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Hiking

All kinds of info about hiking here on my page.

This is all very important stuff to bring hiking.

MOSQUITO PROTECTION

Mosquitoes used to be annoying but now you have to worry about all kinds of germs they might carry as well, make sure you protect yourself from these filthy creatures in some way.

CAMPING SAW

If you are planning to make a fire a camp saw is a great thing to have. Often times branches of wood that you find are too long and hard to break, a camp saw will spare you a lot of frustration.

FIRST AID

Anyone going out alone into the woods without a first aid kit is crazy.

WATER

Always make sure you're bringing enough water or have access to water where you are going.

STRING

String weighs almost nothing and you always need it when you're out in the woods. Make sure you always have some in your backpack.

STOVE

The Stratus Trailstove is as close as you can get to the perfect back packing stove. It's very light, very cheap, and very dependable. What kind of fuel? Well wood of course, what other fuel is there in the woods, or did you want to carry some type of fuel with you?

TENT

Don't pay more than $25 for a two person tent. I've been using a $20 tent from Target for the last five years, sometimes in snow storms, it's starting to get a bit faded but it's still OK. Unless you're going to the Himalayas an expensive tent is a complete waste of money, unless of course you're one of those people that buy expensive gear to impress people.

HOW TO MAKE AN IGLOO

PICK A SPOT
You should build your igloo on a level surface where the snow is at least 3 feet deep. There should be enough hard snow for your igloo, if the surface snow is powdery there's probably hard packed snow a bit deeper. Large bumps on the surface of the snow it usually means that there is a large object below the snow such as a boulder or a large stomp, they can get in the way so it's better to pick as flat a spot as possible. Don't make your igloo bigger than it needs to be. Mark out in the snow where you plan to have the wall of your igloo.

CUT BLOCKS
Cut out blocks from the area which will be the inside of the igloo. The lower blocks should be about 1 foot thick, 3 feet long and 1.5 feet high, the higher blocks should be about 6 inches thick, 2 feet long, and 1 foot high. If you size the blocks as I have said above you will need approximately the following number of blocks:

Sleeping 1 person, 6 feet inner diameter: 30 blocks
Sleeping 2 people, 7 feet inner diameter: 40 blocks
Sleeping 3-4 people, 9 feet inner diameter: 60 blocks

Don't worry if you think you'll have trouble fitting, once the igloo is finished you can carve out a bit of space for your feet from the inner wall.
The hole resulting from your cutting will be the floor in the igloo so you want a sleeping area for each person as high up as possible, a general purpose area that should be a bit lower to allow for mobility, and a deep entrance hole that extends outside of the igloo. The entrance hole should be as narrow as possible while still allowing you to get in and out without too much discomfort. The deep entrance hole will absorb the cold air and release it to the outside while the warm air will rise and stay trapped inside the dome.

BUILD A SPIRAL CIRCLE
Place your largest and widest blocks in a circle around the hole where you have been cutting out your blocks, the blocks should be tilted in towards the center. Start with the block that goes on top of the entrance hole, the whole entrance hole must be traversed by one single block with plenty of support on both sides. Cut the blocks so they form a spiral, make sure that the block covering the entrance hole is the largest block.

BUILD WALL
Add blocks to the wall until you only have a small opening in the roof. Before you get to the point that it's hard to get in and out of the dome move any blocks not yet used to the inside of the dome so you can put them all up in one sweep from the inside.

TOP PIECE
When all the blocks are in place cut the final top piece to the right size. If you can wiggle it out from the inside and lower it down into position that's great, but if your hole is very circular this won't be possible, you'll have to put the block on top of the dome from the outside and then lower it down from the inside.

FINISHING
Fill any cracks with snow.
Make a little doorway over the entrance to keep snow out.
You have to make at least one air hole in the roof to ensure proper ventilation. Without good ventilation you could run out of oxygen, very dangerous.
Smoothen the inside of the dome to prevent water dripping.
Your igloo is now ready to be lived in, check your air hole periodically to make sure it's not blocked. If you've done everything right you will be quite comfortable.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Gatlinburg, TN

The national park, in the states of North Carolina and Tennessee, encompasses 800 square miles of which 95 percent are forested. World renowned for the diversity of its plant and animal resources, the beauty of its ancient mountains, the quality of its remnants of Southern Appalachian mountain culture, and the depth and integrity of the wilderness sanctuary within its boundaries, it is one of the largest protected areas in the east.

CONTACTS

Email - grsm_smokies_information@nps.gov

Fax- 865-436-1220

Write to
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
107 Park Headquarters Road
Gatlinburg, TN 37738

Phone
Visitor Information (TDD) - (865) 436-1200

TRAVEL BASICS

Operating Hours, Seasons
The park is open year-round. Visitor centers at Sugarlands and Oconaluftee are open all year, except Christmas Day. Cades Cove visitor center has limited winter hours.

