Tag: hiking
December 2024 Friends of the Smokies Newsletter
December 3, 2024
by Jim Matheny Hello, Friends! To have this monthly newsletter delivered directly to your inbox, please sign up! We want[…]
Read MoreNovember 2024 Friends of the Smokies Newsletter
November 5, 2024
by Jim Matheny Hello, Friends! To have this monthly newsletter delivered directly to your inbox, please sign up! We want[…]
Read MoreTrails Forever Hikes Recap: Appalachian Trail and Mountains-to-Sea Trail at Clingmans Dome (Aug. 13, 2024)
August 22, 2024
by Danny Bernstein The August “challenging” Trails Forever Hike was a twofer around Clingmans Dome. Continuing the flexible theme for[…]
Read MoreTrails Forever Hikes recap: Noland Creek Trail
July 16, 2024
by Danny Bernstein There are several reasons to love the Noland Creek Trail. It is an easy trail on an[…]
Read MoreMeet the Trails Forever Hike Advisory Team
June 25, 2024
Meet our hike advisory team! These volunteers make the Trails Forever Hikes happen by helping lead and sweep the hikes.[…]
Read MoreTrails Forever Hikes recap: Mountains-to-Sea Trail
May 20, 2024
by Danny Bernstein When hiking in the Smokies, flexibility is almost as important as hiking ability. The Trails Forever Hike[…]
Read MoreTrails Forever Hikes recap: Porters Creek in the rain
April 12, 2024
by Danny Bernstein April showers bring May flowers. But first they bring a lot of rain. The first hike in[…]
Read More‘Trails Forever Hikes’ Hiking Program
March 15, 2024
by Danny Bernstein Spring is almost here and so is the Friends of the Smokies (FOTS) hiking program. This year,[…]
Read More2019 Classic Hikes of the Smokies
January 12, 2019
by Julie Dodd Start planning now to join the 2019 Classic Hikes of the Smokies. The hikes are each Tuesday[…]
Read MoreCades Cove provides special hikes & views for Classic Hike of Smokies two-day event
July 10, 2018
by Julie Dodd Friends of the Smokies held a special Classic Hikes of the Smokies two-day event, June 11-12, in[…]
Read MoreMy Volunteer Experience with FOTS
June 3, 2018
Guest blog post courtesy of Mary Duggan, University of Tennessee ’18 My name is Mary Duggan and for the past[…]
Read More“Everybody’s National Parks” explores the Smokies
May 9, 2018
Everybody’s National Parks is a podcast dedicated to family adventure in our national parks and a few weeks ago, I[…]
Read More2018 Classic Hikes of the Smokies
February 16, 2018
by Julie Dodd The Classic Hikes of the Smokies series, starting its eighth year, offers a way to hike trails[…]
Read MoreTrails Forever restores Rainbow Falls Trail
December 14, 2017
by Josh Shapiro Trails Forever Crew Supervisor 2017 was a productive year on Rainbow Falls Trail. The NPS Trails Forever[…]
Read MoreRainbow Falls restoration work underway
August 30, 2017
by Julie Dodd The Trails Forever crew is hard at work restoring the Rainbow Falls Trail, one of the popular[…]
Read MoreAlum Cave Trail improvements highlight July Classic Hike of the Smokies
July 25, 2017
Steve Pierce was the hike leader for the July Classic Hike of the Smokies to Mt. Le Conte. Steve has[…]
Read MoreGreat views from Charlies Bunion highlight June Classic Hike
June 27, 2017
Steve Winchester was the hike leader for the June Classic Hike of the Smokies. Steve and his wife, Judy, both[…]
Read MoreAlum Cave Trail restoration improves hiking experience
June 15, 2017
by Julie Dodd An added bonus of a recent hike to Mt. Le Conte was being able to see the[…]
Read MoreWildflowers on Big Creek Trail for April Classic Hike of the Smokies
April 25, 2017
by Julie Dodd The April Classic Hike of the Smokies, on April 11, was Big Creek Trail and provided the[…]
Read MoreMingus Creek Trail launches 2017 Classic Hikes of the Smokies
April 1, 2017
by Julie Dodd A hike on the Mingus Creek Trail launched the 2017 Classic Hikes of the Smokies. Thirty-two hikers[…]
Read MoreSmokies Centennial Hike 100 Challenge inspires & promotes service to park
March 10, 2017
by Julie Dodd More than 2,275 hikers completed the Smokies Centennial Hike 100 Challenge to celebrate the 100th anniversary of[…]
Read MoreClassic Hikes of Smokies 2017 schedule
February 21, 2017
by Julie Dodd The Classic Hikes of the Smokies 2017 hiking season begins on March 14 March 28, with a hike[…]
Read MoreNoland Creek Trail — November’s Classic Hike
November 18, 2016
by Julie Dodd The November Classic Hike of the Smokies was on a beautiful fall day — ten miles on[…]
Read MoreClassic Hikes of Smokies help hikers add miles toward Hike 100 Challenge
October 25, 2016
by Julie Dodd Hikers can add 10 miles toward the Hike 100 Challenge by joining the Friends of the Smokies Classic[…]
