August 27, 2018
Hikes and Activities in the GSMNP
The Great Smoky Mountains Association has shared some information on upcoming hikes and other outdoor activities.
Upcoming Hikes
Sunday, September 2, 2018, 9:00 a.m. Alum Cave Trail–Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee. When you hike Alum Cave Trail, you’ll travel the park’s latest Trails Forever success story. What was once a worn path is now a safer, smoother trip along one of the most scenic trails in the Smokies. Join professional guide Liz Domingue to explore the beauty of this trail. The hike is 5 miles and is rated moderate to strenuous.
Saturday, September 22, 2018, 8:30 a.m. Swain County Visitor Center and Museum, Bryson City, North Carolina. History in the Noland Creek Valley runs deep. During the late 1800s and into the early 19002 this remote area was home to farmers and their families. In 1905 the Harris-Woodbury Lumber Company purchased 17,000 acres but spared the Noland watershed from logging operations. Surrounded by natural beauty, Steve Kemp, award-winning author and Smokies historian, will interpret the history and uses of the area. The hike is about 12 miles and is rated moderate to strenuous due to the length.
Other Activities
Monarch Butterfly Tagging: A Citizen Science Program, Cades Cove, Tennessee. The program is being
Monarch butterfly tagging programs are available on 3 dates in the Cades Cove area.
held at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 22, Sunday, September 30, and Saturday, October 6, 2018. Monarchs are the only known butterfly species to make a true migration in North America. Many of the monarchs we see traveling through East Tennessee are on a 2,000 mile journey to spend winter among forests high in the mountains of Mexico. The Great Smoky Mountains Association monarch tagging program gets you involved by collecting data that will help scientists answer questions about the origins of monarchs that reach Mexico, the timing and pace of the migration, mortality during the migration, and changes in geographic distribution. Plan on 3 miles of hiking that is rated easy.
For more information on these, and other, activities, please visit the Great Smoky Mountains Association at http://www.smokiesinformation.org.
February 26, 2018
Hikes to Cemeteries of the Smokies
Did you know that their are roughly 150 cemeteries scattered throughout the Great Smoky Mountains National Park? The land for the park was purchased from families, many of whom lived in this area since the 1800’s. Along with homes, churches, farm buildings, and stone walls, many of their cemeteries are part of the park land. Some are near main trails, others can be found with a map, and a few are slowly becoming overgrown and disappearing.
More than 150 cemeteries can be found in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
“Cemeteries of the Smokies” Guidebook
One of the most popular books published by the Great Smoky Mountains Association is “Cemeteries of the Smokies”. The book provides directions to all 152 graveyards in the park. For each site, the book provides a complete listing of burials and dates, kinship links, and epitaphs. There is also an index of local family names. These historic spots provide a tangible link with our area’s past. They can provide us with insight into customs, religious beliefs, cultural and ethnic influences, and the community development of our ancestors.
The Hiking 101 program sponsored by the Great Smoky Mountains Association takes its inspiration from this book. They have designed 12 guided hikes and a bus tour to take participants to the sacred spaces within the boundaries. These hikes are not all easy, but the hiker is rewarded by coming to know those who lived and died here, and remain buried in lost graves, family plots, and in church burial grounds. Registration for these hikes is now open. For program details and to register, please visit http://www.smokiesinformation.org.
The hikes are limited to 15 individuals each and run from March 17 through October 16 2018. It is important to note that the Park Service frowns on creating “rubbings” of inscriptions on the headstones. The pressure needed to make a clear rubbing can damage the surface. The Great Smoky Mountain Association asks for your help in ensuring the preservation of these plots for future generations.
October 23, 2017
Mount Le Conte is Buckhorn Inn’s Backyard
The view of Mount Le Conte from the Buckhorn Inn veranda is breathtaking.
Rising 6,593 feet, Mount Le Conte accounts for the majestic view from the Buckhorn Inn veranda. It is the highest peak in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park that is entirely within the state of Tennessee. It is the third-highest peak in the national park, behind Clingman’s Dome and Mount Guyot.
