Hiking guide/author Danny Bernstein will lead a Tuesday, April 14, spring hike in the Cataloochee Valley. Sponsored by the Friends of the Smokies, the hike takes participants on the Caldwell Fork Loop, a 9.4-mile trek of moderate difficulty. The adventure includes a visit to the historic Woody House a Union gravesite. Here’s more info:
Spring Hike in Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Join Friends of the Smokies and hike through history in Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s Cataloochee Valley. Hikers will enjoy scenic views, wildflowers, rushing creeks, a gravesite and a historic home along Caldwell Fork Loop on April 14th. This hike is led by hiking guide and author Danny Bernstein.
Caldwell Fork Loop, is 9.4 miles in length with a total elevation gain of 1,650 feet, it is moderately difficult. Hikers will visit the historic Woody House and a union gravesite.
The hike first begins on Big Fork Ridge Trail and flows clockwise into the heart of the Caldwell country, one of the three settlements in the Cataloochee community. This hike blends the old with the new from the historic Woody Home to the reintroduction of elk in 2001. The elk in Cataloochee Valley have grown to a sustainable population over the years and graze the valley during dawn and dusk. During the morning hours hikers may have the opportunity to view these amazing creatures.
Participants on the hike will learn how donations made to Friends of the Smokies help fund Student Conservation Association (SCA) internship positions. Interns gain valuable hands-on work experience while providing cost-effective labor for the park. Interns assist with scientific research and resource management projects in the park including eradicating non-native plants, wildlife management, spraying for hemlock wooly adelgid, and sampling streams for native brook trout.
Friends of the Smokies hikes are offered on the second Tuesday of each month. Guided Classic Hikes are $35 and include a complimentary membership to Friends of the Smokies. Current Friends members receive a discount and hike for $10. Members who bring a friend hike for free. All registration donations benefit the Friends’ Smokies Trails Forever program.
To register for a Classic Hike of the Smokies, contact AnnaLee@friendsofthesmokies.org. To view a complete listing of Friends’ monthly Classic Hikes of the Smokies, visit http://www.friendsofthesmokies.org/events.html.
For more than 20 years, Friends of the Smokies has raised over $47 million to help maintain Great Smoky Mountains National Park as a crown jewel of the national park system, including the establishment of the Trails Forever endowment to improve Smoky Mountain hiking trails in perpetuity.
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