Great Smoky Mountains National Park Summer Ranger Programs June 17-Aug 11, 2018

Transcription

1 Great Smoky Mountains National Park Summer Ranger Programs June 17-Aug 11, 2018 Sundays: Coffee With a Ranger 10:00 a.m. Join a Ranger for a cup of coffee and find out what s happening in the park! Coffee provided. Bring a cup if you have one. Topics may vary based on visitor interests and things going on in the park. Down on the Farm 1:00 p.m. Mountain Farm Museum adjacent to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center Walk down to the Mountain Farm Museum and see what past-time settlers may have been engaged in such as gardening, woodworking, or other endeavors. Activities vary. Junior Ranger: Smoky Mountain Elk 5:30 p.m. Palmer House, Cataloochee Valley It's all about connection and balance in nature to insure survival for elk and other species living together in an ecosystem. Learn about the history of the elk through show and tell activities. Then stay and watch the elk come into in the fields! 45 minutes Junior Ranger: Smokemont Night Hike 8:45 p.m. Bradley Fork Trail in the Smokemont Campground, end of D-Loop Move beyond the comfortable glow of the campfire and explore the Smokies nightlife. Bring a flashlight. Limited to 25 call 828/ up to four days in advance to make reservations.

2 Monday Junior Ranger: The Four-Legged Weather Forecaster 10:30 a.m. Join a Ranger for a walk through the Mountain Farm and the adjoining field to learn about a furry, four legged weather forecaster. This critter is so important he has his own special day on our calendar. Hike: When the Roll is Called Up Yonder 3:00 p.m. Mingus Mill Parking Area Join a Ranger on a hike to two cemeteries and learn about the end of life traditions of the early settlers in the Great Smoky Mountains. Discover how the traditions were the similar or dissimilar from today s rituals. Moderate hike with stream crossings on bridges. 4 miles round-trip. 3 hours Tuesday Hike: Andrews Bald 10:00 a.m. Forney Ridge Trailhead at Clingmans Dome Join a Ranger on a 3.6 mile round trip hike to the most accessible of the Smokies grassy balds to learn more about this unique high elevation feature. Leisurely hike back to the parking lot on your own after reaching the bald. Sturdy footwear, a snack, and water recommended. Moderate 600 foot elevation change. 3 hours Moderate hike Junior Ranger: Go Out On A Limb, Branch Out 2:00 p.m. Oconaluftee River Trailhead adjacent to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center

3 Sometimes we miss the trees for the forest but here is a chance to change how you see the Smokies. Using an identification key and clues you too can be a naturalist and not feel stumped when naming some of the common trees in this area of the park. Return of the Elk July 3, 10, 17, 31; August 7, 21, 28 5:00 p.m. Rough Fork Trailhead Cataloochee Valley Come enjoy a guided hike to the former elk acclimation pen site and explore how, when and why the elk were returned to the Smokies. 1.5 hours Moderate hike less than 1 mile Wednesday Junior Ranger: Gourmet Dining on Four Feet 11:00 a.m. How can a bear eat yellow jackets-yuck! I heard that raccoons can open cans? Can they, do they, I heard that. Adaptation is crucial to survival for park residents as they dine in the Smokies. Join in and experience some incredible ways animals have adapted food and shelter. 45 minutes Oconaluftee Compass Challenge 3:00 p.m. (except July 25) In this age of high-tech devices which depend on batteries and wireless signals, it's good to remember our older and more reliable tools. Learn the basic use of a magnetic orienteering compass on this fun, farm-themed scavenger hunt., but participants should be able to count by fives. Recommended for age 9 and up, but younger children are welcome with parents or older siblings.

4 Thursday Adz, Froe, and a Fine Tree 10:30 a.m. Enjoy a walk on the Mountain Farm Museum and discover the subtle differences in tools and trees when these farm buildings were created (constructed). Friday Junior Ranger: Blacksmithing 10:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 11:30 a.m. Blacksmith Shop, Mountain Farm Museum Learn a new skill. Be a blacksmith and create your own item to take home. Limited to ages Other Junior Ranger programs will be going on simultaneously for younger kids. Junior Ranger: Batteries Not Included 10:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 11:30 a.m. Join Park Staff for a fun morning of games. Learn a mix of historic games as well as more modern take on board-games. Each half hour features a different game. All ages welcome! Smokemont Evening Campfire Program 7:00 p.m. Smokemont Campground between C and D Loops

5 Join a Ranger for a National Park Tradition - the evening campfire program. Topics vary but you're guaranteed to learn something new about the Great Smoky Mountains. Bring a chair or blanket to sit on. Saturday Junior Ranger: Stream Splashers 10:00 a.m. Deep Creek Picnic Area Roll up your pants and wade through a mountain stream to look for mayflies, stoneflies, dragonflies, and other aquatic critters. Be prepared to get wet. Closed-toed shoes recommended. 2 hours A Great Rangering Skill 10:30 a.m. Under the Maple Tree at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center Orienteering! Rangers need many skills to be good at their job, but everyone wants to go home after a long day in the woods. Learning the basics of reading a compass will help you get home too after a great day in the forest. Junior Ranger: How Do I Get There from Here? 1:00 p.m. Oconaluftee Multipurpose Room adjacent to the visitor center Reading a map to drive is becoming an uncommon skill, learning to read a map in the woods is even less common. Join us and understand the basic skill needed to read topographical maps and quadrangle maps when venturing into the wilds. Flat Creek Ramble 2:00 p.m. Flat Creek Trailhead, Balsam Mountain Picnic Area The name may not be flashy, but don't be fooled! Flat Creek Trail is one of the Smokie's finest. Enjoy views, birds, wildflowers, and a lovely Appalachian mountain stream on this ranger-led walk. Total trail length is 2.6 miles (one way), and the ranger-led portion will be about half of that. Participants have the option of finishing the trail on their own or returning to the trailhead with the ranger. 3 hours Moderate

6 Cataloochee Elk 3:30 p.m. June 23, July 7 & 21, August 11 & 18, September 8 & 22 Palmer House, Cataloochee Valley Cataloochee is a great place for viewing elk. Learn about the history of the elk through show and tell activities. Then stay and watch the elk come into in the fields! 45 minutes Smokemont Evening Campfire Program 7:00 p.m. Smokemont Campground between C and D Loops Join a Ranger for a National Park Tradition - the evening campfire program. Topics vary but you're guaranteed to learn something new about the Great Smoky Mountains. Bring a chair or blanket to sit on. Special Programs Back Porch Old-Time Music Jam 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. June 2 & 16, July 7 & 21, August 4 &18, September 1 & 15 Bring an acoustic instrument and join in on this old-time jam. Or just sit back and enjoy the sights and sounds as others play traditional Appalachian music. 2 hours Mountain Life Festival 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Saturday, September 15 Mountain Farm Museum, adjacent to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center Join park staff and volunteers as we celebrate the fall harvest. The Mountain Farm Museum will be alive with history as demonstrators provide visitors with a glimpse into the past as they make soap, apple cider, sorghum molasses, hominy, music and more. Ongoing 6 hours