Who is Mount Le Conte named after? There is a bit of controversy about that. Joseph Le Conte is listed by the United States Geological Survey as the famous geologist for whom the mountain was named. Others believe the mountain was in fact named for Joseph’s brother, John Le Conte, who was a physicist at South Carolina College. What we do know for sure is that Paul Adams, an enthusiastic hiker, had a major impact on this area. In 1924 he joined the Great Smoky Mountain Conservation Association, whose mission was to make the region into a national park. As part of the campaign Adams led a group of Washington DC dignitaries on a hike up the mountain so that they could appreciate first-hand its rugged beauty. The trip was successful and eventually the entire region became protected as part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
There are five trails that hikers may use to reach the summit of Mount Le Conte. They are the Alum Cave, Boulevard, Bullhead, Rainbow Falls, and Trillium Gap Trails. Millions of years of erosion and weathering have given Mount Le Conte its gently sloping shape. It is composed largely of sandstone, siltstone, and shale that was formed hundreds of millions of years ago. One remnant of the Ice Age can be seen today–a dense stand of Southern Appalachian Spruce-Fir Forest blankets the upper slopes.
Lodging at the Top of Mount Le Conte
The Le Conte Lodge, established in 1925, is the inn with the highest elevation in the eastern United States. Guests may only access the lodge by hiking. Its inaccessibility means that supplies are brought to the lodge by llama train and helicopter. http://www.lecontelodge.com
During your next visit to the Buckhorn Inn we encourage you to appreciate Mount Le Conte, whether that means hiking to the summit or enjoying the view, spiced tea in hand, from one of our veranda rocking chairs.
October 16, 2017
Fall Color in the Great Smoky Mountains
Guests often ask us when is the best time to see the beautiful fall color in the Great Smoky Mountains. Our honest answer: “It depends”! Fall color timing depends on a wide variety of variables, making peak times impossible to predict.
Many guests plan their trips hoping to see the fall color.
We do know, however, that the autumnal hues light up the landscape for as long as seven weeks each year. The colors begin first in the higher elevations, then gradually move downward. Adding to this extended show is the fact that the Smokies are home to more than 100 varieties of native trees, most of them deciduous.
Most years the displays in the very highest elevations may be seen as early as mid-September, with colors visible from Clingman’s Dome Road. The colors in the middle and lower elevations can peak anywhere from mid-October through mid-November. According to http://www.gatlinburg.com/event/autumn-color-in-the-smokies, visitors can expect to enjoy beautiful colors from sugar maples, scarlet oak, sweet gum trees, red maples, and the hickories.
What Causes the Fall Color Change?
Cooler temperatures and longer nights cause the green pigment in the leaves to deteriorate. Carotenoids, the pigments that makes the leaves yellow (and carrots orange!) become more prominent. Red and purple colors come from anthocyanins. This pigments are formed when leaf sugars break down in bright sunlight.
We recommend the Roaring Forks Motor Nature Trail and the Blue Ridge Parkway as being especially scenic drives this time of year. The National Park Service http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/fall-suggestions recommends the following fall hikes: Appalachian Trail, Inspiration Point on Alum Cave Trail, Oconaluftee River Trail, Look Rock Tower, and Sutton Ridge Overlook.
Whether you have made your Great Smoky Mountain trip plans for this year, or are looking forward to 2018, remember that the fall color season typically lasts from mid-September through early November. This is a busy time of year, so we advise making your travel plans far in advance. Feel free to check with us at the Buckhorn Inn periodically–we sometimes have cancellations and then you can book accommodation with short lead times. Our dining room fills up quickly this time of year, so we encourage you to make your dinner reservations early. And don’t forget that Buckhorn Inn guests can pre-order hearty sack lunches to enjoy on a scenic drive or beautiful hike.
Happy fall!
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!
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