Getting There
PLANE - The nearest major airport in Tennessee (McGhee-Tyson, TYS) is Alcoa, 45 miles west of Gatlinburg. North Carolina's, Asheville Airport is 60 miles east of the park.

CAR - Several major highways lead to the park. The following routes provide access to the three main entrances. In Tennessee: 1)From I-40 take Exit 407 (Sevierville) to TN Route 66 South, and continue to U.S. 441 South. Follow U.S. 441 to Park. 2.) From I-40 in Knoxville - Exit 386B U.S. Highway 129 South to Alcoa/Maryville. At Maryville proceed on U.S. 321 North through Townsend. Continue straight on TN Highway 73 into the park. In North Carolina: From I-40, take U.S. Route 19 West through Maggie Valley. Proceed to U.S. 441 North at Cherokee into the park. From Atlanta and points south: follow U.S. 441 and 23 North. U.S. 441 leads to the park.

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION - No train or bus service accesses the park.

Weather & Climate
Elevations in the park range from 800 feet to 6,643 feet and topography affects local weather. Temperatures are 10 to 20 degrees cooler on the mountaintops. Annual precipitation averages 65 inches in the lowlands to 88 inches in the high country. Spring often bring unpredictable weather, particularly in higher elevations. Summer is hot and humid, but more pleasant in higher elevations. Fall has warm days and cool nights and is the driest period. Frosts occur starting in late September. Winter is generally moderate, but extreme conditions occur with increasing elevation.

FEES/PERMITS

Entrance Fee
ENTRANCE TO GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK
Free!
Due to deed restrictions imposed when the Park was established, there are no entrance fees. Enjoy your visit!

Activity Fee
FRONT COUNTRY CAMPING
$12-20 for Day
There are 10 Front Country (drive in) campgrounds in the Park. Click below for more information on locations and fees.

Permits
BACKCOUNTRY CAMPING PERMIT
Free!
Permit required for staying overnight in the backcountry. Click below to find out how to plan your trip.

CAMPING

Abrams Creek Campground
First-come, first serve. This campground has 16 sites and is at elevation 1,125 feet. It has no electric hookups or shower facilities, running water and bathroom facilities only. $12 each night.

Balsam Mountain Campground
First-come, first serve. This campground has 46 sites and is at elevation 5,310 feet. No campground has electric hookups or shower facilites, only running water and bathroom facilities. $14 each night.

Big Creek Campground
First-come, first serve. This campground has 12 sites and is for tents only. It sits at elevation 1,700 feet. No campground has electric hookups or shower facilities, only running water and bathroom facilities. $12 each night. Group camping is also available. Reservations can be made either on line or by calling 1-800-365-CAMP.

Cades Cove Campground
Make Reservations by Phone at 1-800-365-CAMP
Open All Year
Reservations accepted up to five months in advance for May 1- Oct. 31 occupancy. Other dates first-come, first-serve. This campground has 159 sites and sits at elevation 1,807 feet. No campground has shower facilities or electric hookups, only running water and bathroom facilities. Cades Cove Campground Store sells convenience items, groceries, camping supplies, and a limited selection of hot and cold deli items. There are no other food facilities in the park. Numerous convenience stores and restaurant establishments are located in outlying communities. $14-17 each night. Group camping is also available. Reservations can be made either on line or by calling 1-800-365-CAMP.

Cataloochee Campground
First-come, first serve. This campground has 27 sites and sits at elevation 2,610 feet. No campground has electric hookups or shower facilities, only running water and bathroom facilities. $12 each night. Group camping is also available. Reservations can be made either on line or by calling 1-800-365-CAMP.

Cosby Campground
First-come, first serve. This campground has 175 sites and sits at elevation 2,459 feet. No campground has shower facilities or electric hookups, only running water and bathroom facilities. $14 each night. Group camping is also available. Reservations can be made either on line or by calling 1-800-365-CAMP.

Deep Creek Campground
First-come, first serve. This campground has 92 sites and sits at elevation 1,800 feet. No campground has electric hookups or shower facilities, only running water and bathroom facilities. $14 each night. Group camping is also available. Reservations can be made either on line or by calling 1-800-365-CAMP.

Elkmont Campground
Make Reservations by Phone at 1-800-365-CAMP
Reservations accepted up to five months in advance for May 1-Oct. 31 occupancy. Other dates first-come, first-serve. This campground has 220 sites and sits at elevation 2,150 feet. No campground has electric hookups or shower facilities, only running water and bathroom facilities. $14-20 each night. Group camping is also available. Reservations can be made either on line or by calling 1-800-365-CAMP.