Read MoreAlum Cave Trail restoration work nears completion
October 7, 2016
by Julie Dodd Restoration work on the Alum Cave Trail, one of the most popular trails in the Smokies, will[…]
Read MoreHikers celebrate Margaret Stevenson’s 104th birthday
September 24, 2016
by Julie Dodd Hikers recognized Margaret Stevenson and her influence on hiking when they met to celebrate what would have[…]
Read MoreVolunteer with Trails Forever Crew on Alum Cave Trail
June 26, 2016
by Julie Dodd Being a Trails Forever crew volunteer is a great way to be a part of restoring some of the[…]
Read MoreHyatt Ridge Trail provides challenge
May 23, 2016
by Julie Dodd Challenge was the key theme for the May Classic Hike of the Smokies to Hyatt Ridge. The hike[…]
Read MoreSpring is a time for new beginnings…
March 28, 2016
It’s not too often that our small organization has staffing changes, but we have some happy and sad news to[…]
Read MoreCentennial logo captures diversity of GSMNP experience
February 29, 2016
by Julie Dodd When I saw the new Centennial logo for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, I was interested[…]
Read MoreHike 100 challenge encourages you to hike 100 miles of trails in GSMNP during 2016
February 2, 2016
by Julie Dodd A great way to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service is by taking the “Hike 100”[…]
Read MoreFOTS Classic Hike to Chimney Tops provides views and insights on trail restoration
November 12, 2015
by Julie Dodd Trail renovation, mountain-top views, and life in the area before the establishment of the GSMNP were[…]
Read MoreDon’t Move Rocks!
October 10, 2015
by Brent McDaniel, Director of Marketing Drive down any of the roads in Great Smoky Mountains National Park that follow[…]
Read More3 Ways to Leaf Peep in the Smokies
September 25, 2015
Expedia teamed up with Friends of the Smokies to provide tips for witnessing the fall foliage in the Smoky Mountains[…]
Read More5 Summer Hikes You’ll Love
July 8, 2015
By Holly Scott Jones, Marketing Director Summer is the perfect time to take a hike! From beginners to expert backpackers,[…]
Read MoreAvent Cabin provides hiking treasure hunt and history lesson
June 19, 2015
by Julie Dodd If you’re looking for a Smokies hike that includes a treasure hunt, a trip back in time,[…]
Read MoreTrail Review: Abrams Falls Trail
May 5, 2015
Jennfier Karrasch shared her review of Abrams Falls Trail with us for National Park Week. Thanks to everyone who entered[…]
Read MoreTrailcams capture Chimney Tops Trail restoration work
January 28, 2015
by Julie Dodd Thanks to the photo planning and editing skills of Tobias Miller, Smokies Trail Crew Supervisor, you can[…]
Read MoreRich Mountain Loop in Cades Cove Is Great Winter Smokies Hike
January 21, 2015
By Holly Jones, Director of Community Outreach and Strategy The wildly popular mountain valley of Cades Cove inside Great Smoky[…]
Read MoreThis Week at Friends of the Smokies
December 5, 2014
It’s been a busy week here at Friends of the Smokies! Time to find a nice branch, up high out[…]
Read MoreWelcome our newest Friend, Anna Lee Zanetti
August 20, 2014
Friends of the Smokies is pleased to welcome another addition to its staff, Anna Lee Zanetti as the new Outreach &[…]
Read MoreVolunteer with Trails Forever Crew on Chimney Tops Trail
July 10, 2014
By Holly Scott Jones, former Marketing Director of Friends of the Smokies A Brief Look Back at Smokies Trails[…]
Read MoreHike to Rocky Top High Above Cades Cove
November 8, 2013
by Holly Scott, Marketing Director The days immediately following the much-celebrated reopening of Great Smoky Mountains National Park were glorious.[…]
Read MoreCamping in the Smokies Today (Oct. 16) – What You Need to Know
October 16, 2013
by Holly Scott, Marketing Director Camping in the Smokies Today (Oct. 16th) – Edited This post was written on October[…]
Read More5 Things You Can Do While Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s Shutdown
October 2, 2013
By Holly Scott, Marketing Director As you may have heard, due to the government shut-down, Great Smoky Mountains National Park[…]
Read MoreGet Your Banff On in Knoxville
February 27, 2013
by Holly Scott Friends of the Smokies Marketing Director Four years ago on a warm spring evening, my colleague Sarah[…]
Read MoreThe Impact of Your “Friends”
February 8, 2013
by Meridith Powell, Board of Directors, Friends of the Smokies Today, I had a great reminder of why Friends of[…]
Read MoreHoliday Happenings with Friends of the Smokies
December 7, 2012
It doesn’t feel a whole lot like a white Christmas is imminent for us here in the Great Smoky Mountains. […]
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