PRESS RELEASE:
Join Friends of the Smokies for Classic Hikes to Mt. Cammerer and Deep Creek in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) on Tuesday, September 13th and Tuesday, September 27th. The guided hikes are led by outdoor enthusiast and author Danny Bernstein. The two hikes offer participants the opportunity to works towards the ‘Hike 100’ challenge, which encourages visitors to hike 100 miles in GSMNP in celebration of the National Park Service Centennial.
The Tuesday, September 13th hike to Mt. Cammerer affords a stunning panoramic view of the Smoky Mountains from the historic fire tower. The 11.4-mile hike is strenuous and has a total elevation ascent of 3,000 feet. While working their way up the trail, hikers will learn about the unique history of fire towers in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the founding of Friends of the Smokies, and the organization’s first undertaking: renovating the striking Mt. Cammerer fire tower the hikers will summit.
On Tuesday, September 27th hikers on Deep Creek loop will reward themselves with breathtaking views of waterfalls and historic features like the Kephart millstone. The hike is strenuous, totaling 13.4 miles with a total elevation ascent of 1,900 feet. On the guided hike participants will also learn how donations made to Friends of the Smokies help fund priority projects including the Artist-in-Residence program. Artists have played an important part in the formation and establishment of our park. Early writers, photographers, painters, and musicians drew inspiration from these mountains and helped translate their purpose as a place of pleasure and preservation.
Monthly guided day hikes in the Classic Hikes series are $20 for members. New members may join Friends of the Smokies and hike for $35. Donations benefit Friends’ Smokies Trails Forever program which funds trail rehabilitation in GSMNP.
Visit Hike.FriendsoftheSmokies.org to register for any Classic Hike of the Smokies.
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