for the thorny vines common in this area, one can find beautiful hiking trails, fishing, and picnic areas tucked among the towering hemlock and maple trees.
History of the Greenbrier Area
During the Ice Age, the high mountain slopes fractured, creating boulder fields. The natural forces of erosion carried smaller boulders to lower elevations. The early settlers in this area used these stones to build long rock walls, many of which are still standing today. In fact, the Old Settlers Trail has dozens of these picturesque rock walls. You will notice that the streambeds in this area are lined with sandstone and slate rocks of all sizes.
The stone walls built by early residents of Greenbrier still stand.
The first inhabitants of the area were the Cherokee, who had a seasonal community at Porters Flat. The first recorded residents of European descent in the area were brothers William and Middleton Whaley who settled here around 1800. In 1818 John Ownby and his family joined the area. They were subsistence farmers, who supplemented their income by hunting and trapping. By the early 1900’s, the population of the Greenbrier area was near 500. The Greenbrier area has many streams which have cut deeply into the terrain. Because of this natural feature, residents lived in many small communities along the streams, rather than being part of one large community. General stores in the area provided a venue for residents to trade chickens, eggs, and animal furs for such necessities as clothing, medicine, and coal oil. They farmed corn and potatoes, and dug ginseng.
Hiking along the trails in the Greenbrier, one can easily imagine the lives of the previous residents of this beautiful area. This is a special place to spend one, or many, days exploring. Guests at the Buckhorn Inn can keep up their exploring stamina by pre-ordering hearty, delicious sack lunches to take with them.
Gourmet sandwiches are the mainstay of Buckhorn Inn sack lunches to enjoy in the Greenbrier area.
https://www.buckhorninn.com/dining We will see you on the trail!
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