Look Rock Campground
First-come, first serve. This campground has 92 sites and sits at elevation 2,600 feet. No campground has electric hookups or shower facilities, only running water and bathroom facilities. $14 each night.

Smokemont Campground
Make Reservations by Phone at 1-800-365-CAMP
Open All Year
Reservations accepted up to five months in advance for May 1-Oct. 31 occupancy. Other dates first-come, first-serve. This campground has 142 sites and sits at elevation 2,198 feet. No campground has electric hookups or shower facilities, only running water and bathroom facilities. $14-17 each night. Group camping is also available. Reservations can be made either on line or by calling 1-800-365-CAMP.

LODGING

Le Conte Lodge
Le Conte Lodge, accessible only by foot, sits atop 6.593 Mt. LeConte, the park's third highest peak. Reservations are required. Reservations can be made by calling (865)429-5704 or by FAX at (865)429-5705, by Email at reservations@leconte-lodge.com, or on-line at www.leconte-lodge.com (Click 'Yes' above).
For More Information on this lodging please call (865) 429-5704

FACILITIES

Visitor Centers
*CADES COVE VISITOR CENTER
Open All Year
Location - *Inside the park near the mid-point of the 11-mile, one-way Cades Cove Loop Road.
Special Programs - Ranger-led programs are conducted seasonally. Check at the visitor center for times.
Exhibits - Indoor and outdoor exhibits of Southern Mountain life and culture. Includes Cable Mill, a grist mill which operates spring through fall, the Becky Cable house, and other historic structures.
Available Facilities - Great Smoky Mountains Natural History Association bookstore and shop. Public restrooms.

*OCONALUFTEE VISITOR CENTER
Open All Year
Location - *Inside the park, 2 miles north of Cherokee, NC, on US 441.
Special Programs - Ranger-led programs conducted seasonally. Check at the vistor center for location and times.
Exhibits - The adjacent Mountain Farm Museum contains a fascinating collection of log structures including a farmhouse, barn, smokehouse, applehouse, corn cribs and others. Demonstrations of farm life are conducted seasonally.
Available Facilities - Great Smoky Mountains Natural History Association bookstore and shop. Public restrooms and telephones. Soda and water machines. Backcountry permit station.

*SUGARLANDS VISITOR CENTER
Open All Year
Location - *Inside the park, 2 miles south of Gatlinburg on US 441.
Special Programs - Ranger-led programs conducted seasonally. Check at the visitor center for locations and times.
Exhibits - Free admission to 20-minute film with Dolby Digital Surround Sound. Extensive natural history exhibits.
Available Facilities - Great Smoky Mountains Natural History Association bookstore and shop. Public restrooms and telephones. Soda and water machines. Backcountry permit station.

GATLINBURG WELCOME CENTER
Open All Year
Location - Located 2 miles outside of Gatlinburg on 441 South
Available Facilities - Great Smoky Mountains Natural History Association bookstore and shop. City of Gatlinburg information. Public restrooms and telephones.

SMOKY MOUNTAIN VISITOR CENTER
Open All Year
Location - At I-40 exit 407 (Highway 66) in the Smokies Stadium complex.
Available Facilities - Great Smoky Mountains Natural History Association bookstore and shop. Sevier County, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Sevierville information. Public restrooms and telephones.

TOWNSEND VISITOR CENTER
Open All Year
Location - Townsend, Tennessee, on US 321.
Available Facilities - Great Smoky Mountains Natural History Association bookstore and shop. Townsend and local area information. Public restrooms and telephones.

Some content donated by Hikercentral.com and the National Park Service

MOSQUITO PROTECTION		Mosquitoes used to be annoying but now you have to worry about all kinds of germs they might carry as well, make sure you protect yourself from these filthy creatures in some way.
CAMPING SAW		If you are planning to make a fire a camp saw is a great thing to have. Often times branches of wood that you find are too long and hard to break, a camp saw will spare you a lot of frustration.
FIRST AID		Anyone going out alone into the woods without a first aid kit is crazy.
WATER		Always make sure you're bringing enough water or have access to water where you are going.
STRING		String weighs almost nothing and you always need it when you're out in the woods. Make sure you always have some in your backpack.
STOVE		The Stratus Trailstove is as close as you can get to the perfect back packing stove. It's very light, very cheap, and very dependable. What kind of fuel? Well wood of course, what other fuel is there in the woods, or did you want to carry some type of fuel with you?
TENT		Don't pay more than $25 for a two person tent. I've been using a $20 tent from Target for the last five years, sometimes in snow storms, it's starting to get a bit faded but it's still OK. Unless you're going to the Himalayas an expensive tent is a complete waste of money, unless of course you're one of those people that buy expensive gear to impress people.